Marketing Mistakes That Could Kill Your B2B Brand

There is a right way and a wrong way to market a B2B brand. Taking risks with untested advertising campaigns can damage your ecommerce business in both the short and long-term. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the online reaction to Gillette’s #MeToo dig at ‘toxic masculinity’.

While the men’s shaving brand has won widespread praise for calling out sexism, it has also been accused of emasculating men. The P&G-owned household name is facing accusations that it has jumped on the #MeToo bandwagon. Now there are calls for men to boycott Gillette razors. Some have already said they will never use a Gillette product again.

The marketing no-go zones

Taken in context, Gillette is big enough and strong enough to weather a storm. It is quick to point out that its video advert, The Best Men Can Be, vent viral and attracted more than four million YouTube views inside two days. But, what if this marketing campaign was promoting a new product or relatively unknown ecommerce business? Imagine if it had been in the B2B space.

Dani Attard, Commercial Director of Comgem, has this advice for B2B businesses devising a new marketing strategy:

“Always consider your audience and never lose sight of them. Avoid politics, innuendo and messages that attempt to push ideals on your target market. Be bold, but be respectful. The key to successful marketing is knowing who your customers are; what they like and, importantly, what they don’t like.”

Guerilla marketing gone wrong

Even the most ethical brands get it wrong occasionally. The Co-op upset just about everybody in 2017 when it suggested parents should buy their daughters an Easter egg - in return for them doing the washing up. The company was forced to issue an apology following complaints that the advert, which appeared in print, was sexist.

Heinz promoted an offer using a QR code - and then let the website domain expire. When a customer used the code he was directed to a hardcore porn website.

British Gas bit off more than it could chew when it decided to raise brand awareness with a Q&A on Twitter. It mostly attracted customers with complaints.

How to avoid marketing mistakes

Comgem, the UK’s leading developer of B2B ecommerce solutions, makes marketing easy. Dani says: “Clear, consistent branding is what works. We recommend personalised marketing with a strong emphasis on product benefits, special offers and rewards. Gemsuite, our cloud-based B2B platform, makes marketing effortless. There is no need to take risks to sell more.

“If you are selling to another business, you need to keep your message focussed on your products and your unique selling points. Stray from those and you could end up in unchartered water.”

Want to learn more about marketing your B2B business? Here’s free advice for your 2019 marketing calendar.

https://www.comgem.com/news/planning-your-2019-b2b-ecommerce-calendar