Consumer demand matters, but it’s only half the battle for CPG brands. Without retailer and distributor support, even popular products struggle to earn shelf space. Success depends on connecting shopper appeal with clear business value that convinces buyers, making strong B2B messaging just as essential as consumer marketing. This edition of Plain Talk explores how to punch up your B2B messaging and strategy, so it resonates with buyers and turns more impactful consumer campaigns.

In times of economic uncertainty, smart brands are shifting from broad awareness to focused, measurable tactics that influence buying decisions. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll give the humble trade show its due as B2B marketers flood back to this time-tested selling tool.

During the two years of the pandemic, we were forced to stay home and not travel. Business was anything but “business as usual.” Overnight, The B2B world had to grow new synapses to reach, educate, and sell to new and existing clients remotely. While phone and Zoom calls picked up much of the slack for B2B marketers, digital marketing was also forced to evolve significantly. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll outline the three biggest industry changes that will “stick,” how they affect your B2B digital marketing strategy, and what you need to do about them.

We learn about our world from the stories we read, hear, and watch, and historically, storytelling has been a foundational element in cultures across the globe. In marketing, it’s been scientifically shown to be extremely effective in helping people remember and engage with our brands; in some cases, it’s as much as 22 times more likely to remember. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll give the humble story its due and talk through the value of B2B storytelling in marketing, specifically to your customers.

Several years ago, a marketing professional from a large company told me trade media simply wasn’t worthy of their marketing plan. Talking about their product in trade media before it was available to consumers didn’t make sense to them. They had a sales team to handle getting the word out. No offense to their team, but I’m sure they could use a little help. Trade media should be an ally and resource in your B2B communications mix. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk through the reasons that trade media relationships are a critical component of any marketing plan.

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, there were roughly 9,400 business-to-business trade shows in the U.S. in 2019. These trade shows, by some estimates, represented a $15 billion industry that was forecast to exceed $17 billion in 2021. More importantly, these shows routinely represent critical sales opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Then in 2020, COVID-19 came and not only wiped out the shows, but also the critical sales opportunities they offered. The climb back to trade show “normalcy” is predicted to be slow as shows and businesses scramble for virtual solutions to bridge the gap. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss the past and future of trade shows and talk about whether the trade show of today or tomorrow will still be your business Super Bowl.

As 2020—a year unlike any other—finishes up, marketers are faced with a new world of replacing crucial business leads. One of the most impactful methods, trade shows, is still in flux. Many early 2021 shows have been canceled while others are considering postponing or moving to a completely virtual platform, which frankly just isn’t the same. And you need leads now. This is just the right time to utilize those trade show dollars on a few new arrows in the marketing quiver, ones that allow for pinpoint precision to offset the loss of in-person opportunities. In today’s Plain Talk newsletter, we’ll talk about a few cost-effective B2B lead generation tips and ways to repurpose those trade show dollars to keep qualified leads rolling in.

In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss B2B trade show trends. We hope you’ll gain valuable insights that you can apply to your B2B marketing regimen.