There’s a great initiative that’s been kicked off by the Business Marketing Collective (www.businessmarketingcollective.com) to challenge marketers in the B2B space to say why they love B2B Marketing.  You can follow the story on Twitter at #iloveb2b.  Here’s my contribution…

I love B2B Marketing.

Because it is the toughest profession in business.  And that means when you get it right it’s the most rewarding thing in the world.  In the times when you’ve cracked it, you’ve got that brilliant king of the hill feeling.  You’ve made it.

Marketing is tough.  You’ve got to put yourself in the position of your customers in the environment in which they will encounter your product or service and respond to it.  It’s fiercely competitive out there yet you’ve got to be ahead of the pack.  You’ve got to stand out in a sea of noise.  You’ve got to plan when people just want you to act.  You’ve got to be creative in a rigorously analytical world.  You’ve got to apply business analytics to the creative.  You’ve got to be down in the detail while staying objective.  You’ve got to stay focused in the face of distractions.  You’ve got to be able to marshal your content, your channels, and your distribution – against all the odds.

B2B Marketing is all of that.  And some.  This profession is younger than FMCG.  It’s still got to prove itself.  So you’ve got to prove yourself in a sceptical environment.  Business doesn’t get B2B Marketing.  And so you’ve got to persuade, explain, and lead the way.  Add to the multiple internal stakeholders with multiple external customer groups.  There’s no longer just one buyer, there’s many – with different needs, opinions, and expectations.  And there’s no one to help you:  all the marketing professional bodies focus on FMCG rather than B2B.  You’re on your own.

So it’s bloody hard.  And that’s brilliant.  You only get one life.  So do something that challenges and rewards you in equal measure.  It’s the most exciting job in the world.

That’s why I love B2B Marketing.

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DaveStevensNow

Dave is an experienced global B2B Chief Marketing Officer / Marketing Director with an established reputation for delivering commercial results in start-up, mid-tier, and blue-chip businesses across technology, and business services and professional services sectors.

Dave has worked for major brands such as Telefonica O2, EY, and Barclays and held posts from Chief Marketing Officer to Director of Online, has run his own business, and managed a P&L for a major corporate. He is chair and co-founder of the Business Marketing Club (www.businessmarketingclub.org.uk) - a network of B2B marketers. In 2019, he was named one of the top 100 B2B European marketing leaders (https://www.hottopics.ht/34199/top-100-b2b-european-marketing-leaders-2019/). He is a graduate of Cambridge University, a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Chartered Marketer and holds a MBA with Imperial College, London. Dave is a keen cyclist and adventure traveller, is married, and lives in Buckinghamshire. You can read his blogs at www.DaveStevensNow.com.