B-to-B Events

THE ECONOMY MAY BE IN THE CRAPPER but many brands have learned that by being nice they can actually come out smelling pretty darn good. Whether that entails a free breakfast or a cab ride free resume printing or a PC tune-up marketers are betting that a little kindness can go a long way with cash-strapped consumers.

Iconic rocker Mick Jagger is one. So are big screen hunks like Viggo Mortensen and Richard Gere. And sex symbols like Jamie Lee Curtis, Christie Brinkley, Kerry Smith and Madonna. Yep the over-50 set doesn’t look like it used to Mavis. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are not only looking younger and living […]

For a technology brand with the word “invent” as its slogan an early foray into the world of virtual events may not seem like much of a stretch. It was Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard after all who first staked out territory in Silicon Valley in 1939 founding one of the most successful high-tech companies in the world out of a one-car garage and bringing to market over the next 75 years industry firsts like calculators handheld devices email programs laser printers and touchscreen PCs.

Ross Burton credits media training with giving him confidence whether he’s working behind the scenes at awards shows like the Academy Awards hosting a consumer make-up event or fielding a reporter’s questions. And although he comes across as self-assured and comfortable with the press Burton says that wasn’t always the case.

Some of the biggest marketing breakthroughs have come from brands that made new connections with unexpected demographics. Consider Nintendo Wii and its raging success with trendsetting moms for example. Who knew right? Following Nintendo’s lead brands once considered long shots with certain market segments are finding success by targeting tastemakers at niche events. The key to bringing together these odd couplings: connecting the dots through creative and relevant experiences.