The challenges for B2B Technology communicators

Last week we partnered with the good people at Kaizo on an event that attempted to predict the key trends from B2B technology PR and communications people for 2015.

Our speakers for the morning were:

Joe Hanley, Vice President, Communications and Brand Experience, IBM Europe    
Wander Bruijel, Head of Brand, Communications & Digital UK & Ireland, Philips      
Steph Macleod, Director, Kaizo PR

IBM's Joe Hanley kicked things off. He discussed the consumerisation of b2b comms and the idea that the digitalisation of b2b communications channels has meant that you can slice your stakeholder communications very effectively.

Here are Joe’s 9 Thoughts on B2B Influencer Relations (in a Consumerised World)

1. Define the ‘right’ community
2. Work out what’s out there. Some things may need to be closed down.
3. Trial, test, experiment, fail. Small is beautiful
4. Build a replicable model (priorities, resources, markets)
5. Establish a content engine
6. From Inside Out to Outside In
7. Train repeatedly; demonstrate and reinforce good practice
8. Take it off-line
9. Measure

Next up Philip’s Wander Bruijel talked about making B2B communications personal and how “A B2B brand story is heard not by one, but an ecosystem”:

Wander also reminded us all of our tendency to overcomplicate business communications:

Finally Steph Macleod from Kaizo outlined the results of some exclusive research Kaizo had undertaken which outlined some of the key challenges that in-house technology communicators are currently facing.

Mission creep:

Pressure on PR/Comms budgets in the B2B Technology sector

• 45% claim budget scope creep
• 39% asked to do more with the same
• 17% the same with less!
• Social & lead generation increasingly included

The contribution of PR to the business (in the B2B Technology sector)

• 17% thought PR contributes to business growth
• But 33% claim their own success is measured by business growth
• 22% on input to sales and channel and 16% on lead generation
• 60% role of PR to manage overall brand, 61% social media and 56% content development