Growth Insights for CEOs

What CEOs Should Look for in a B2B Manufacturing CMO: Part 2
In my previous post, we discussed the importance of hiring a CMO who understands the buying process. Someone who can identify the customer’s pain points and what they need to move forward at each stage of the buying process. Now, let’s consider the role of emotion in influencing the buyers’ decision and how that applies.
Appealing to Emotions
Although it’s easy to think otherwise, emotions play a role in both B2B and B2C marketing. And, yes, that even applies to industrial buyers! When industrial buyers won’t take a risk, that can be an emotional decision.
They don’t want to risk the consequences that come with a bad decision—being viewed poorly in their job, adding even more tasks to an already full workload, or even losing their job by going with the lesser-known alternative. After all, haven’t we all heard that “nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM?”
Recent Posts

Closing the Small to Mid-Sized Company Merger – Is It Too Risky to Ink the Deal?
Thu, Mar 17, 2016 — In our previous post, we lit the fuse on the concept of how a merger or acquisition may be beneficial when swashbuckling one’s way through the uber-competitive marketing landscape of the present. By making it this far, you may have decided that this strategy may be prudent -- especially now that you know when and why you might consider M&A for your company. So let’s now take a look at the downside of such an initiative—the “glass-half-empty scenario.”

Building Company Value After an Acquisition
Sun, Mar 27, 2011 — Marketing’s Role in Post-Merger Integration The deal was just signed! Now what do we do? How many times have we heard this familiar cry? You are not alone. Over 70% of the deals completed today fail to add company value! The primary reason for most failures: poor post-merger integration planning and execution. The integration of two businesses after an acquisition is no longer restricted to the domain of Finance and IT. Markets drive our businesses today! The role of Marketing in building company value after an acquisition is more critical than ever before. To build market share, competitive dominance and product superiority, Marketing’s approach to the integration program must be very systematic. Marketing must uphold the brand, maintain customer confidence and leverage all possible synergies while vigilantly monitoring ROI. As if this isn’t a difficult enough balancing act, Marketing must articulate the longer-term “go-to-market” strategy to ensure the continuity of value enhancement programs long after the integration process is complete. So where do you begin?