B2B Mobile Marketing and Communications: Ignore This Trend At Your Own Peril

B2B companies have been cautious in their adoption of mobile technology as a marketing and communications tool, yet evidence strongly suggests that you ignore this trend at your peril. 

According to Forrester Research, business-to-business mobile marketing spending will quadruple over the next five years, rising from $26 million in 2009 to $106 million in 2014.

Studies predict the mobile app market will grow from $6 billion this year to more than $17.5 billion by 2012; the number of apps downloaded will increase from 7 billion in 2009 to 50 billion by 2012.

Wireless intelligence firm, Berg Insight, reported data (March 10, 2011) that showed global smartphone shipments increased 74% from 2009 to 2010. Rising smartphone adoption—especially in the workplace—and emerging mobile marketing standards mean that mobile is plush with opportunity.

  
April 6 • Wednesday • 6:00p-9:00p • SD-San Diego 92101 • Dinner

"B2B Mobile Marketing and Communications:
Ignore This Trend At Your Own Peril"

Join us for dinner April 6, as we take a close look at this emerging trend swiftly entering the B2B arena.

Bill Davidson Senior Vice President Global Marketing and Investor Relations - Qualcomm, Inc.

Jake Fields President, Creative Director               Treeline Interactive

  Alison Ganz, Social, Mobile and Emerging Media Leader - Intuit, Inc.

Alison Ganz recently joined Intuit’s Consumer Marketing Group as the Social, Mobile and Emerging Media leader.  In this role, deemed “The Coolest Job at Intuit” in the official job description (http://thecooleremployee.com/info), Alison is tasked with identifying and testing emerging channels and platforms to engage and acquire new customers with, as well as develop go-to-market marketing strategies for some of Intuit’s most innovative mobile products, including the SnapTax iPhone and Android App and the TurboTax iPad App. In addition to mobile and emerging media, Alison also leads the social marketing extensions of big bet opportunities for TurboTax. Before her role at Intuit, Alison worked on the Digital Marketing team for LG Mobile, managing digital and social extensions for numerous product launches and brand programs.  Before making the transition “in-house”, Alison worked for years on the agency-side as a Search Engine Marketer, managing the strategy for large SEM campaigns for companies such as Intuit, Allergan, and Oakley. Alison is a San Diego native (Born. Raised. Never Left.) She even  attended college in San Diego, receiving her degree in Business Marketing from San Diego State University.

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Today's Top 10 B2B Uses for Mobile Marketing and Communications

1. News/Updates – Important and time-sensitive customer updates can be sent directly to your opted-in clients using SMS (text) messaging. Further, people like being ahead of the crowd and being among “the first” to know something; send your customers updates about product launches, product updates or upcoming events. Consider a news text like a micro-newsletter with bite-size updates.
   
   
2. Emergency Notification – SMS (text) messaging is a great way to notify your employees or customers during an emergency. Send critical updates during natural disasters, last-minute event location changes or just before your company’s important meetings.
   
   
3. Special Promotions – Communicate with your distributors or franchises via SMS with the details about special promotions they can offer to customers.
   
   
4. Employee Assignments – Dispatch employees to their next customer location via text messaging; provide them with location info (and a link to a map), provide customer details, and work-order information.
   
   
5. Presentations – Communicate with your audience during in-person or webinar presentations, conduct polling.  Send out a question and ask for responses from attendees who have pre-registered their phones.  Or, used another way, ask the question verbally and have them respond via text messaging to a specific short-code.
   
   
6. Customer Service – Many companies offer customer support and problem resolution via text. Customers are also able to check order status, confirm appointments or reservations, change reservations, track packages and receive back-order notification alerts.
   
   
7. Events – Implement a text messaging marketing strategy to promote events, or remind employees about upcoming meetings. Send out key logistic information like changes of venue or detailed parking instructions. You can even take event registration information via text!
   
   
8. Customer Payments – Use mobile technology to allow your field-service reps to take customer payments via mobile; get immediate payment, protect customers credit card information, and manage payments risk-free!
   
   
9. Lead Generation – Offer something of value in exchange for signing up to your ‘opt-in’ list; provide potential customers a link to a white-paper, a special discount, a video, or other standard B2B strategic tools in exchange for adding themselves to your prospect list via Mobile opt-in.  Use Mobile to gather additional info about them as part of the ‘opt-in’ process so you can effectively target customers during future Mobile campaigns.
   
   
10. Trade Shows – Use Mobile at trade shows to exchange information with prospects; allow them to enter contests, request and receive company information,  or see a video about your product or service.  Send text alerts to attendees about your next presentation so they’ll have time to get there before it starts!              Courtesy, Linda Daichendt, Marketing with New Technology

Venue - The University Club atop Symphony Towers - 750 B Street, 34th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101

When - April 6, Wednesday

Schedule
6:00p - Check In
6:15p - Mixer no host bar
7:00p - Dinner and Program

Fee - Advance (by April 4)
$45 - General Admission
$35 - SoCal BMA Members - Member rate requires your discount code. Contact info@socalbma.org)

AFTER Apr 4
$65 - Members and Nonmembers - (At-the-Door: Cash only.  First come, first served.)

Attire - Business

Parking Options
Street after 6pm - Free
Public Outdoor - $10
Symphony Tower Self - $15
Valet, ask attendant for fee information

Transportation
Please let us know upon registration if you are interested in sharing transportation such as a Town Car, Limo, or simply Carpooling.  We are happy to assist you with the coordination.

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Make this your first event as a SoCalBMA Member, and Save on your Event Registration.
Simply visit our website to join online - Business Marketing Association, Southern California Chapter

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info@socalbma.org  •  949.854.0449  •  http://www.SoCalBMA.org