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Bulldog Solutions launches its new Resource Calendar, providing access to Webinars in technology, health care, human resources and other industries.
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January 2007, Issue 35 |
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The 5Ms: A Framework for Successful Demand Development
By Koen De Witte, Vice President of WW Marketing and General Manager of European Operations, Bulldog Solutions
Revolutionary advances in the measurability of data and the ability to identify and predict behavior can unlock vast new lead-generation opportunities, but few companies know how to take advantage of them. Enter Bulldog Solutions' 5Ms: a workable framework that helps marketers build effective demand development programs.
Management
The 5Ms focus on demand development management. Thus, the first M: Management. Management ties all of the elements together. It's project management, outsourcing and coordination activities required to make the other Ms work together. It's a Bulldog Solutions project manager accomplishing a specific set of tasks. It's Bulldog Solutions' data analysis and benchmarking features. It's a proprietary Campaign Management Center that allows our clients to access data across all of their campaigns.
This is where most lead-generation programs break down, and why the Management "M" is so important to the 5Ms framework. It manages all of the other elements to form a systematic approach.
Mode
The Mode is the type of communication for a lead-generation initiative. Modes can include Webinars, podcasts, white papers and blogs, but also include classics like a handwritten note, a phone call, or paper mail.
Any time you get a customer to think about your product or brand (or a problem that your product would solve), you are using a mode. Different modes can produce different results, so a company's Mode Mix will depend on its strategic objectives: There may be primary modes (for example, a Webinar) and secondary modes (for example, an RSS feed). A sustainable lead-generation program generally incorporates multiple mode types to build a steady stream of qualified, actionable leads.
Media
Media is how you connect the dots between you and the customer. The Media mix includes both internal resources (newsletter subscribers) and external resources (brokered media package, search engine optimization) and answers the question, How do you cross the "middle" between the prospect and your sales team? The number and type of people you attract is often a function of the type of media you employ. Media performance is closely integrated with both Message and Mode, both in terms of theme and timing.
At Bulldog Solutions, the Media "M" is enabled in large part by the Bulldog Solutions Publisher Network, a network of B2B media companies with whom we work to offer a range of media options to help B2B marketers reach their goals. Our media planning and buying capabilities factor in here, developing media plans designed to achieve tactical and strategic goals.
Message
The Message is both what you say and how you say it. Message encompasses tone and look and feel. It includes copywriting, design, color and images. If you're using a Webinar or podcast as your mode, Message can include the subject matter expert or experts delivering the information. Ultimately, efforts to ensure that the prospect "gets the message" fall into this category.
Metrics
Metrics are the periodic, integrated measurement of components of a lead-generation program. Metrics use performance measurement and identified trends to compare to performance benchmarks and trends relating to strategic goals. They can include open and click-through rates on promotion e-mails for a lead-generation Webinar; performance of specific third-party media buys, based on the quality of prospects the various buys pulled in; measurement of lead quality and comparison to quality of previous initiatives.
Metrics are critical to the systematic approach to demand development. With metrics, you can measure your return on investment and close the loop on analyzing the success of your efforts. How many deals did I close that tie back to a specific campaign? How effective has a third-party promotion been, over a series of campaigns, compared to other promotions? At Bulldog Solutions, we've developed easy-to-use dashboards to make metrics accessible and understandable, increasing the likelihood they can be used to drive future action.
The 5Ms help companies develop and maintain best-practice demand development programs that provide sustainable, measurable results designed to meet specific strategic goals. You'll be hearing much more about the 5Ms from us in the coming year. Please let me know your thoughts.
Koen De Witte is vice president of worldwide marketing and general manager of European Operations at Bulldog Solutions, the lead-generation optimization and management company.
Know a colleague who would be interested in this topic? Send this newsletter to a friend.
Marketing Watchdog Journal is a monthly newsletter from Bulldog Solutions, a lead optimization and lead management company dedicated to helping our clients generate more, better leads and turn them into revenue. You may have noticed this newsletter has a new look and a new focus. We welcome your feedback on the revamped content and design, and encourage you to share your ideas for topics you would like us to cover in future issues. Please send your comments to Amy Bills, director of corporate marketing communications.
For more information on Bulldog Solutions, please contact Russell Griffin, sales director.
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About Bulldog Solutions, LLC. Bulldog Solutions is the recognized thought leader and pioneer in lead optimization and management using Webinar campaigns and other information platforms. Bulldog Solutions' unique multi-step process integrates marketing and sales efforts to increase reach, maximize marketing ROI, shorten sales cycles and boost top-line revenues. Bulldog Solutions has developed successful lead-generation campaigns and strategies for B2B marketers across a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, life science, health care, telecom, insurance and publishing. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with EMEA operations based in Brussels, Belgium. www.bulldogsolutions.com © 2007 Bulldog Solutions. All rights reserved. |