The document summarizes key takeaways from the 2018 ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference. Several senior marketing leaders from companies like Cisco, Stanley Black & Decker, and LinkedIn provided advice. A few of the main tips included leading with what customers want to hear, investing in the customer experience, ensuring marketing drives purpose and positive impact, getting out of the office to understand customers, continuously evolving to stay relevant, and embracing marketing technology strategically.

1. 8 TAKEAWAYS
FROM THE
2018 ANA
MASTERS OF
B2B MARKETING
CONFERENCE

2. Perhaps Barbara Basney, VP of global brand,
advertising, and media at Xerox, summed it
up best when offering her sage advice at the
2018 ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference
in Chicago: “When you lead with what you want
to say and not what your customers want to
hear, you’re going to lose them.” Basney was
not alone in telling it like it is, as several senior
marketing leaders, from companies including
Cisco, Stanley Black & Decker, LinkedIn, and
BNY Mellon, provided their honest perspective
on how to elevate the profession to reach
buyers more effectively. Here are eight
takeaways from the conference.

3. Denice Hasty, SVP and CMO at Comcast Business
“GREAT BRAND EXECUTIONS CAUSE AUDIENCES TO THINK ABOUT YOU
DIFFERENTLY AND ACT DIFFERENTLY, AND THEY DRIVE DEMAND.”

4. While great business-to-business marketing drives enduring brands,
the path is not always easy. Understand what your customers want,
deliver the best possible experience, and use customer feedback to
fix breakdowns in the process. Then sell the value of marketing back
into the business.
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5. Joseph Puthussery, VP of digital marketing at Cisco
“INVEST IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY.”

6. The best customer experience anywhere sets the bar for the best
customer experience everywhere. Engage target audiences across
touchpoints by telling stories in an emotional way. Present content in
the manner your customers want to receive it, and use data to enrich
interactions. Studies show that if you can get a customer to consume
a piece of content, you triple the likelihood of them returning.
6© Copyright 2018 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Mike Simpson, CMO at Stanley Black & Decker
“TODAY THE NEW COMMODITY IS PURPOSE.”

8. Why does your brand exist? What positive impact does it have on
the world? For many brands, purpose has become the new north star,
the glue that holds everything together. A strong purpose breaks
down barriers and inspires innovators to shape a more sustainable
world. However, one person or one team cannot bring purpose to life;
it takes a true collaborative effort across the organization and
needs the endorsement of senior leadership.
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9. Suzanne Diaz, marketing manager, North America, at Kingspan Insulation
“DON’T SPEND ALL YOUR TIME IN THE OFFICE!”

10. The most effective marketers know their customers like they know
their brands. That’s because they make the effort to engage them
beyond the confines of a tradeshow. Get out of your office on a
monthly or quarterly basis to learn more about the people who invest
in your products and services. You may be surprised by what you hear
and how they want to be reached with your marketing messages.
10© Copyright 2018 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Aniko DeLaney, global head of corporate marketing at BNY Mellon
“YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.”

12. Complacency is the death knell for a brand. Challenge your team
to make your business more relevant to today’s customers by
encouraging a test-and-learn environment. Allow employees to
express themselves, share their experiences, and see what works
and what doesn’t. Think about how to maximize content for each
media channel as buyers value thought leadership. Lastly, ensure
you have the right talent and the right culture to drive growth.
12© Copyright 2018 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Tomer Cohen, VP of product at LinkedIn
“OUR AMAZING SUPERPOWER IS OUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER.”

14. Exceptional people succeed because there’s a powerful community,
network, and team carrying them. Humanize business-to-business
marketing in ways that make your customers feel appreciated
and special. When people are obsessed with your brand, they are
more likely to invite you into their social communities, collaborate,
and advocate on your behalf.
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15. Hue Du, VP of marketing and communications at Equipment Depot
“NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS MARKETING-SPEAK.”

16. If marketing is still viewed as a cost center among those occupying
the corner offices, it’s time to educate and demonstrate the value of
the discipline. Explain how marketing plans are developed, monitored,
and measured and the myriad tactics used to reach prospects and
customers, all for the purpose of driving bottom-line results and
brand growth. By getting internal buy-in, you can execute on your
vision in lockstep with senior leaders.
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17. Matt Preschern, SVP of global demand and performance marketing at CA Technologies
“IF WE DON’T USE MARKETING TECHNOLOGY TO OUR ADVANTAGE,
I DO NOT BELIEVE WE CAN BE MODERN MARKETERS.”

18. Marketers must embrace technology as a strategic enabler for
business-to-business marketing. However, before deciding on the
best tech stack for your brand, have a good sense of how the various
technologies will fit together and the amount of training needed to
bring your team up to speed. Also, remember there’s still the human
element to marketing that no technology can equal.
18© Copyright 2018 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Interested in what else you missed from this
year’s conference? Our Marketing Knowledge Center
has a whole series of recaps to help you with that.