B2B marketing isn’t new to leveraging the power of amateur content. For the past several years, businesses have used amateur-style risk-taking, enthusiasm, and unusual methods of communication to gain interest in their products and campaigns.
In 2008, Microsoft launched a campaign to boost membership to its partner community by relying on a social media platform much beloved by amateurs: YouTube. Microsoft launched a viral campaign of videos spoofing networking and team-building exercises, and by placing these videos alongside the millions of amateur content-filled YouTube videos, was able to play off of their feeling of authenticity.
These videos, created to promote the Microsoft business partner network, achieved authenticity through its low-budget feel and YouTube placement. Through this campaign, Microsoft was able to create a highly memorable, viral B2B marketing campaign that showed their message with humor and creativity.
“The Weight Has Been Lifted” by USG
How does a business that makes drywall educate and excite the building trade about its new, lightweight product? USG’s 2010 “The Weight Has Been Lifted” campaign did just this in a creative, artistic campaign. They used high-impact imagery of heavy objects and animals, including cannons and elephants, to quantify how much weight their products did without.
This campaign was successful because it used bold, familiar images to quantify the benefits of its products in an easy-to-understand method. It took an otherwise unexciting product–drywall–and created an artistic, whimsical campaign that still made sense with the message that the business was trying to get across.
These are just two of the B2B marketing campaigns from companies that have shown an ability to adapt to today’s digital marketing landscape with enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment. Keep visiting our blog throughout the month to learn more about marketing best practices that combine the best qualities of professional and amateur content.
Photo Credit: SplitShire via Pixabay Creative Commons 0
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