The Accidental Marketer Podcast

In this fifth episode of the “New Frontiers” season, the team discusses whether a company should start a platform business instead of — or in addition to — selling on someone else’s. Because successful platform businesses have huge market caps and highly-attractive economics, many B2Bs should consider the opportunity. We hope you enjoy the discussion and gain some helpful insights!

In this fourth episode of the “New Frontiers” season, the team dives deep on how to build a platform strategy. Given that most businesses should be at least experimenting with B2B industry platforms, Mary, Sean and Tom outline the key strategic considerations.

In this episode, the team analyzes whether B2B suppliers should join one of the exploding number of industry platforms. These platforms are Amazon-like businesses that aggregate and sell the B2B products of many manufacturers. The team discusses the pros and cons of joining. We hope you enjoy the discussion!

This week we dive deep into the topics of B2B industry ecosystems: the collection of related products and services that surround your offerings. The team outlines the strategic questions that inform your decisions about whether or not to participate in industry ecosystems: like should you be the hub of an ecosystem, a participant, or none of the above? They even suggest specific strategy tools tha...

In this initial Season 11 episode, Mary, Sean and Tom define the differences between ecosystems, platforms and marketplaces. More importantly, they make a case why these concepts are so important for B2B marketers to be thinking about now.

In this episode, we discuss dynamic pricing. Airlines and hotels change prices all the time based on current circumstances. Can a typical B2B do the same? The team discussed the pros and cons of dynamic pricing models. They also discuss what you must put in place to make dynamic B2B pricing work.

In this episode, we discuss a wide array of pricing models. You’ve already heard about subscription pricing, “pay per” models and the like. But how do you know which models make sense in your market? The team defines a wide variety of contemporary and traditional pricing models, but doesn’t stop there. They go on to describe the circumstances in which each model is appropriate and why.

This week, we look at an executional pricing issue: when your company offers pricing allowances and discounts to customers without discipline. Most companies don’t have a defined process for strategically deciding if and when to lower price. The end result is often that the “squeakier” customers — rather than the high potential ones — get lower prices. The team discusses how to bring tools and dis...

Our pricing-focused season continues with a look at measuring customer's perception of your offer. Customers are typically willing to pay more for an offer of greater perceived value. The issue is: most businesses mistakenly believe there is no reliable way to measure the perceived utility or benefit of an offer. In this episode, the team discusses why — and how — measuring value is not only possi...

Our new podcast season is all about pricing. The vast majority of B2B price-setters do not use the full arsenal of pricing methods available to them. They tend to make certain (wrong) assumptions and default to certain "easy" methods. In this episode, the team discusses the three major ways that B2B organizations set price, and what can go wrong — and right — with each approach.

In our season finale of art vs. science in marketing, the team tackles what may be the most important topic in business: differentiation. Long thought to be a process that is irrational and immeasurable, Mary, Sean and Tom make the case for the scientific calibration of any product or service's level of unique value. They show how a tools-based approach to maximizing and measuring differentiation...

When it comes to dividing markets, software and technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence are bringing new horsepower to segmentation analytics. But machines aren't yet highly accurate in inferring buyer's needs and motivations, which inform the most powerful forms of segmentation. The team discusses how marketers can best combine art and science to get maximum insights from s...

Certain strategic processes require you to rely less on data and more on qualitative observations. Influence mapping is one of them. Because concepts like influence and opinion are hard to quantify, the team debates which parts of influence mapping are art, and which parts are science. The discussion will help you master all aspects of this important strategy tool.

Today's 24/7 news cycle has combined with the relative informality and popularity of social media to create opportunities — and dangers — for brands. Listen in as the team shows marketers the keys to evaluating news-driven trends and knowing when to leverage or ignore them. The discussion covers specific, scientific steps that can be taken to capture opportunity and eliminate missteps.

Our season on the art and science of marketing continues with a deep dive into data analysis. Trying to find strategic insight simply by looking at data alone often leads to "analysis paralysis." Learn how marketers can use specific approaches to determine which data is helpful and which can be ignored. The techniques and tips shared will help anyone, regardless of their analytical skills, become...

Our new season on the art and science of marketing continues this week with a focus on science. Specifically: which parts of a marketers job require a more scientific — vs. artistic — approach? Surprisingly, the team comes to the conclusion that scientific marketing is only partly about leveraging data. Using a scientific process to develop marketing plans may be even more important.

Our new season tackles an often-heard question: is marketing an art or a science? Certain parts of a marketing strategy require more science than art, while other pieces of a plan are the opposite. Knowing when you need to dial up the science, and when artistic instincts should lead the way is a key to success. The team breaks down the bigger picture and provides helpful analogies – including why...

There are many advantages to creating a new category, but it doesn't solve all of your marketing problems. In this episode, we look at the issues that a smoking cessation product team faced — and overcame. See how these innovative marketers changed strategies to effectively address a formidable competitor and reap the full rewards of creating a new category.

Expanding your marketing to reach a new set of stakeholders can have an effect similar to creating a new category. These new stakeholders may help you position your product or service in an entirely new way. Mary, Tom and Sean discuss how Wyeth Nutrition, a premium-priced infant formula maker, successfully expanded their stakeholder focus in a way that ultimately led Nestle to purchase them for se...

Companies entering a new category are often intimidated by their more experienced competitors. This episode highlights how being naive to a category can become a competitive advantage. The team describes the significant lessons that B2Bs can apply in many category creation situations. You'll also hear how segmentation can be used to make rapid inroads even if you are competing in an existing categ...

Our season on category creation continues with some of our best advice for doing it! A discussion that starts off by looking at newly-created categories of food items leads to interesting case studies that show how to re-position any type of product. Listen in as the team highlights the circumstances that are conducive to category creation. You'll learn some key principles and strategies that comp...

We kickoff a new season on category creation by looking at a common B2B marketing problem: your analysis tells you that your product should be performing better than it is. What is going wrong? Listen to a deep discussion into the top three reasons this could be happening — viewed through the lens of the smoking cessation product Chantix. If you are in a similar situation, you can apply their lear...

This seasonal finale of "The Dark Side of Marketing" focuses on something once called "pure, white and deadly." It's not cocaine — it's sugar! Several decades ago, the Sugar Lobby found some unscrupulous ways to cover up the deadly consequences of its own product by pointing to another food ingredient as most detrimental to health — fat. What can be learned about the Sugar Lobby's tactics that can...

This episode's topic discusses the thin line between propaganda and marketing. Sharing information with the intent to persuade is a common objective of both propaganda and marketing. However, effective propaganda has one characteristic that marketers sometimes miss. What can be learned about effective propaganda appeals that marketers can use for good?

This episode's topic features "The Pharma Bro" — a now-jailed pharmaceutical executive who limited the supply and raised prices of rare drugs. It worked for awhile, but ended badly. From this case, ethical marketers can learn how to evaluate their opportunities to improve price without alienating customers, the public and regulators.