But when you plunk down thousands of dollars on producing an ad, you want something that will do a little more for you. Something intelligent, creative, engaging — but primarily, something that works. But what does a good ad look like, and what is its purpose?

A good ad — worth the investment of your hard-earned marketing dollars — is like a dynamic hook sentence at the beginning of a novel. It’s what pulls you in and makes you want to read further, get more information, talk to someone and make a purchase. It also tells a story, packs a punch and reinforces your brand.

Yet many companies want to make sure their ads “feature the product.” There is nothing as disheartening as hearing that request from a client. Why so sad? Because that is all they will get — their product. No oomph. No attention. No power. Those ads are the kind that blend in, go unnoticed and only attract current customers (even your loyal fans are probably not that excited) or your own marketing team (“Oh, look! There’s our cool product! Doesn’t it look pretty?”).

In my opinion, the key is trust. Trust your audience to be intelligent. Trust them to be human, to like similar things and relate to the same stimulus that you do. Yes, you may be B2B, but humans generally operate businesses too.

Want to get noticed? Create a noticeable ad.

Want to snag a customer? Create an ad that lures them in.

Making an ad? Say no to boring.

So, without further ado:

Bud Light Platinum
Nice production values. But forgettable. Why do we need a platinum beer, exactly?

Audi Vampires
This is a perfect example of telling a story that supports a brand benefit – Audi’s relatively unique LED headlights. Very nicely done, with great editing and a well-crafted story (not to mention playing off the vampire theme that I’m sure more than a few folks would like to see come to an end very soon!). The end is a great touch (I won’t give it away if you haven’t seen it). Nice use of a Twitter hashtag in the commercial as well.

Pepsi
Not sure what a costume drama has to do with Pepsi, but it’s interesting to watch. At last Elton John has a real reason for an over-the-top costume, though. And the blackletter title screen is a nice touch – kudos to the art director.

Hyundai Velostar Turbo
Yep. A cheetah’s always a good way to demonstrate speed. Not sure we needed to see the critter turn on the guy, though. Pretty effective – you can’t leave the commercial without getting the impression of speed.

Bud Light Platinum 2
Yawn. Just another beer commercial with fake, good-looking people.

M&Ms
A naked M&M? Why, exactly? I love M&Ms, but have never really been a huge fan of their current commercial theme of turning-what-you-eat-into-a-character. And this one is less effective than some of the other previous incarnations. Pass.

Best Buy
“We created Words with Friends.” On a plane. Great touch. But I was so distracted by the joke that I didn’t get why Best Buy was doing the commercial. Not really effective in my book.

Coca-Cola Polar Bears
The CGI looks less “real” than some previous commercials. And not sure I really get the theme in just one viewing. Bring back the old bears!

Chevrolet truck
Very effective way to show the Chevy Truck is strong. But the apocalypse theme is a little too depressing. (In fact, some scenes looked a little 9/11 New-Yorkish.) The “Dave didn’t make it. Dave drove a Ford.” “Twinkie?” exchange adds some important light-heartedness, though.

Bridgestone
You know, I really wanted to like this commercial. A football made of tire tread had SO many opportunities for comedy and demonstration. But they threw it all away (pardon the pun) with a bizarre curving pass and a Deion Sanders temper tantrum.

GoDaddy
Predictable. You can’t help but notice the dot-co domain pitch, but other than that, the innuendo is nothing new.

Lexus
Pretty ordinary car commercial. There was potential for much more drama and suspense, but the directing and editing (and even music) didn’t allow it to build properly. And why is this Lexus particularly different, other than the front grille?

Battleship movie
Transfomers with smaller robots. I really wanted them to say “G-4″ or “you sunk my battleship” at some point. But they didn’t.

Budweiser Prohibition
Very cinematic and gorgeous to watch. (Love the guy from the barbershop with the shaving cream still on his face.) Nice way to show heritage.

Doritos
Snack food as bribery. Canine-human communication. Post-it notes from dogs. Funny. (Poor Fluffy.)

Chevrolet Camaro
“Hey, Mr. Johnson just stole my car!” Great premise, clear tie to the brand, compelling story, funny. (I love how the innocent jogger passing by gets drawn in to the celebration.) And was created entirely by a 26-year-old dude from Long Island. Very nice.

GE Turbines
Informational, nicely lit and shot. And then they throw in the beer thing? Grasping at straws a little. Maybe even pandering?

John Carter movie
Creatures in the sand threaten the world, and we’re all rescued by some rugged-looking hunk. SURELY this has been done before. Right? Sigh.

TaxACT
Really? Watching a little desperate kid finally decide to pee in the pool? And linking that to “free”? Is that the best they could come up with to compete with H&R Block and TurboTax?

The Lorax movie
Entertaining, fun voices. But I’ve seen it before. My opinion: if you’ve paid for a SuperBowl spot, PLEASE show an original commercial!

Volkswagen, Dog/Vader
This was a good — not great — commercial. Until it “ended.” And started again in (pardon my limited Star-Warsian knowledge) some bar on a distant planet in a galaxy far, far away. In VW’s attempt to reproduce last year’s awesomeness, I think the commercial just got confusing.

H&M
David Beckham, in all his tattooed and skivvy-clad glory. I guess it’s ok, if you’re into that kind of thing — and $15 tighty-whities. (The ad buyer did realize the Super Bowl is football, not futbol, right?)

Coca Cola Polar Bears #2
Ok, I get it. He’s playing football and not even realizing it. This one is more fun, despite the image quality. Was the first one just a setup?

Chevy Sonic
This is a lot of fun, and the agency made a great choice for the soundtrack. Definitely shows the edgy, fun side of a car that Chevy is working hard to sell to fun-loving twenty-somethings. I love that they start the commercial with a full-screen “don’t try this at home” disclaimer. And a “Please.”

Star Wars 3D movie
I guess here is my opportunity to learn about the location of the bar in the VW commercial. And in 3D, no less.

The Avengers movie
Well, I knew it was going to be for a movie. I just wasn’t sure which superhero was going to get title billing. (I almost thought it might have been a satire.)

Telefora
“Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that complicated. Give, and you shall receive,” she says. Ok, well, maybe in some guys’ dreams (see Kia Optima, below), but I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that in real life. However, the commercial is memorable for its simplicity and immediate link to Teleflora. I bet it’ll sell some flowers.

Skechers Mr. Quiggly
The CGI looks awkward. As does Mark Cuban. And while the new shoes may have some benefit (not sure what “midfoot strikers” means), it’s certainly not evident how they tie to a pug that runs faster than greyhounds.

Xbox Kinect
Using the NFL Films announcer is a nice touch, but it’s a really boring commercial. No entertainment value. And therefore, in this cast of very capable characters, I lost interest before the ad was 10 seconds in.

Cars.com
Ok, the falsetto singing back-arm is just a little freaky. Not sure it does much to sell Cars.com, even if it does give you “confidence.” I just couldn’t quit looking at the singing back-arm-thingy.

Doritos
Grandma-in-a-motorizing-wheelchair endangering a baby by turning it into a strapped-in projectile? Where is Health & Human Services when you need them? (Here’s hoping some nit-wit doesn’t try to emulate the commercial.)

eTrade
The baby is back. With a friend “speed dating” in the nursery? It’s gotten to the point where I don’t pay attention to what the baby is saying anymore; I just look for the gimmicks. Which means I’m not learning much about the brand.

G.I. Joe movie
Explosions. Machines. Bruce Willis. Works for me.

NFL
Win a million bucks. And waste it through sheer excess. Why, exactly? I guess an elaborate scheme to get your contact information.

Camry
Touching. Including Rusty and Mr. Sprinkles with their heads out the window. I love how they turn the car into a story.

Hulu Plus
Mint-flavored brains. Mmmmm. Yummy. (Huh?)

Bud Light
Nerds at the Halftime bar, that they got confused with the real halftime. Yawn.

Chrysler
Halftime in America, narrated by Clint Eastwood. Nice followup to last year’s imported from Detroit ad. Perhaps a little too sappy. And if I hadn’t seen the glimpses of Chrysler products throughout and figured out what the gig was, I might have felt a little betrayed. Nonetheless, the “halftime in America” is a pretty effective phrase, and nicely used for a halftime ad.

Jack in the Box bacon burger
I’ll admit I don’t have the insatiable hankering for bacon that some other folks do. But “you may now eat the bride” is just plain funny. Kudos to the copywriter.

Fiat 500 Abarth
I’ll admit I’ve seen this spot before, but not sure if on regular TV or not. So I’ll pretend this was the first time. The foreign language adds a bit of mystery at the outset, but I don’t get the payoff. Too much screen time for the Italian model, not enough screen time for the Italian car.

Pepsi Max
Ha! An ill-timed traitorous purchase of a Pepsi Max means that Regis awards Pepsi Max for life to the Coca-Cola delivery driver. Nice spin on the ongoing series.

Toyota Camry Reinvented
Ok, so I laughed and laughed at this one. It makes it obvious they have reinvented the Toyota Camry. And what’s not to like about a reinvented DMV with golf and ice cream (although the lady behind the counter is still spot-on-DMV-employee!).The deadpan announcer is perfect as well. Maybe not the best spot, but fun to watch.

Coca-Cola
Ok, back to not getting the point.

Dannon Oikos yogurt
So I’m annoyed with this commercial right away. First, I have no interest whatsoever in watching grown couples tease one another with food. Just not my thing.  And then the violence . . . over yogurt? Not appealing.

Century 21
How many celebrities can you cram in a commercial? At least they all have ties to the new “smarter. bolder. faster.” tagline. And no, Donald, you don’t get a do-over.

Acura NSX
This has Jerry Seinfeld, some great lines and a great surprise at the end. But it’s a lot of money for Acura to throw at a commercial for a product that only a few thousand people will buy, is three years away (says the fine print), and has little if any tie to an Acura you can buy at your dealer today. Fun commercial. Waste of money.

GE Appliance Park
Better than the turbine commercial. A little mundane, and self-congratulatory, though — how does the fact that you’ve created new jobs matter to me, the customer? I’m probably not going to go out and buy a GE fridge as a result.

Budweiser Heritage #2
Again, a nicely filmed review of the last century following prohibition, with Budwesier at the center. I repeat what I said earlier – an effective way to show heritage, and bring the brand into 2012.

Bridgestone
Here we go again. Tire technology on a ball – a basketball this time. And why does a quieter basketball matter? I just don’t get it, Bridgestone.

Honda CRV – Matthew Broderick
Fun, and a good way to carry through the “bucket list” theme that Honda has been using for the launch of the new CRV. I’m just a little bothered throughout by thinking that Mr. Broderick would probably be driving something far different than a CRV on his day playing hooky . . .

Act of Valor movie
Intriguing. Real Navy Seals? (Can they do that?) Looks like it could be a good movie.

Met Life
So Snoopy wasn’t enough? Nearly every cartoon character ever invented shows up for Met Life this time? Not sure I get why they are all involved — I got distracted trying to identify characters and missed the message.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Car as a life support device. Now that’s a new one. I like how Mr. Henderson becomes “Bob?!” after he appears to have passed on.

Bud Light
I’m predicting “Here we go” will be one of those phrases that gets WAY overused. And I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for that poor dog Wigo (Wego? Weego?). He just LOOKED weary.

Kia Optima Dream
Motley Crue, massive sandwiches, hot babes, and a  . . . Kia Optima? Really? The premise is good, but paying off with a Korean sedan as a “dream car” just doesn’t ring true. Bugatti, Ferrari, even Corvette, and I’m sold. And Mr. Sandman is just plain creepy looking.

Careerbuilder
Those monkeys were funny the first time. Now – at least at first watch – they come across as a bit creepy. If I worked with co-workers that bad, I would have left my job LONG ago. (Since I work with the wonderful folks at VantagePoint, that won’t be happening any time soon! Sorry, Careerbuilder.)

Samsung Galaxy Note
It started out looking like a repeat of a previous commercial. Fortunately I stuck with it – did everyone? It gets a little over the top, though. And I wish they’d spent more time explaining why it was a better phone (my Palm Pilot, circa 1998, has a pen). Have to give them some credit for admitting “that was over the top” at the end. (And I promise – I typed it before they said it.)

Cadillac ATS
I’ve driven some really good Cadillacs on a racetrack, and I’ve “driven” (on Playstation) the Nurburgring. But this was one ordinary commercial. Sorry, Cadillac.

GoDaddy
If 14-year-old boys were the primary audience for web hosting, this would be a great strategy. However, last I checked, they aren’t

NBC Sports Network
Ok, so I haven’t been commenting on NBC promos. But I have to give a shout-out to this ad. Touching, inspiring, and nicely narrated. And local hero George Hincapie makes an appearance about 3/4 of the way though, at the end of last year’s Tour de France.

My favorite? Probably the Chevrolet Camaro ad, with the Audi vampires spot a close second. That’s my opinion – what’s yours?

When I became a mother, this December ritual became even more of a pain point for me.

Perhaps my child is the product of her generation, perhaps of her upbringing, or perhaps of her mother’s chosen line of work.  Whatever the reason, she is the most brand-savvy kid I have ever known.  From the earliest age, she could recognize logos, recite taglines and sing jingles with the best of them.  When she was barely two, she bounded into the den and announced, “Mom!!! We HAVE to buy a juicer if you want me to be healthy, and we have to act now, because supplies are limited.”  Apparently, the macroeconomic concept of scarcity is not lost on toddlers.

This year’s Christmas list, which is about a mile long, includes such favorites as dolls and games, but it also boasts a Pillow Pet, a Happy Napper, a Blanket Buddy and a mini Pillow Pet (while scarcity is understood, overabundance and redundancy are not factors), as well as a stainless steel wallet designed to withstand the weight of a truck (to protect her credit cards?).

The lesson here for marketers is that if you have a cute song, colorful images and air time on Sprout, Nick Jr. or the Disney Channel, your audience is ripe for the picking. All you need to add to the mix is a guilty parent or some overzealous grandparents, and you can jingle all the way to the bank.

As for me, my daughter and I have long chats about the true meaning of Christmas, the value of giving of oneself rather than buying something and the concept that it is better to give than to receive. Not surprisingly, we’ve also been through an in-depth exploration of other macroeconomic principles, such as supply and demand, price, opportunity cost and prioritization.  Kind of Charles Dickens meets Adam Smith…

So, on behalf of all my fellow marketers, I extend a heartfelt apology for our part in the commercialization of the season. While I do hope Santa is good to you and yours, more importantly, I hope your supplies of the true joys of the season — love, peace and joy — are never limited.

Be suspicious of your words.

It’s easy to alienate your audience by using language that doesn’t make any sense to them. When it comes to B2B marketing, it’s hard not to use your company’s lingo, because that is the language you’ve assigned as a corporate culture. The problem comes when that “shop talk” has zero industry connection, but has become so common in cubicles, offices and production floors that the novel terminology leaks into your marketing communications. At that point, there is a real risk of distancing your business prospects and current customers.

Whether the verbal contamination is in your corporate and advertising materials or even internal dialogue that is disseminated to points of contact, such as media channels or your immediate community, the danger remains. While there is a new vocabulary connected to each industry and field, there still should be some sort of baseline English that all parties involved can functionally grasp. Every word should be intelligible.

Steps to cleaning up for clarity:

1. Minimize jargon in the workplace.

2. Simplify your categories and products.

3. Employ an outside consultant to wordsmith your communications.

4. When new words must be used, be kind, define.

Do your part and stop verbal pollution. It’s healthy for the business planet and for you.

It was an action-packed three days full of hands-on learning (and lots of cooking!) with their fryers, combi ovens, rotisseries and more, and we were sharing this experience with several of their distributors and new hires.

Cheeseburger pizza from a combi? Yes, please!

The beauty of this? Well, besides the prime rib, lobster tails and perfectly fried chicken, this opportunity to get up close and personal with our client’s business was crucial to giving us the insight we need to truly understand and appreciate the product features and benefits we’re marketing to their customers. Plus, being able to hang out with a group of their distributors gave us an even better understanding of this core channel member’s unique needs.

Many of us in the marketing industry are experienced in just that — marketing. We know all about the “4 P’s.” We know how to communicate. We’re educated on best business practices. We know why it’s important to define and understand markets, channels and value propositions. But do we naturally understand the day-to-day business of the companies we’re charged with representing? Probably not—and that’s why it’s so important for marketing professionals to make a concentrated effort in learning as much as possible about each client’s business.

Otherwise, how can we be sure what we say rings true to who we’re talking to?

There are always plenty of opportunities to get a better grasp on the business you’re involved with. Attend internal meetings unrelated to marketing. Schedule a call with key customers or sales team members to ask about needs or challenges. Take a facility or plant tour. Participate in new hire training. Always read the trade pubs and stay abreast of industry news. Just be there, and keep learning!

When I was at the gym the other day (just wait, the irony is coming), an infomercial came on a screen in front of me. A woman appeared in a fuzzy pink jumpsuit that was announced to be the “one-piece, lie-around, lounge-around, full-body lazy wear.” With an acrylic fingernailed hand, she demonstrated how soft the fabric was by making bizarre and entirely unnatural rubbing/sweeping motions on her leg. The ad was for the unfortunate stepchild of the Snuggie® — Forever Lazy® — and, yes, that is the product’s real name. In shock, and thinking this was a rerun of an SNL commercial sketch, I continued to watch (much to my horror).



So the sentiment is, “Let me lounge in my adult onesie all day. It’s soft. It’s comfy. And it has a drop seat for ‘Great Escapes When Duty Calls’.” But wait, there’s more! If you order now, you’ll not only get the suit, they’ll throw in matching fleece footies and a neck pillow all for just $19.95 (plus S/H). No matter your fashion reaction, one thing is true — it’s popular. The Forever Lazy commercial on YouTube has well over a million views (not to mention the parodies). It falls into a long line of tradition and is in a similar category as the Three Wolf Moon t-shirt craze. According to Forever Lazy’s creators, Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas have already zipped their way to eternally slothful bliss.

To any business, the publicity and widespread sharing of videos like this creates something akin to envy — sort of. Maybe you’re thinking, why aren’t “better” products receiving the same amount of attention? And, by extension, why aren’t mine? Welcome to the new world of viral videos. Sometimes it takes skill to create videos that cause the populace to want to share them. Other times, it’s a happy (or incredibly sad) accident. Just ask Bob Saget.

Perhaps the masterminds behind Forever Lazy intended for folks to spoof it, and thereby create a cult viewership. Maybe the cheese factor was intentional. Perhaps they acknowledge and understand that infomercials like these tend to create quick sales rather than long-term branding and growth. Either way, it’s a prime example of a product that gets noticed. So how would the viral video strategy work with your brand? Keep in mind that not all viral videos have to be funny or mockable. They just have to have a clickable quality that makes people want to share them. Could you teach your customers something they’d want to pass along to colleagues? Maybe you could offer a behind-the-scenes tour or give a how-to demonstration? What about a fun game or contest tied to your business?

Whatever your goal, maybe you can learn from the Lazy. Whether or not the Forever Lazy will be the “talk of your next tailgate,” it will be of someone’s.

Change is inevitable, of course. But the key is to change in the right direction – and with the right agency.  If you’re looking for guidance, check out a simple interactive assessment and evaluation tool for sizing up agency “fit” at http://www.agencychange.com/.  In our opinion, companies should check out potential marketing partners in 10 key areas, including:

• Integrated solutions
• Bottom-line value
• Team
• Knowledge
• Thought leadership
• Partnership qualities
• Strategic mindset
• Internal systems
• Creativity
• Reputation

Sure, it’s a lot of work. But if you hire the right agency, you literally get “dollars back for your change” by pushing your marketing and sales momentum forward.

Back in 1981, ConAgra Food’s PR agency, Edelman, got the brilliant idea that people might need some guidance in cooking turkeys. Prior to this, turkeys didn’t come with instructions. It was assumed that we all knew how to cook this often once-a-year menu item, and we were on our own, not knowing our giblets from our drumsticks.

Although they weren’t sure anyone would call, the agency hired six home economists and set up the 1-800-BUTTERBALL call-in number. Much to everyone’s surprise, the line got more than 11,000 calls over that first holiday period, and one of marketing’s most effective one-on-one consumer relationships was born.

Thirty years later, Butterball’s turkey line, which takes more than 200,000 calls each holiday season, has become a holiday institution known to virtually everyone. The line has established Butterball as THE expert on all things turkey-related and the preferred brand for millions of households.

So, what marketing lessons can we learn from Butterball?

• Stick to what you know. Think about what your company knows better than anyone else and promote it through every available channel.
• If you want to be perceived as an expert, hold yourself out as one and never underestimate the value of thought leadership.
• Look for market voids you can fill. Are there needs — tips for better performance, common misconceptions, easier ways of doing business — you can address? If so, take the lead.
• Make it personal. The battle for brand loyalty, both on the consumer and business-to-business sides of marketing, is a battle for hearts and minds. Establishing a personal, one-on-one connection with your buyers or prospects goes a long way. Are there opportunities to connect that you might be missing?
• Think big and be willing to try new things. It is possible that the folks at Butterball thought their PR team was crazy, but they were willing to entertain the possibility that this audacious PR stunt could work, and they gave it a shot. What risks has your company been afraid to take that might pay huge dividends?

Please take a few minutes to share some examples of where your big thinking or showcasing thought leadership has paid off. If you’re brave enough, we’d also love to hear tales of the one that got away — a marketing opportunity you wish you’d seized.  In all cases, we are eager to “gobble up” your feedback!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Although the service suffered a few hiccups yesterday and wasn’t completely available for all users, by late afternoon it was up and running for everyone. We set up a VantagePoint page (please add us to your circles!), and captured the step-by-step process it took us to do so.

Here’s how to set up a Google+ brand page for your company:

1. Log in to your Google account, presumably one that you already have a Google+ account for. (It appears you cannot, at present, use an existing Google profile you may have created for your brand or company.) IMPORTANT: for the near term, you will be the “owner” of this profile, and it will be linked to your Google account. Others will not be able to edit this profile until Google opens up brand pages for multiple editing. Keep this in mind as you proceed.

2. Visit http://plus.google.com/pages/create.

3. You will now see the “Create a page” screen. Now it’s time to get started.

4. On the left side, choose the category that you wish your company to belong to. For now, we’re going to assume you will be a “company, institution or organization.”  Unless you have a major brand or a local walk-in store, this is probably the most appropriate category to choose. (If you roll over the category types, you’ll get a brief explanation to help you decide.)

5. When you choose your category, the right side of your screen will populate with several fields for you to fill in, including company name, website, business type, and page visibility. Fill in the appropriate blanks.

6. After a few seconds, you will see the beginning of your company’s Google+ page.

7. Enter your tagline. You can enter as many words as you want, but only the first 10 words will be displayed on your profile.

8. Add a profile photo — or a logo. Clicking on the “change profile photo” will bring you to a screen where you can import and crop an image.

9. When you’ve updated the tagline and the profile photo, click “continue.” You’ll next have the option to tell your circles about your new page from your personal Google+ account. Go ahead — or you can wait until later as well — and click “Finish” when you’re done.

10. You’ll now be taken to your official Google+ brand page. There are a number of options here to get you started in sharing, promoting, and linking to your new page. One of the nice things that Google has done is make it easy to switch between using the page as “you” or as “your company” by clicking on the little arrow next to your profile photo/logo.

11. You’ll also notice your stream changes appropriately — instead of friends, family, and following, you’ll see links for customers, VIPs, and team members.

Spend a few minutes exploring Google+ brand pages. Your first instinct will be to start adding folks to your circles. However, it appears you currently can’t — that is, until they add you first. (All the more reason to add VantagePoint to your Google+ circle!) We’re not sure if this is temporary, or if it’s Google’s way of making sure brands don’t overwhelm the general public.

Time will tell whether Google+ will replace or merely supplement Facebook and Twitter (or disappear entirely, as several other Google properties have). But for now, we think it’s important to take advantage of a social media service directly connected to the world’s largest search engine.

From my perspective, as a frequent visitor to e-commerce websites (whether browsing or planning to purchase), B2C marketers who successfully make use of such sites understand the importance of:

• Delivering a superior user experience. These B2C marketers take a buyer-centric approach when presenting their products and services for purchase online. Some presentations are humorous, while others are straightforward, depending on the brand and its personality, but all of them make effective use of photos, videos, features and benefits descriptions, and user guides or other helpful hints. The most effective sites also showcase user reviews, as well as provide a means for me to personalize my online experience.

• Creating a consistent—yet appropriately distinct—user experience across multiple channels. E-commerce is often just one of the sales channels B2C companies utilize, so it’s important their customers have a similar experience whether they shop in the store, by the phone or online. B2C marketers place great importance on—and significant investment in—their brands and want to be sure there’s absolute clarity in the minds of consumers what value they offer. A consistent brand experience leaves less room for misinterpretation or confusion.

• Integrating cross-sell and up-sell strategies effectively. While I don’t always take advantage of the belt recommended when I add a skirt to my cart or the upgraded camera option presented in a sidebar as I’m reading another product description, I certainly appreciate being exposed to a broader offering beyond my initial interest. B2C e-commerce sites help users make additional purchase decisions when they may have originally only been aware of a single item.

• Using promotions to help encourage purchases. Getting a coupon in my mailbox or in-box is always a nice reminder that my favorite brands want my business. While sales promotions in the more traditional sense may not work for your B2B business, B2C marketers also use promotions to help stay in front of their customers and potential consumers. B2C companies also understand that promotions designed to drive online purchases must be communicated through both online and offline means.

• Employing social networks, as appropriate, to extend engagement with customers. The use of social media strategies is definitely more pervasive with consumer brands, and B2C companies are leveraging the additional outlets to connect with their customers. Whether they’re posting supplemental video content on YouTube, tweeting where to find a hot new product or using Facebook to run a contest, B2C marketers do what it takes to bring their customers into a two-way conversation with them. And they tend to learn a lot from these participating customers, too.

• Applying mobile marketing strategies to connect with an increasingly digital marketplace. Mobile-friendly websites. Mobile apps. QR codes that link smartphone users to valuable online content. SMS and MMS advertising. B2C marketers stay abreast of the latest digital tools and integrate those that are appropriate for their markets.

There are many other takeaways from successful B2C e-commerce sites—and the marketing strategies they utilize. From employing effective SEO and SEM activities to leveraging insight gleaned from website analytics for improvements, to exercising retention and loyalty programs to maximize opportunities with their most valuable customers, B2C companies using e-commerce successfully are doing things right.

What do you see? How could you integrate B2C e-commerce best practices in your business? I’d love to hear from you.