WHAT CLINT BARTON TAUGHT ME ABOUT B2B AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Let me pose this question to the social media “experts” out there…how many times have you been told, “We are a B2B company and just don’t see the need, or benefit, from a social media program”? Well, I am about to give you some tips on how to sell me.

Yesterday, thanks to Twitter, my “understanding” of why social media is important to B2B grew significantly.

If you are a foodservice manufacturer, pay very close attention. If you’re a consultant, pay even closer attention. What I am about to reveal is not only cool, but also relevant to our industry…and for the consultants, THIS is how you sell someone like me on social media.

Like other foodservice manufacturers, we participate in food shows across the country. We participate in state restaurant association shows, like the Florida Hotel and Lodging Association show or the Texas Restaurant Association show. We also support our distributor partners by participating in their individual shows.

Yesterday, in Des Moines, Iowa, one of our distributor partners (Hawkeye Foodservice) held their seasonal show. While we try to stay on top of what shows are occurring and when, the sheer volume of shows tends to prohibit (or at least impede) that flow of knowledge. There have been instances where we have not found out about a food show until after it occurred.

Yesterday, if not for one of our standard twitter searches, we might not have known about the Hawkeye food show in Iowa.

I personally use TweetDeck because I like the layout and functionality of the application. As one of my standard Twitter searches, I keep a lookout for the term “foodservice”. Yesterday, while sifting through the tweets regarding “foodservice job postings” I came across a tweet from Michael Leaders.

Michael is the manager of sales training and development for Hawkeye Foodservice. Through his Twitter account, he was letting people know the Hawkeye food show was kicking off at 9am.

We sell Hawkeye some iced tea and beverage concentrates, so I was VERY interested in our participation at the show. I contacted my VP of Sales and asked him to check with our sales rep and broker to make sure we had a presence at the show. He contacted the sales rep and confirmed our participation at the show. We then contacted everyone we knew in the Hawkeye distribution coverage area to let them know we would be at the show, and to please stop by and say “hello”. We did not try to sell them anything. We did not offer any discounts. We invited them to come by and share a glass of iced tea.

The show finished late in the afternoon and I have not had a chance to review the post-show report to see how successful our efforts were. Hopefully I will get those numbers later today.

Because of an integrated marketing plan that does include social media and email marketing, we were able to generate a few more “touches” on our end-user client base. We attempted, on relatively short notice, to get more people to attend the show…even if they were not regular Hawkeye customers. We did not pitch the email as “hey come visit us so we can sell you more of our product”. We informed our foodservice customers that a foodservice operator was having a show…we know our customers buy more than just iced tea and beverage concentrates and might just need the services of a distributor like Hawkeye Foodservice.

My one regret is we only found out a few hours before the show. If we had more time, we could have done a much better job of marketing in that area. Michael and I are now following each other on Twitter so I will be sure to catch all his updates, ensuring I know about their food shows well in advance from now on.

How can B2B companies utilize social media into their marketing strategy, and why is it important? The “how” is easy…(to borrow a phrase from Nike) “Just Do It”.

“Why” should you do it? Ultimately the company is going to have to figure that reason out on their own. But, having a social media presence allowed us to: KNOW about a food show; ensure we were AT the food show; strengthen the relationship with our distributor; get another “touch” with our clients; and hopefully sell more products.

Today’s bonus question: How does “Clint Barton” relate to ANYTHING in my post? Can you figure it out without cheating by clicking here?

THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS

I’m back in South Florida after spending a few days in Fresno, California. As much as I enjoy visiting the valley, and eating at some VERY cool restaurants, I am always excited to make that turn over the Atlantic Ocean right before touching down.

This time, “touchdown” occurred in West Palm Beach, so I was treated to a beautiful view of The Breakers Hotel and some of the Palm Beach Mansions. If you find yourself in Palm Beach, make sure you do the drive over to the island and down the coast past Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence. It’s not the biggest in town, but it is one of the nicest.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was in California to ensure our ThirsTea® concentrate flavor profiles are consistent among the various formulas and packaging options we offer. We want to make sure that our customers get the same glass of iced tea whether they utilize our bag-in-the box concentrate, our 4x1 gallon program, or our 4oz high-yield product line.

Since taking over the company in 2009, we haven’t had the opportunity to undertake this task until now. However, I am going to recommend we do this once a year. The project allowed us to try all our products. Believe it or not, that doesn’t get to happen very often.

Don’t get me wrong, we drink lots of our iced tea, but it’s typically our 4oz high-yield line. We don’t often get the opportunity to try all our products side-by-side with each other. The experience was not just helpful, it allowed us to catch a minor discrepancy in one of our formulations and make the changes necessary to standardize all our flavor profiles.

After, as my management team was discussing the day’s events, I began thinking about how what we had just done, with tangible products, is very similar to what many of you social media marketers do on a daily basis with your intangible ideas and blogs.

You develop. You launch. You market. You monitor and evaluate. You modify and repeat.

Each step is important by itself. But to be successful, you need to incorporate ALL parts. The same is true in the Foodservice Beverage industry.

You can develop THE BEST shelf-stable orange juice concentrate. One that tastes like FRESH SQUEEZED Florida orange juice, but if you don’t launch it, or let people know it is out there and available, you won’t sell a box. (I have friends that have accomplished this feat, and it is the BEST tasting concentrate I have tried. This product will significantly change the juice portion of our industry.)

Once you’ve taken those preliminary steps of manufacturing and launching your product, if you don’t monitor the effectiveness of your launch (or marketing strategy) and evaluate what is working (or not) your product sales could stall, or worse disappear.

Those of you who have written books based off your blog postings and have tried (or are still trying) to market and sell them, probably understand this process better than anyone.

I am sure each of your marketing campaigns is tracked and regularly analyzed to determine which programs have been successful and which need improvement. Right?

When you started the process of writing, didn’t you feel like THAT was the most important task? You wanted to get those thoughts on paper (figuratively speaking), and probably spent an enormous amount of time editing and rewriting. At some point during the process I am willing to bet you thought, “If I am able to effectively get my thoughts organized and written, this book will be a powerful tool and will help a lot of people.”

I’m also pretty certain that, at least up until the book went to print, you may have thought, “This book is going to sell thousands of copies simply because of the content I am providing to people.” (C’mon, at least one of my readers is a published author…)

But then the book is printed and you get ready for the initial launch. The butterflies start fluttering and you start wondering if what you’ve written is really THAT good.

About then, your publisher starts to kick in their marketing program…and you write a blog, post to your Facebook page, tweet about the book…monitor, evaluate…and sell.

It’s the same for us in the beverage world…although sometimes our butterflies feel like eagles (subtle shout-out to my American University family).

--My title is based on the 1987 Michael J. Fox movie. For bonus points, what was "Supergirl's" character name in the movie? Anyone...anyone...?

TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY

Last week was a tough week. I buried a very good friend.

She had been sick for a number of years, so her death was neither painful nor a surprise. Actually, when I say her passing wasn’t painful, I meant it wasn’t painful for her. For those that knew her, her death will leave a huge void in our lives.

As a result, I was off-line for a few days.

Upon returning home from the memorial services, I found myself trying to catch up on my job duties over at ThirsTea Corp, so my on-line presence has been limited…although I was able to participate in the #leadershipchat on Twitter this week (thanks @LisaPetrilli, @swoodroff and guest @Russell_Bishop).

Today, I find myself in Fresno, California. My executive management team and I are meeting with our strategic partner, evaluating flavor profiles for the iced tea concentrates we sell together in the foodservice industry. We are also discussing our joint marketing strategies for 2011.

As you might imagine (since you are reading this in an on-line blog), ThirsTea Corp. has allocated part of our marketing spend to social media and online marketing. While it is tough to quantitatively analyze the financial return on the marketing dollars spent online, we do realize there is a return (and it can be measured).

Since our primary business (and our partner’s primary business) is B2B and not B2C, it has been tough to convince them of the benefits of social media. I continue to remind them that conversations are happening; the conversations may not be about their company or brand, but there are conversations about the products they offer and companies they sell. Listening to the conversations can open new opportunities for them, IMHO.

I have also shared with them how our companies can use social media as a lead generation, specifically targeting segments of the foodservice industry.

So far, my arguments for a social media strategy have fallen on deaf ears. But, I’m certain they will eventually understand the importance of a well rounded and integrated marketing strategy that includes social media.

What are some ways other B2B companies are using social media? Within the social media spectrum, where would you recommend a B2B company place their focus…Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? Yelp! (Remember, we are a foodservice beverage company)…

And more importantly...who wants to try some iced tea?

MY DOUBLE VISION GETS THE BEST OF ME

The other day I wrote about lack of focus at a corporate level, more specifically as it related to Sears. (click here to read)

Sears has announced plans to launch a video download service to compete with the likes of NetFlix, etc. My observation, and others too, is that this is far removed from their core business, and IMO, a major distraction for the company's management team.

In even more recent news, and from the perspective of companies re-focusing their efforts on core business practices, the Wall Street Journal wrote about Foodservice behemoth Sara Lee potentially shopping two of their divisions in an attempt to sharpen their focus.

Sara Lee's meat division and their foodservice beverage (coffee) division are apparently being evaluated for spin-off. Tyson appears to be interested in the meat division; and Nestle, which recently acquired Vitality Beverage Foodservice, may consider acquiring the beverage division.

I must admit, I have a personal interest in what happens to Sara Lee's beverage division. They, and Nestle, through the Vitality acquisition, happen to be competitors. In fact, Sara Lee dealt us a pretty significant blow late last year when Houston based SYSCO Foodservice Distributor announced that Sara Lee would be the single supplier for iced tea under the company's private label.

Until October 2010, several regional beverage companies manufactured and packed iced tea concentrates for the distributor. The decision to go solely with Sara Lee might have been a smart one as far as the distributor is concerned, but it significantly impacted the sales revenue for several beverage companies.

Now, it appears, the Sara Lee beverage division may not be under the Sara Lee corporate umbrella much longer. The parent company, following the resignation of their CEO for health reasons, is revitalizing its focus.

I am confident the decision to shop the beverage division was not made because the division is losing money. In fact, it's been said that division is one of the most profitable divisions at Sara Lee, valued somewhere in the $7Billion neighborhood.

Then why sell?

Running a beverage company takes the right personnel, both in sales and equipment; it takes a financial and time commitment to equipment because 90% of foodservice beverages are dispenser driven and dispensers need regular maintenance and service; and, it takes an understanding of the beverage distribution model, which is different from even your standard foodservice distribution model.

Nestle would do well to acquire the Sara Lee beverage division. It would immediately put them back in the drivers seat with SYSCO, picking up millions in potential annual sales. Plus, it would give them yet another recognizable foodservice brand in their portfolio.

It would of course make my life more difficult and my job more challenging, but what's life without a little more difficulty and challenges, right? Besides, from a visual perspective, Nestle would become the Goliath to our David.

Before someone misinterprets my comment, I am not saying our little company will (figuratively or otherwise) take out a multinational foodservice giant and one of the most recognizable brand names in the world...no, I'm not suggesting that at all.

All I'm suggesting is a Nestle/Vitality/SaraLee beverage company would be HUGE. As typical with most huge companies, there are limitations to how fast they can react and make decisions. (I compare it to an aircraft carrier trying to turn around while at flank speed...you measure the distance it takes to turn around in miles, not feet.). As a smaller company, with a finite number of shareholders, we are more "nimble" and can make decisions more rapidly. Our "focus" is more pinpoint, and hopefully more effective than a multinational foodservice giant.

No matter what happens with the Sara Lee beverage division, I can promise you my company will remain focused on our core business ... Foodservice Beverages ... and on our core principles: quality, customers, and value.

Now...can you tell me the release year of the Foreigner record that my blog title is based on? And how many times did it go platinum? (Without looking it up on Wikipedia) :)

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND BECOME IRRELEVANT IN 30 DAYS OR LESS

Are you focused on doing those things you do well? No.

Don’t feel too bad. You’re not alone.

On December 28^th, 2010, (which in the digital age is an eternity ago, I know) Crain’s Chicago Business posted an article on Sears. Apparently, Sears announced that it would be launching a video download service. (Link Here)

The service (named Alphaline Entertainment) will allow users to download movies the day they are released on DVD or Blu-ray. Television shows will be available the day after they air, according to the article. Alphaline will be powered by RoxioNow, which according to people much smarter than me has been rejected by the bigger players because of technical issues and operational limitations.

Within minutes of the posting, Ken Leonard, of Leonard Associates, offered his thoughts on the decision. (Link Here)

Take three minutes and read his analysis. I think it is right on the money. And besides, he has one of the best quotes I’ve seen recently, “…always try to be the best at what you do best.”

Sears is in trouble. This is not news. They have not focused on what they did best. They are following industry trends (poorly) instead of doing what they know how to do well.

What does Sears do well? Well, my parents own a Kenmore washer and dryer set. I’m in my 40’s and the set is older than I am. Guess what? Both units still work.

I have a set of Craftsman tools that are OLD. (I may have been 18 years old when I bought the set.) Guess what? THEY still work. You can’t break Craftsman tools. Sure, I paid more for them then I would for the Home Depot (or Lowe’s) brand…but I don’t care…they last forever.

What does this have to do with Foodservice Beverages you ask?

How many beverage companies have not held true to what made them successful in the first place? Do I need to say anything other than “New Coke”? I probably do since New Coke was introduced in 1985, a few years before our college intern was even born.

If you want a more recent example, look at Tropicana circa 2008/2009. (C’mon, you know where I’m going, right?) Tropicana led the market in “not from concentrate” orange juice. A distraction, in the form of a packaging change, caused them to lose 20% of their unit sales in less than 2 months (January 1^st thru February 22^nd, according to Information Resources, Inc.).

Both beverage companies were able to refocus and recover from their distractions. The jury is still out on whether Sears can right the ship, but I have my opinion.

I’m going to borrow Ken’s phrase, and adapt it slightly…

Focus on doing those things you do best…

In order to do that, you need to know what it is you do best. That may take some introspection. But, once you have figured out what those things are…do them better than anyone else and you will soon be an industry leader.

If you can't figure it out, you are destined for irrelevancy...say hello to Hollywood Video and Circuit City while you're there.

Vision (not the Superman X-ray kind)

I’d like to take full credit for this blog post, but I have to credit Lisa Petrilli (@LisaPetrilli) for co-creating the #leadershipchat conversation on Twitter.

Actually, I should really thank Amber Naslund (@AmberCadabra) for pointing out that the conversation was happening, and directing her Twitter followers to “check it out.”

#Leadershipchat is an online conversation that happens once a week. The particular one I took part in, or at least listened to, occurred on January 4^th. The topic of conversation was “vision”, and had around 200 people participating.

To me, the truly amazing thing is I have never met Lisa, Amber, or any of the other 200 participants. I know almost nothing about the backgrounds of the people participating in the conversation, except for those whom I chose to do some research on. But, even a digital immigrant like myself was able to learn a thing or two from the conversation.

Now my computer skills, typing skills, and tweet-reading skills are passable. I’m not great, but I am also not as bad as most people my age. Being of average tweet-conversing skill, it was initially challenging trying to keep up with the conversation. But after 10 minutes of following the dialog, I got into a rhythm and it became much easier to keep up.

I understand the sheer volume of participants tweeting the hashtag caused Twitter to hiccup a time or two. (To me it was more like a rather juicy belch…there was no activity on my screen and then BURP! - 30 tweets scrolled down in rapid succession.)

If you want the transcript of everything discussed, I'm attaching the link. I’d suggest reading thru it because there were several great points made throughout the night. You might learn a thing or two about leadership and vision. (Transcript Link)

My favorite definition for vision is: the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be. When the talk is about leaders and their vision, especially using this definition, I can’t help but very closely associate another important leadership skill -“execution”.

If a leader has the power to anticipate "that which will come to be", it doesn’t just happen, does it? I mean there has to be more than just "having" the vision, right? Leaders have to work at making the vision “come to be”. That sounds like the very definition of execution, doesn’t it?

I searched the transcript to see who initially brought up the idea of a shared vision -developed and therefore more readily embraced by a team. I can’t directly attribute it to anyone (you know I would name-drop if I could), but I’m not sure I agree with the concept.

A leader needs to "own" his vision completely. Sure, outside forces such as personal experience, employees, etc., will help shape the vision. But that vision should be the leaders alone, no?

If you want a team-building exercise, have them collaborate on the steps necessary to achieve the leader’s vision. A team can continuously evaluate their progress, making sure they are moving closer to making the vision a reality.

But the vision belongs with the leader. If you don’t believe me, go ask General Patton. He would tell it to you straight.

Hoorah!