DIGITAL MARKETING
Digital Marketing 29 March
29-03-2006
by Ciara O'Brien
B2B weak on web, strong on e-mail | WAA speaks up on spyware
B2B weak on web, strong on e-mail: Business to business marketers are not yet taking full advantage of online marketing, a new survey has found. According to an IAB study, business to business companies are lagging, with only 39 percent using display ads.
The UK-based study found that just 29 percent use online classifieds. However, e-mail marketing has found a greater fan-base among B2B companies, with 89 percent of respondents to the survey implementing it as part of their overall marketing strategy.
More than half of the companies involved in the study said they used e-mail to promote their products, while 49 percent of B2B marketers use e-mail for company newsletters. Forty-seven percent have implemented e-mail marketing for customer acquisition.
However, the tide is changing; a large number of B2B marketers said that online marketing would take more of their budget in the future, whilst almost a third said they would up their spending in this area by a fifth in the next 12 months.
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce says that its members can already use its website to reach other businesses and offer discounts to its members, providing a form of B2B marketing. Aebhric McGibney, director of policy, said that at present, the site has a section where members can check offers from other businesses.
This is set to change in the future, with the chamber planning to have an opt-in database that members can use to market offers directly to each other.
However, online marketing, whilst important, is not the be-all and end-all of advertising budgets. McGibney pointed out that face to face meetings still play an important role in business-to-business marketing. "That hasn't gone out of fashion," he said.
WAA speaks up on spyware: The battle between spyware and legitimate web analytics stepped up a notch recently, with the announcement of a "statement of principles" from the Web Analytics Association.
The association wants to make the distinction between spyware and cookies used in web analytics clearer.
While the WAA opposes spyware, it makes it clear that it is against deceptive practices rather than a specific technology. Its anti-spyware statement of principles includes a pledge that its members will not engage in such practices and a promise to open up internal activity to review by a third party.
Many popular anti-spyware companies pick up cookies as they perform scans of a user's hard drive, and these small text files are often deleted by users, which can lead to skewed internet advertising figures.
There is another important reason for making the distinction, with several states in the US passing anti-spyware laws.
The WAA is also planning to embark on a programme of education about cookies and tracking tools.
High profile members of the not-for-profit organisation include Google Analytics, Yahoo, IBM and Walt Disney.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 