Author: Chris Herbert, B2B Specialist & Founder of mi6
Audience: Marketing, Sales and Executive Management professionals
Today, I’m launching a new blog series on the topic of Marketing Integration. This is my first post which introduces my B2B marketing integration (MI) framework.
Before reading any further you may want to check out an earlier post entitled”What Is Marketing“. In this post I propose that marketing should be a strategic and tactical discipline in every B2B company.
Marketing should be viewed as a key function that is to be performed by each and every individual in the company. I’m not talking about “bad marketing” but productive marketing. Marketing that makes a difference for you, your business and your customers.
This framework can hopefully assist you and your team as you evolve into a marketing driven organization.
What is a framework?
Now, on to the topic at hand. Frameworks are tools and reference models professionals use in order help set direction, make priorities, complete projects and tasks (among other things).
They can be used in your business:
- To measure innovation
- For Product Marketing and Management
- To manage a project
- To help run financial organizations within a government
- To market your company
However, the trick is making it so frameworks are easy to remember and use such that they drive results in your business.
What is the B2B marketing integration framework?
For the past 25 years I’ve been marketing to create, service and keep customers. During this time I’ve developed a B2B marketing framework which is at the core of the mi6 offering. The “mi” in the name/logo of the company stands for “marketing integration” and the 6 represents the key spokes that make the marketing integration flywheel move.
This framework continues to evolve, as it should!. Here is my most recent version:
The B2B Marketing Integration Framework (Creative Commons 3.0 License Deed)
Branding, Business Development and Communications & Networking are the key marketing activities that take place externally while Program, Platform and Principles are more internally focused.
This weekly blog series will cover this framework in depth. I hope you find it useful and invite comments and challenges! The goal is to create and share best practices that helps us all be successful B2B marketers.
