ANA Business Marketing Members-Only Conference at Bank of New York Mellon

THE CHALLENGER BRAND ADVANTAGE

What more could a challenger brand ask for…than to be fifth in a category defined by a group of leaders called “The Big Four?” That’s the situation professional services firm Grant Thornton found itself in, and has fashioned itself as the ultimate challenger brand as a result. Grant Thornton found that breakthrough growth would require the organization to take bold, innovative steps to build its brand with potential customers. In an industry sometimes viewed as commoditized, the firm placed big bets on culture, technology, and people – and it has begun to pay off, with record growth, earnings, employee retention, and reinvestments in the firm. Bringing that to life was a core tenet and challenge of the firm’s new marketing strategy – one that has aimed to break the industry’s mold and create brand permission in a congested market.

John Harmeling, Grant Thornton’s CMO, shares the journey the brand has taken and offers tactical recommendations for other B2B challenger brands.

John Harmeling

CMO Grant Thornton

DIGITAL NATIVES – HOW B2B MARKETERS CAN REACH THE "ALWAYS ON" MILLENNIAL CUSTOMER

The millennial generation currently makes up 21 percent of consumer discretionary spending — $3 trillion annually in direct buying power — and have an impact on consumer culture that reaches far beyond their market share. It is the first generation of “digital natives,” individuals who grew up online, immersed in technology, which makes engaging with them a complex task. And as their rise in the corporate ranks knowing how to reach millennial decision makers will become increasingly critical to B2B marketers.

Millennials are no longer an unreachable audience, however. While some brands as well as marketers fear the unknown with this “enigma generation,” the real winners are the marketers who embraced and engaged with millennials. Jeff Fromm, co-author of the best-selling book Marketing to Millennials: Reach the Largest and Most Influential Generation of Consumers Ever, will share new research and best practices in creating brand engagement for millennials in an entertaining and educational format.

Jeff Fromm

President Futurecast

AMPLIFYING 233 YEARS OF INNOVATION

Learn how BNY Mellon is evolving an established brand and demonstrating how its culture is inspired by the pioneering spirit of its founder, Alexander Hamilton. Three key marketing executives will provide insight into how a 200 year old brand can stay relevant in today’s high tech, fast paced world. Hear how the team evolved their brand by incorporating the voice of their founder, Alexander Hamilton. How the organization celebrated Hamilton’s pioneering spirit in social media campaigns and environmental experiences as well as in their innovation centers. “The key of course is the client. While the way in which we communicate has changed, we have continued to enhance the entire client journey and all the touch points along the way,” Aniko Delaney.

Aniko DeLaney

Head of Corporate Marketing BNY Mellon

GUIDING ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH BUILDING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Customer buying behavior has evolved over the last few years. It’s now more than ever influenced by social media, peers, and of course the internet. Buying behavior is more consumption-focused; “I only want to pay for what I use.” Further, Harvard Business Review uncovered that “customers who had the best past experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had the poorest past experience.”  Therefore, if we know personalization, options, and access are important aspects of customer experience, why do most companies struggle with it? Chris will share real world case histories of brands that have creating exceptional customer experiences and how it all starts with understanding the Customer Journey. He will further outline how some companies are providing solutions to the customer journey problems by offering relevant content, personalizing, and managing the customer journey experience.

Chris Spears

Chief Marketing Technologist ARKE

SALES AND MARKETING ALIGNMENT?

Marketing and Sales alignment is potentially the largest opportunity for improving business performance today. When marketing and sales teams unite around a single revenue cycle, they dramatically improve marketing ROI, sales productivity, and, most importantly, top-line growth. It is all about team agreement on common goals, strategies and success metrics.  The Problem: Sales is From Mars, Marketing is From Venus

Additionally, B2B companies have typically struggled to connect data with their marketing efforts. Lots of data is available, but defining which metrics matter for a business often proves to be a greater challenge.   
CMO John Petralia has faced both of these scenarios.  As a result he will share his personal insight and the way in which he faced these challenges, providing an inside picture at how others might successfully do the same.

John Petralia

CMO, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Aligned Energy

TAKE ACTION: HOW TO IGNITE THE B2B CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW

It is simply not enough to effectively deliver a product or a service anymore. B2B brands must absolutely own the entire customer experience. Too often there are moments where your customers become disconnected and can eventually disappear completely. gyro U.S. COO Adryanna Sutherland will share actionable insights for developing a magnetic and truly differentiated experience throughout the entire customer life cycle. She will identify key moments where the experience could be suboptimal and share solutions to preempt potential pitfalls. She will explore the vast CX landscape from digital solutions like bots, to communication protocols, to change management and operational improvements.

Adryanna Sutherland

COO gyro