Back to Basics: a B2B marketing parable

Erwin Martin, VP of Marketing at Nova Business Solutions, stared into his computer screen. But the Q3 marketing performance report glared back ominously like a digital Rorschach test — each number, each percentage, each graph a twisted inkblot of irrefutable failure spelling out one word: F-*-C-K-E-D.

In exactly twenty-five minutes, Erwin will have to stand before CEO Richard Fitweiler and his pack of salivating executives. Time was running out and he had no idea how to spin the dismal results into something remotely positive.

Don’t kill the messenger, Erwin mutters to himself. But he knows how this story will end. We all do.

A soft knock on his desk jolts him. “Everything okay?” It’s Joey Hart, an accomplished marketing manager who’s long overdue for a promotion and blissfully unaware he’s standing on the deck of the Titanic. Erwin quickly minimizes the report and pastes on a smile that wouldn’t fool a blind man.

“Hey, Joey,” he says, his voice straining as if he were passing a kidney stone. He considers unloading his frustrations on the promising marketing manager — the cost per lead that was higher than Snoop Dogg on 4/20, the engagement rates that were lower than the Mariana Trench, and the conversion rates that made the Sahara look moist. But as the captain of the ship, Erwin knew it was his duty to remain dignified.

“As you know,” Erwin began, “the results of last quarter weren’t what we expected. But it’s not our fault. We did everything we said we would and then some.”

Joey leans in, concern furrowing his brow. “Anything I can help with?”

Erwin opens his mouth to respond but gets cut off by the sharp ping of a calendar reminder coming from his computer, like a proverbial executioner sharpening his axe. “Welp, that’s my cue,” Erwin says standing up and smoothing out his blazer.

After Joey retreats back to his desk, Erwin takes one step before turning back to hit PRINT on the report and heads off.

?

The conference room is as silent as a morgue, save the occasional throat-clearing death rattles of CEO Richard Fitweiler, sitting at the head of the conference table, and the rustling of paper as he thumbed carefully through the freshly printed Q3 marketing performance report. A dozen other executives and a recently appointed advisor named Ulgine Barrows occupy the remaining seats — their eyes ping-ponging between the CEO and doomed marketing leader like spectators at a gladiatorial match.

Fitweiler’s unreadable face finally looked up from the printed report and broke the tension in the room. “Well,” he said with a piercing look that seemed to stab Erwin through the heart, “any good news?”

For the briefest of moments, he considered pitching a new strategy he’d recently learned about, one that seemed promising and could very well be the solution to their abysmal results. But as he opened his mouth, fear took over.

"Well, as you can see from the report," Erwin begins, voice dripping with faux optimism, "we're facing some... unique challenges this quarter. The technology landscape is changing rapidly, and buyer behavior has been incredibly erratic. We're seeing shifts that..."

Fitweiler’s hand shoots up like a stop sign. “Spare me the excuses, Mr. Martin. I need solutions, not explanations.”

Erwin Martin’s career began to flash before his eyes. A highlight reel of marketing campaigns past, present, and the future that will never be. A voice inside his head screams, begging him to respond, to fight back, to pitch that radical new idea. But Erwin's body refuses to cooperate, like a bout of sleep paralysis in a three-piece suit.

"Here's what we're going to do," Fitweiler continues, face hardening like cement. "Cut the experimental programs — 'digi-kal' ads, e-mail campaigns, all of it. We're going back to basics."

"Back to basics?" Erwin echoes, feeling like he's just stepped into a time machine.

Fitweiler nods, firm as a judge passing sentence. "Print ads, direct mail campaigns, trade show booths — the tried-and-true tactics that built this company. We know they work, and we know how to measure them. Sometimes, you have to take a step back to move forward."

And just like that, they moved on to the next agenda item. All Erwin could do was sit silently stunned as the meeting droned on.

?

Later, back at his desk, Erwin was packing up for the day when Joey Hart stopped by again. “How’d it go?” Joey asked, his face a mix of curiosity and concern.

About as well as a colonoscopy without anesthesia, Erwin thinks but declines to say. “It went,” Erwin replies, his voice flatter than a week-old soda. “Long story short, we’ve been asked to focus on more ‘traditional’ tactics and pause the newer, untested stuff.”

Joey’s eyebrows shoot up like they’re going to escape his face. “Are you kidding me?!”

Erwin nods, feeling the weight of a thousand obsolete marketing strategies on his shoulders, then invites Joey to leave the office together.

In the elevator, Erwin turns to Joey, breaking the solemn silence. “You know, for a moment, I almost pitched something… well, pretty audacious.”

“Really?” Joey perks up. “What was it?”

Erwin hesitates, then asks, “Do you read any blogs?”

?

Content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing — these standard operating practices might seem inevitable to many in B2B marketing today.

But there was a time when “blogging” was strongly associated with personal journaling and other unsophisticated, informal topics — not something a serious business would consider. As such, getting buy-in for content marketing and all the other tenets of digital marketing in those early days wasn’t easy.

Today we face new challenges and uncertainties. And like Mr. Fitweiler, many decision-makers are advocating for a return to “tried-and-true” tactics, forgetting the lessons of the past.

The irony is quite palpable. The very strategies that revolutionized B2B marketing and arguably earned marketing a seat at The Table? a decade ago are now at risk of becoming the new “traditional” approach — overused, misunderstood, and increasingly ineffective.

This parable demonstrates what we tend to lose in these “stick with what works” situations: nuance, creativity, and strategic thinking.

It’s also an allegory that contains an important lesson for B2B decision-makers: that B2B marketing must continually evolve, question our assumptions, and be willing to take calculated risks.

If this story struck a chord with you, you're not alone. Many marketers find themselves at the crossroads between tradition and innovation, wondering which path to take.

But here's the thing: you don't have to navigate this changing landscape alone.

We've been where Erwin is. We've faced the challenges of adapting to new technologies, shifting buyer behaviors, and evolving marketing strategies. And we've learned a thing or two along the way.

If you're ready to embrace the future of B2B marketing and want to avoid becoming another Erwin, there are two things you can do:

1. Follow Neutral Ground Labs on LinkedIn
2. Subscribe to Marketing Under The Influence , my personal newsletter and currently the de facto official newsletter of Neutral Ground Labs

Signing up ensures you'll be the first to hear about the consultancy and coaching program that I've designed to help B2B marketers address the elephant in the room:

9 out of 10 buyers in the market today will choose from three solutions that were in consideration long before they ever had a choice.

See you on the Neutral Ground!

Ronnie Higgins ??