Making the mark: how global growth marketing can unlock potential in B2B

Marketers face increasing pressure

Marketing influences 100% of the pipeline and sales (no business exists without brand, communication, products, etc.) yet there is more scrutiny than ever to prove its ROI. The role of a marketer is clear: influence the entire buyer group, including hidden buyers (50% of the buying group remains hidden) and surround its members wherever they are. Marketing must deliver:

• for awareness: to build brand familiarity before buyers have a need (80% of B2B buyers already knew their chosen brand at the start of their research. In other words, if your brand isn’t recognised for specific products or services when the need arises, your chances of winning the deal are very low)
• for acquisition: to capture buyers' attention when your buyer group is active in the market (only 15% of your target audience)

however, marketers face significant challenges:

• 75% of CMOs feel pressured to "do more with less" to deliver profitable growth
• 40% of CMOs believe their teams lack the skills needed to run modern marketing strategies

?

The right corporate structure can make a difference

Establishing an internal corporate Growth Marketing agency can help address these challenges. This bold bet has been taken by Isabelle Lurquin and our global enterprise line of business #elob Orange : empowering a small, agile team with the mandate to shake things up. Fast forward end of 2024: the approach got significant traction with our EMEA affiliates, their local teams, and external partners?through the following:

1. Scouting for innovations to identify new media, tactics, tools and strategies with the potential to deliver better performances. We challenge the status quo.
2. Testing and learning through campaigns ran collaboratively with local teams, while also bringing additional resources, supported by a +50% budget increase from external partners. We don’t just advise, we execute.
3. Sharing and building with an engaged community of local EMEA branding, marcom, events, content and campaigns experts. We leverage collective expertise and experiences.
4. Centralizing intelligence with the release of an internal global Playbook, the corporate go-to reference, that compiles insights from past campaigns, KPIs, and our latest methodologies, tactics and best practices across the full marketing spectrum. We put knowledge at the forefront.

?

Looking ahead: 3 priorities to support growth

1. Collaborate more: in a large organization, fostering teams interlocks should always remain a top priority. Building bridges across functions, geographies, and/or domains makes teams 5 times more likely to perform at high level. As we say “it is better when we work together” #people
2. Innovate ahead of the pack: top marketers exploit niche tactics that work before they become widely adopted (and consequently lose their effectiveness). That said, putting AI aside, some public trends are still worth exploring, particularly when rethinking B2B Demand Gen strategies through thought leaders and influencers (people trust people, 90% B2B buyers prefer content from trusted influencers, and the latest Linkedin ads format will amplify that) or supercharging Account Based Marketing with the like of Demandbase or 6sense - just saying. #innovation
3. Crack the performance formula(s): mastering attribution models, conversion tracking, influenced revenues, or the ideal marketing mix is a pinnacle achievement for any CMO. Be brave and take on the challenge. #performance

?

The road may be bumpy, full of mistakes and lessons, but that’s the way to grow! Looking forward to a focused and impactful 2025 with an amazing team and colleagues! #Orangeishere Omar SAID Lara Knoblauch Gaurav Chakraborty @laurentbothin Angelique Forey-Favre Neha Jawed Isabelle Lurquin Serge Schertzer Moncef El Khatib Georges Mardanli France Righenzi De Villers

?