B2B Marketing in Canada

Trends | Common Mistakes | Innovative Strategies

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B2B is also known as business-to-business marketing and involves products for sale to wholesalers or to be used in manufacturing. Services are also sold to other businesses. The same principles apply as in traditional or consumer marketing but different strategies are used to promote and sell.

Trends

The B2B marketing industry is a fast growing sector with many small businesses and startups becoming a part of it and joining the race to increase their share. Still, the problem is that many small and medium-sized businesses are unaware of the huge potential that business-to-business marketing has. This is an $85-billion market with plenty of opportunities to profit.

Common Mistakes and Problems and Strategies That Work

The use of promotional products is very important in business-to-business marketing. It is a good idea to make use of company exhibits and trade shows as well. Other more traditional approaches include attending seminars and face to face sales meetings.

Some businesses use wrong strategies while for others, B2B is the same as consumer marketing. While they look fairly similar, the former involves the direct sale of services and products to other industries. Consumer marketing, on the other hand, is about supporting, generating, and maximizing opportunities for profit.

Wasted investment is a problem for many businesses, however, and results from poor planning and the use of wrong strategies. Expecting quick results is one mistake that businesses often make. A poor marketing plan or strategy coupled with lack of clear goals is also a common mistake. The good news is that there are strategies that work. One of the most important steps to make toward this is to build strong and long-lasting relationships with customers. When it comes to customer relations, it is important to offer fully landed costs, including shipping costs, duties, customs, and taxes.

Online marketing is also a good idea to help promote your business. You may want to include testimonials, contact details, product descriptions, and anything else you think will work. This is especially true after 2014 when the Canadian government enacted anti-spam legislation that protects online audiences. Today companies are not allowed to email potential customers to market their products and services.

Innovative Strategies

Many businesses now use social media to promote their products, services, and news. More and more Canadian companies now focus on social marketing trends such as real-time marketing, social advertising, ephemeral marketing, and social buying. Canadian businesses increasingly make use of tools such as customer journey mapping, marketing automation, and others. Marketers have already begun to experiment with different types of content, including interactive content. The goal is to stay visible and reach potential customers. B2B companies face greater challenges than customer-oriented businesses, however because they are not targeting individual customers. The good news is that they can use social media, virtual reality, and other tools to promote their business. The use of apps to do business is one example. Instead of contacting a business to order parts or components, for instance, you can use their app to this end. Virtual reality also has good potential to promote products and services. Instead of advertising a product to a wholesaler or business, you can ask them to put a VR headset to see how your product or equipment works. Artificial intelligence and instant messaging apps can be used to do businesses as well.

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The Role of the Media in Canadian Politics

Historical Developments | Criticisms | Role


The media in Canada is deeply involved in political matters and plays an important role in shaping and changing the landscape and public opinion. In fact, media has established itself as an influential group since the 1820s and has had a powerful role since then.

Historical Developments

A series of events during the last two centuries established press as one of the main pillars of democracy. Statutory laws have been enacted to deal with issues such as government secrecy, privacy, copyright, civil defamation, and so on. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982 is a major piece of legislation and a constitution act which protects basic freedoms such as freedom of media communication and freedom of the press. There are earlier developments in this direction, however, which helped shape Canadian democracy. Joseph Howe's libel trial in 1835, for example, is a major trial during which Howe, a newspaper editor, was brought to court and accused of seditious libel. The trial established an important precedent and is considered a major victory for Canadian press. The Alberta Press case also known as the Reference Re Alberta Statute of 1938 is also a major development and landmark which helped establish climate for free public discussion. The Padlock Act was enacted in 1937 to protect residents in Alberta against Communistic propaganda. In 1957 the act, also known as the Act to Protect the Province Against Communistic Propaganda was ruled unconstitutional because it was used for censorship purposes.

The Access to Information Act of 1983 is a major piece of legislation regarding access to public information. The act postulates that Canadians have the right to access government information and sheds light on the types of information that can be accessed freely by citizens. Timelines for response are also established. The Privacy Act was also enacted in 1983 to protect personal information and the right to privacy. Under this act, complaints regarding the right to privacy should be reported to an ombudsman (the Privacy Commissioner of Canada).

Criticisms

Some politicians, for example, Alberta's Premier Ralph Klein, criticize political journalists for producing content based on confrontation, chaos, confusion, controversy, and conflict. Journalists also point to the fact that the digital revolution has made it possible to access more information than ever. With the help of tools such as online newspapers and mobile apps, media attempts to engage larger audiences on a global scale. The main problem is that advertising revenue sharply declined with the advent of social media platforms, Google, and other giants. The need for quality news and reliable information is notable with the rise of media giants and empires. Small and regional media outlets profit less from ads today because they compete on unequal terms with giants. And while there are proposals to nationalize big media networks, censorship is the main source of concern. Government regulation may also result in direct intervention and distorted news content. Political interference in free press is dangerous and unnecessary.

At the same time, the cost of internet, satellite, TV, and radio services has declined, making it easier for media to reach larger readership and viewership. This allows media to play an important role in Canadian politics, offering reliable and accurate information.

Role of Media

Despite the fact that advertising dollars are the main issue, media is still the main outlet for Canadians to learn more about public policy, political parties and party leaders, enacted legislation, and other issues. Media has been instrumental in drawing attention to controversial policies, exposing corruption, and scrutinizing what politicians and leaders are doing.