This is a big moment for B2B Marketing. When we launched 12 years ago, we had a simple content mission: to establish the B2B sector as a vibrant, dynamic and distinct part of the marketing industry. Twelve years later, and the sheer breadth of content designed for B2B marketers in 2016 is staggering, and demonstrates that B2B has come of age: our mission has been accomplished.
So it’s time for us to change. We need to provide a different kind of service, to ensure we’re relevant for the needs of tomorrow’s marketers. For example, we no longer need to extensively document the latest news, or provide brief articles on a specific marketing tactic – this content is available elsewhere.
But we do need to continue to support and champion the development of the B2B marketing, and be a force for driving up standards and professionalism. Our content needs to become focused on enabling genuine and meaningful change in B2B, providing commercial insight to help marketers to do better, and achieve more.
From now on, you’ll see us adopting a more of an industry leadership position, striving to define both how the sector can and should develop. The means through which we will do this will remain largely unchanged – we’ll still create reports, produce research, run events, offer training, present awards etc. But over time you will notice a change in emphasis: a new stance and approach, aimed at delivering more impactful benefits.
The one tangible, immediate change you may notice relates to our magazine – in order to realign resources with our new mission, we’re going to reduce the frequency of publication from 10 to four times a year. This will allow us to focus on bigger, more transformational ideas and concepts, thereby delivering more value. The magazine will also be better aligned with our other content activities, leveraging the longevity and impact of print and placing it at the centre of the ongoing mission.
We think you’ll like the difference – we’ve designed it with you in mind. It should set us up for the next 12 years, and beyond. It’s very much a journey and we hope you’ll continue make it with us.