Articles by Travis Kennedy

51. An Examination Of The State Of B2B Content Marketing And 2 Take-Aways 11/28/2017

    Recently, the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) released its annual study of content marketing and its effectiveness in a B2B setting.  In the 2017 version of the survey, there were a number of important talking points and insights that give an indication of what is working and also what still needs to be improved upon. 

52. When “Because That's How We've Always Done it” Doesn't Cut It In 2018 And Beyond 11/14/2017

    Hard to believe it’s been almost 5 years since we started this venture.  Attempting to educate the water & wastewater market on why their traditional marketing tactics are becoming less and less effective has been a real challenge.  I mean nobody likes change.  Getting outside of your comfort zone, especially when you are used to doing things a certain way, is not entered into lightly unless forced on you by the market. But the market is starting to adjust and unless your head remains buried in the proverbial sand, chances are you’ve started seeing that your competitors are marketing differently.

53. When It Comes To Your Brand ... “Be Better Than The Pitch!” 11/3/2017

    When you need a great tagline to use in marketing, negotiations, even blog posts, you need to look no further than Hollywood.  About 5 years ago, the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love came out starring Ryan Gosling and my personal favorite funnyman Steve Carrell in which the former was teaching the later the benefits of being better than his current self. 

54. A Warning For Water And Wastewater Manufacturers Trying To Make An Impact At Tradeshows 10/26/2017

    For those of you who read my articles, you know that I often make the statement that time has replaced money as the most important resource in the business world.  Think about it -- most new products (regardless of industry) are centered on helping people save time first, and save money second.

55. An Open Challenge To Water And Wastewater Equipment Executives 10/11/2017

    We have talked a lot about the connection between sales and marketing. Comparing the two departments and the eternal internal struggle between them over who is more important and more impactful. Two parts of a company that must work together to be productive but in many cases struggle to do so.

56. What Coca-Cola Can Teach Water And Wastewater Manufacturers About Brand Publishing 9/20/2017

    Earlier this month Content Marketing World took place in Cleveland, OH and continued its mission to educate the world on the evolution of marketing. CMI’s message is consistent and unwavering and centers on the belief that marketing is never stagnant. It evolves just like our businesses do and counts on astute professionals to not just react, but to direct its today, tomorrow and beyond. Brand publishing and content marketing are at the core of the “now” and look to be the “now” for many years to come, perhaps decades.

57. The 3 Basic Problems With Product Centric Marketing In Industrial Markets 9/12/2017

    I spend most of my workday discussing the fine art of brand publishing (and content marketing) in relation to a B2B marketplace. Most of the companies I work with design and make engineered systems used in the water and wastewater market. Many companies in this space have been in business for over 30-40 years and have done plenty of conventional outbound marketing over those years.  Print, direct mail, hundreds of trade shows, etc. all stand as historic monuments to the standard marketing practices of the day. 

58. What TV Networks Understand That Marketers Should 8/28/2017

    What’s the time? Is it lunchtime yet? I don’t have the time to get all of this accomplished? I can find the time. Is it that time already?

59. Cashing In On Brand Publishing For Small Business Success 8/14/2017

    What does it mean to become a “trusted partner” of a prospective customer, or even a current one?  Is it really possible to separate your brand and company from all the competitors making their “sales pitch” to the target audience you share?  The answer of course is a resounding “YES!” and it’s being done all around us.  The formula isn’t a difficult one to work out. In fact it’s a lot easier than the old style methods of book it, push it, and hope-for-the-best type tactics that ruled the landscape for decades.

60. Big Data And What It Means For Your Content 7/14/2017

    At ACE 2017 last month in Philadelphia I had the opportunity to join many market leaders on air as part of Water Talk (formerly the world famous Water Online Radio).  It was revealing to see how the water utility market has evolved when you compare the topics discussed at ACE 2013 with those discussed at ACE 2017.  Four years ago, conversations centered on the virtues of specific product features, in an attempt to differentiate offerings from similar products. This year’s dialog had little to do with tangible products themselves. Instead, it was heavily focused on the concept of “Big Data”. Interviewees not only discussed what Big Data is but more importantly, how it can be interpreted and what it means for water utilities.