Savvy B2B Marketing

I was recently sent a “little tomb” of poetry from John Bottom at www.baseonegroup.co.uk/beyond. “It’s just a little initiative of ours to add a different angle to the usual B2B content.” he wrote.

The slim, black and white volume is called Beyond the Poems – They inspired a generation to be fearless – to go beyond business as usual with the authors listed as the b2beat poets.

Apparently a gauntlet was cast when someone said “You can’t write a poem about B2B marketing.” From that challenge at least 7 poems were anonymously created.

From the booklet’s introduction:

What we can determine, based on their slender but thriving legacy, is that these poets once felt overwhelmed with the burden of stagnant expectations for B2B marketing  in a word “beat”.

Their poems railed against this state of being. And their voices not only captured a spirit, they heralded the changes to come. Thus, a B2B movement was born, with these poems at its rallying cry.

While the poetry itself may not win any literary awards, this little booklet certainly deserves recognition as one of the most creatively inventive (and charming)  pieces on b2b marketing that has yet to cross my desk.

Lots of finger snaps go out to the b2beat poets.

Here is a sampling of some of the poems:

4.

you can run

you can hide

you can sigh

and look away

but the rising state of b2b

is evermore a movement:

by the people

for the people

of the people

where all propositions are created equal…

“all created equal”?

is that really what you want?

be there now,

bring your brand

and make a stand

in this vast and fluid nation.

make it relevant and true

and let the people work for you

enter the buyersphere

7.

you lie,

you know.

you need

(you say)

your space

your way

so you sell –

so you think.

butyou hear,

and you see,

that you never can tell

anyone

anything

anymore

anyhow

everyone has a say

everywhere

anyway

you will fool

not a soul

thrashing loudly

in the shallows.

buyersphere

will call you out

with echo wide and rolling deep,

and when it call you

(and it calls)

resist to answer,

only leap.