When you think of people who have mastered B2B marketing, a pop-star-turned-actor probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Forbes writer Steve Olenski and Gainsight marketing head Anthony Kennada, however, encourage you to think otherwise.
It turns out that Justin Timberlake, breakout star of boy band N*Sync and star of films like The Social Network, can, in fact, teach you a lot about B2B marketing.
(Source: flickr user Adam Rifkin)
Timberlake, Kennada says, excels at managing the hype machine surrounding his products, as he uses a "mixed bag" of tactics to drive awareness and revenue when it comes to things like album downloads, ticket sales and YouTube views. Included in the Timberlake marketing playbook, a most sacred text that holds the secret for how brands are built and products are launched in the digital age, are the following strategies:
- Progressive leaking of new content
- Leveraging partners for launch programs
- Taking the message on the road early
These strategies are exemplified in the monthly release of new singles leading up to the release of Timberlake's new album and the early announcement of his co-headlining tour with Jay-Z. He utilized his many faces as actor, singer and entrepreneur to promote the album on Jimmy Fallon and leveraging MySpace, which he owns, as a single release platform for the song "Suit & Tie." Finally, he promoted the album prior to its release on the aforementioned Jay-Z tour, which also saw him partner with the top icon in a similar market.
So what can B2B marketers take away from this? According to Kennada, this shows that they need to do the following three things:
- Leak a new feature each month in “micro-launches” prior to a full product announcement
- Make partner marketing the center of each launch
- Consider the world outside Silicon Valley by utilizing road shows, local meet-ups and other events
Simple enough, right?
