The Marketing Practice is six years old today. It’s really important to celebrate such milestones, so we had a birthday party. After much cake and champagne, many balloons, cards, party bags and a pick and mix bar featuring flying saucers and flumps we’re all off home with sugar shock.

As well as thinking proudly about what a talented group of people we have here, we’ve been reflecting on the past 6 years’ marketing campaigns today. We’ve run literally thousands of B2B campaigns over the last 624 weeks. Whilst communication channels and industry buzzwords come and go the fundamentals of great campaigning haven’t changed.

One-off, knee-jerk campaigns run in response to an immediate derth of sales leads never prove as successful as a considered, long-term approach. You are building a lifelong relationship with people and companies, it can’t be done in a matter of days or weeks. 

Building a reputation is a bit like making a friend for life – it take time and it can’t be rushed. Relationship programmes like Fujitsu’s Executive Discussion Evenings are a great example of a far-sighted flagship campaign designed to generate sales opportunities today, and create an easier selling environment tomorrow.