Trendsetters: Tim Mickelborough, Thomson Reuters' Global Ad Expert, talks about B2B Branding with B2C Engagement

How does an important business-to-business campaign create excitement while delivering a serious message in a social media world? Not an easy question to answer. However, Tim Mickelborough, Global Head of Brand Management & Advertising Services at Thomson Reuters’ Markets Division devotes much of his business life to applying B2C thinking to delivering B2B results.

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. The company combines industry expertise with technology to deliver critical information powered by a well-known news organization. As a result, the company’s communications efforts focus primarily on reaching top business executives, as well as decision-makers in the fields of finance, law, accounting, healthcare and science, among others.

Tim Mickelborough admits the social media revolution has made his b2b brand realize that their customer is also human being. “Today, you can have a conversation with an individual in a way that could never be done before.”

His marketing efforts have indeed included social media, which many consider a consumer tactic, while using other more traditional options. He raises some very smart questions about how to consider our new social world, particularly for business-to-business products and services.

"Today we're seeing a triangulation of three disciplines when considering an effective social media strategy—1. branding and advertising, 2. public relations and 3. product management. The critical question is where should social media sit? The challenge, particularly for b2b, is that it is part of all three arenas, which can create havoc to organizational structure."

He outlines, "Although it may be a PR exercise, the team who knows a product best is generally the product management group. With their product knowledge and understanding, they can be a great interface for social media. However they aren’t usually skilled in PR, nor understand the service perspective of customer relations or immediately recognize the implications for the brand."

It's a shifting balance at best, but worth the risk for any company, in Tim’s opinion, to join in a relevant conversation to encourage customer interaction and ultimately lead to more sales. He anticipates that a Social Media Manager will be a new role in many companies.

Tim is clear that traditional media should not be underestimated, or as he says, "There's no substitute, for example, to good old-fashioned outdoor for its impact and scale. Certainly buying the entire Canary Wharf tube station screams out 'new launch' more than the takeover of a website.

Sure, we are all obsessed with micro-targeting and measuring, but using traditional media in a creative way is part of good planning. And that mix must be defined by a good strategy."

He admits that most brands can benefit from good social media management, such as via a campaign that offers some kind of "give" or content. "The social conversation represents the closest point to the customer. And that conversation will go on with or without your brand's interaction, so why not join in?"