BMA-Minnesota Event Explores Building a Better Business Case for Marketing

Having great ideas for how to help your business is one thing, but without being able to demonstrate certain success, it’s difficult to convince others that your marketing strategy is worth implementing. To address this key issue, the Minnesota chapter of the Business Marketing Association (BMA-Minnesota) will host “Building a Better Business Case for Marketing” on November 17, 2009.

Sponsored by Online Marketing Connect and led by Pat LaPointe, managing partner at MarketingNPV, the session will explore how to build a solid business case for marketing programs and enhance the credibility of your recommendations.

“As marketers, it is easy for us to understand the inherent value of our efforts, but expressing that value to decision-makers can be a challenge when dollars and cents are the primary measurement,” said Heidi Wight, vice president of programming for BMA-Minnesota. “Translating the benefits of a marketing communications strategy so that all stakeholders understand is crucial for credibility.”

Also presenting is Aaron Kahlow, chairman and founder of the Online Marketing Summit and its related educational arm, the Online Marketing Institute. Considered one of the leading educators in online marketing, Kahlow has a unique ability to translate online marketing technology jargon into simple and easy to understand marketing and business terms.

Together LaPointe and Kahlow will address the universal questions:

• How can I define the benefits of proposed actions in a more financially astute manner?
• How can I credibly assess risks and uncertain paybacks when I have so little data or history to work with?
• How do I build a business case that gets respect for its thoughtfulness and discipline, even if it doesn't get funded?
• Where does online marketing like search, email, social and website fit into the mix?
• How are world-class brands taking an integrated planning approach in order to obtain budget?
• Why must business-to-business companies consider social media components for 2010?

The event will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Wayzata , Minn. and will run from 8:00 to 10:15 a.m. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. The cost of the event is $30 for BMA members and $45 for non-members. Attendees can register online at www.bmaminnesota.org through November 12, 2009. There will be a limited number of walk-up registrations also are available.