Another crucial element in the article was a discussion with Ruth Stevens, B-To-B Consultant and Author. The biggest trend that Stevens sees in 2008 for B-to-B is integration across the customer buying cycle. Stevens stated, "Due to more powerful and accurate databases and lead management software and even more heightened awareness of the importance of seamless customer engagement, business marketers are moving toward more effective campaign management of the customer relationship. The new Holy Grail is multi-touch campaigns, where each communication medium is put to its best use, using the optimal number of touches and the most compelling offers at each stage, and where a consistent brand image is sustained throughout. Business marketers are moving away form undifferentiated campaign blasts to a more carefully tuned series of communications targeted toward suspects, prospects, and current customers. They are even figuring out how to measure multi-touch campaigns by isolating specific touches in test and control experiments, then connecting the final revenue outcome to the campaign series to calculate campaign ROI. It's not perfect, but it's getting there."

Software Providers Leverage the Power of a Multi-Touch Campaign

These are the same concepts that firms like InterlinkONE, Mindfire, Pageflex, Responsive Solutions, and XMPie have been touting for the past few years as they deliver solutions that enable graphic communications companies to participate in the more lucrative marketing value chain. Software providers are developing and delivering B2B campaign management solutions that illustrate the power of a multi-touch campaign.