IPA and LinkedIn's B2B Institute publish guide to writing a B2B Effectiveness Award Paper

The guide, published today (10 March 2022), signposts best practice for case-study development, tips from previous winners, guidance for building a team, selecting evidence and framing the story. 

It has been published to coincide with the launch of the Special Prize for Best B2B paper in the IPA Effectiveness Awards for which entrants can now submit and be rewarded for case studies that prove marketing effectiveness in a business-to-business context specifically.

Since 1980, the coveted biennial awards have celebrated marketers who submit case studies that rigorously document how their marketing activities deliver against a set of predefined business objectives; produce effects that are measured robustly; and create outsized commercial value. By writing a paper, whether for B2B or otherwise, the guide highlights the benefits of the process, including:

• showcasing team achievements, which have great value internally, externally and for the careers of both marketers and agency strategists.
• building the confidence of the teams involved.
• strengthening relationships between clients and agencies.
• supporting teams in being results-oriented, bolstering measurement and effectiveness skills generally.
• developing a culture of disciplined marketing analysis in the team.

Launching the guide Jann Martin Schwarz, Global Senior Director, The B2B Institute at LinkedIn said :

“Being a B2B marketer often feels like being a left-handed person living in a right-handed world. Everything you touch is hard to use because it has not been designed with you in mind. And what’s worse, people tell you not to make such a fuss because it’s practically the same anyway! But B2B marketing is very different from B2C, and B2B businesses represent around half the businesses in the global economy. It's time to recognise that reality. At the B2B Institute at LinkedIn, we believe long-term brand building is the single greatest opportunity forB2B businesses to secure sustainable growth and create future demand. We're thrilled to work with the IPA on this award."

The guide was authored by Fran Cassidy, Marketing Consultant and Founder, Cassidy Media Partnership.