ITSMA 2018 Marketing Excellence Awards Honor Top B2B Marketing Programs

LEXINGTON, Mass. - Nov. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- ITSMA, the leading source for B2B marketers in the connected economy, celebrated the 21 winners of its 2018 Marketing Excellence Awards last night during its 25th Annual Conference: Marketing Vision 2018, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"This year's award winners included a dynamic mix of companies and programs, all demonstrating the increasing role and impact that marketers are having in supporting business transformation for their clients and their own firms," said Dave Munn, President and CEO of ITSMA. "From new approaches to Account-Based Marketing and executive engagement to martech optimization, thought leadership, and measuring marketing value, the 2018 winners highlight the true potential of strategic marketing in the connected economy."

Highlights from this year's winners include:
• An Account-Based Marketing program that engaged 77% of previously "cold, dead, and hostile" accounts in multi-touch campaigns, representing over a billion dollars in pipeline of net-new opportunities with 12% converted into won business.
• A new VR-based program to bring new ideas and solutions to customers and prospects during briefing center and site visits improving the overall customer experience, brand positioning, and deal impact.
• A 360° marketing plan to change the narrative around perceived challenges in digital disruption that helped to build $730M of pipeline potential, assisted in securing at least $90M of won revenue, and influenced 50+ new accounts.
• A sales enablement program that helped account teams drive business outcome conversations and increased share of wallet by driving significantly larger deals and a higher win rate of 30 points with assets now widely available to drive digital transformation in all accounts.
• An "ExpertAdvice" program for clients and prospects to participate in free, 30-minute consultations with a company subject matter expert (SME) on the topic of their choice, providing better engagement and leading to a 30+% increase in conversion rates.
• A new marketing organization, post-acquisition and merger of three organizations, that was formed and redefined as a key collaborator and influencer to growth across the entire customer journey process, leading to increased interactions, pipeline, and revenue.

2018 Marketing Excellence Award Winners

The 2018 Marketing Excellence Awards focused on seven critical aspects of marketing for B2B services and solutions. In addition to the seven thematic categories, the program also included a focus on small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), with awards for the top SMB programs.

The jury, an international group of marketing executives and experts, selected the winners based on excellence in innovation, program execution, and business results. The awards honor outstanding marketing performance at two levels: diamond and gold.

Capitalizing on Marketing's New Tools and Technologies
Diamond Award  HCL Technologies
Gold Award  Avanade
Gold Award  Vodafone

Deepening Engagement with Account-Based Marketing
Diamond Award  HP Inc.
Gold Award  Capgemini
Gold Award  HCL Technologies

Driving Business with Thought Leadership
Diamond Award  Cognizant
Gold Award  Vodafone

Enabling Sales to Accelerate Growth
Diamond Award  Microsoft
Gold Award  Cisco Systems
Gold Award  IBM

Measuring and Communicating Marketing Performance
Diamond Award  SPR
Gold Award  Tata Communications

Strengthening Marketing's Role in Customer Experience and Success
Diamond Award  IBM
Gold Award  NTT DATA
Gold Award  SAP

Transforming Marketing: Talent, Organization, and Culture
Diamond Award  Larsen & Toubro Infotech
Gold Award  Hexaware Technologies

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Diamond Award  InfinityQS
Gold Award  Perficient Digital (formerly Stone Temple)
Gold Award  Snowflake

For more information about the award winners, visit itsma.com/2018-mea-winners/.

About ITSMA
For more than 20 years, ITSMA has led the way in defining, building, and inspiring B2B marketing excellence. With a dedicated focus on services and solutions for the connected economy, we provide our member community with insight, advice, and hands-on help to strengthen reputation, increase revenue, and deepen customer relationships. Learn more at www.itsma.com