dummies b2b for dummies

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Dummies B2B

Making business easier!

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Dummies B2BFOR

DUMmIES‰

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Dummies B2B For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.

111 River StreetHoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other coun-tries, and may not be used without written permission. Dummies.biz and Dummies.com/biz are owned and operated by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

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NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETE-

NESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES,

INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.

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ATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT

ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF

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PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE

FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS

REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER

INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE

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MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN

THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRIT-

TEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For details on how to create a custom For Dummies product for your business or organization, contact [email protected].

Part No. 978-KPART-19516

Manufactured in the United States of America

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www.wiley.com

http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions

http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

Editorial Manager: Rev Mengle

Custom Publishing Project Specialist: Michael Sullivan

Dummies B2B: Shauna Yule Brasseur, Diana Bernardo

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Sean Decker, Shawn Frazier

Proofreader: Dwight Ramsey

Special Help: Barb Moore

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Contents at a Glance

Introduction .................................................................. 1

About This Book ............................................................1How to Use This Book ...................................................1

Part I: Understanding How Dummies B2B

Makes Business Easier ................................................... 3

Custom Publishing .........................................................4Brand and Content Licensing .......................................5

Merchandise licensing .............................................6Print licensing ...........................................................7Digital licensing ........................................................7Multimedia licensing ................................................8

Advertising and Sponsorship .......................................9

Part II: Case Studies: Real-Life B2B Solutions

That Work! ............................................................................11

Avaya .............................................................................11Avery/Footprint Communications .............................14Google U.K. ...................................................................17M&M Merchandisers/Kona Guitars ...........................18Simplicity Pattern Company .......................................19

Part III: Ten (Or So) Benefits of Partnering

with Dummies B2B ......................................................... 23

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Introduction

Welcome to the world of B2B solutions, Dummies style! Here you’ll find out about the global suc-

cess of the For Dummies phenomenon, and how part-nering with us can help promote your company, service, or product.

About This BookPerhaps you’ve picked up this book because you’re:

✓ Interested in new ways to get your company’s message out there.

✓ Unsure what benefits you’ll get above and beyond your traditional marketing methods.

✓ Hoping to partner your company with a premium brand but don’t want to break the bank.

✓ Looking for key information in an easy-to-under-stand format because you’ve got other things to do — like marketing and running a company!

Deciding how to spend your marketing budget is a big responsibility — and this book can help you determine whether working with the For Dummies brand is the right choice for you. Sound good? Read on!

How to Use This BookB2B Solutions For Dummies has three concise but infor-mation-packed parts:

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✓ Part I: Understanding How Dummies B2B Makes Business Easier: Explores your options when part-nering with the For Dummies brand.

✓ Part II: Case Studies: Real-Life B2B Solutions That Work!: Actual examples of how partnerships with Dummies B2B have helped other companies.

✓ Part III: Ten (or So) Benefits of Partnering with Dummies B2B: Just like our retail books close with a Part of Tens, this part gives a few quick rea-sons why you’ll benefit from a partnership with the For Dummies brand.

Dip in and out of this book at will. Go directly to any section that interests you or read the whole book from start to finish. Go on, it’s not War and Peace!

To make it even easier for you to find the info you need, handy icons are a staple of the For Dummies experience:

This icon targets hints and shortcuts to making the most of a B2B relationship with For Dummies.

Take into account these important points when considering your own For Dummies B2B projects.

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Part I

Understanding How Dummies B2B Makes Business Easier

In This Part▶ Understanding the solutions that we offer▶ Giving clients a custom book to remember you by▶ Partnering products with the Dummies brand▶ Reaching out with advertising and sponsorship

With more than 250 million books in print cover-ing 1,800+ topics, For Dummies is the most

widely recognized and highly regarded reference series in the world. Since 1991, For Dummies has helped mil-lions make everything easier.

But the For Dummies brand also makes business easier. For Dummies is the global leader in the reference category and one of the most trusted and highly regarded brands in the world. Dummies B2B enables businesses to reach customers, employees, and partners by leveraging the strength of our brand to communicate your message.

Products and services provided by Dummies B2B include: custom publishing; brand and content licensing; advertis-ing and sponsorship; and multimedia services.

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This part gives you a quick overview of the different ways we can help you craft a solution that will fit your brand and help you connect with your customers.

Custom PublishingFor Dummies books and mini books, like the ones in Figure 1-1, make valued giveaways, gift-with-purchase, and customer loyalty gifts. Whether in print or as an e-book, our global team of editorial and marketing experts can help you develop the right promotion from conception and design to timely delivery.

Figure 1-1: Just a few examples of For Dummies custom books.

We’re flexible and we’re experts at putting complex topics into plain English. Want your customers to quickly “get” your product or service, or give your employees a quick refresher on best practices for your business? Your customized publication can draw from our existing content or be developed independently for your needs. Our Custom Publishing Program has the flexibility to create any size (trim and page count) to meet specific pricing and packaging requirements.

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You can include company logos, your own content, company-specific information, a Web site URL, contact information and phone numbers, your company mis-sion statement . . . in short, pretty much anything and everything you want.

Because For Dummies is a global brand, we can help you take your message to different markets by translating your custom pub. Ask us how!

Brand and Content LicensingWhy not leverage the strength of the world’s most pop-ular reference brand to reach new audiences and chan-nels of distribution? The For Dummies brand and all of our content is available for licensing, and our current active licensing program includes not only a wide range of products but partnerships with publishers around the world; Web sites featuring our branded content within their sites; content aggregators; mobile applica-tion developers; and much, much more.

Do we do digital? Absolutely!Increasingly, companies and consumers are moving to the Web for sales and promotions. Can custom For Dummies e-books be created that speak to this trend? Absolutely! We’ve developed dozens of projects where our clients offered their customers print and digital copies of their For Dummies custom book. Whether it’s a custom e-book or dig-ital content for your Web site, Dummies B2B can develop a solution for you.


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Whether leveraging our brand or our print or digital content, or working with us in multimedia, the licensing options are highly adaptable, depending on your requirements. Our goal is the same as yours: to deliver the best experience to your customers. Let our team of brand experts help you develop the right product for the right market right now!

Although each For Dummies branded product or service is unique, all are designed with the For Dummies promise in mind: making every-thing easier!

Merchandise licensingFor Dummies branded products, such as those in Figure 1-2, span a range as broad and diverse as our bestsell-ing books, including: accessories, apparel, crafts/hob-bies, culinary electronics, food/beverage, gardening, health/beauty, housewares/home furnishings, music/instruments, online services, software/applications for all desktop and mobile platforms, sporting goods, sta-tionery, toys/games, videos/videogames, and more.

Figure 1-2: For Dummies branded products make everything easier!


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Print licensingFor Dummies books tackle any topic that’s complex, confusing, or intimidating, or conjures up any feelings of anxiety. (And yes, we have Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies as well.) As our loyal readers testify, the For Dummies experience results in increased confidence, relief, and real satisfaction.

So what does that mean for you and your business? Simple: We have a wealth of content ready to be put to use for your customers. We cover virtually all topics, including Flipping Houses For Dummies, iPhone For Dummies, eBay For Dummies, Blogging For Dummies, and even Food Allergies For Dummies. Whatever the challenges in your customers’ lives, we have content that speaks to their needs.

Digital licensingIn addition to our book content, For Dummies now has a broad and deep library of digital content created especially for the Web — including more than 8,000 Web-ready articles; 1,000 step-by-step photo articles; and nearly 300 digital videos. Figure 1-3 just scratches the surface of what we offer on Dummies.com. This extensive collection of For Dummies content can be used to make your Web site more compelling, sticky, and SEO friendly.


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Figure 1-3: The For Dummies library includes all of the Web content from Dummies.com.

Multimedia licensingThe brand experts at For Dummies can create multi-media content that will provide your customers with a robust how-to experience on multiple platforms. We can develop mobile applications, video products, or audio products that deliver your message or show how to use your product in the For Dummies style.


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Video content is highly ranked by search engines and more accessible than ever, thanks to the recent massive expansion of broad-band. Video is also an exciting way to bring your product to life and improve your custom-ers’ experience, as shown in Figure 1-4.

Figure 1-4: Multimedia messages and apps in the For Dummies style get your message across.

Advertising and SponsorshipOur experts present even complex subjects in plain English. Whether that means direction on how to hook up a modem or carve a turkey, people trust the For Dummies books and Dummies.com to tell it like it is, without all the technical jargon.

Positioning your brand alongside our expert how-to content gives you an ideal place to deliver contextually targeted messages via:


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✓ Online advertising. Dummies.com is the first place to turn to for people who are new to a topic or looking to learn more about a familiar one. We will work with you to develop the placement that will help you to best reach your customers and communicate your message.

✓ Book advertising. Deliver your message to read-ers who are attached and engaged by advertising in the For Dummies reference guide most closely aligned with your product. With books on more than 1,500 topics, including everything from com-puters to careers to health and fitness to business to green living, we have something in your area.

Regardless of which approach you take (or both!), our marketing and editorial team will work with you to develop placements that make your message stand out from the crowd.


Part II

Case Studies: Real-Life B2B Solutions That Work!

In This Part▶ Communicating with Avaya▶ Going green with Avery▶ Getting the word out with Google▶ Strumming to success with M&M/Kona▶ Sewing things up with Simplicity

Dummies B2B has helped some of the world’s most prestigious companies connect with their custom-

ers and make business easier.

This part shows you how many top companies have worked with For Dummies to attract new customers, grow their businesses, and connect with their employees.

Avaya ✓ Solution: VoIP For Dummies. (See Figure 2-1.)

✓ Type of project: Custom publishing (print and digital) with global translation.


✓ Objective: To educate customers, partners, and employees on emerging communication topics and establish Avaya as the global industry leader in VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, contact centers, mobile workforce, and other business communications topics.

✓ Strategy: The Avaya marketing team and the For Dummies custom publishing team created a small-trim book, VoIP For Dummies, to be used as a training piece for Avaya sales personnel, part-ners, and customers. Avaya used the books as handouts at conferences, trade shows, sales meet-ings, and sales calls. Books were available in both print and digital PDF download files. In order to effectively reach Avaya’s global community, Avaya and the For Dummies team translated this title into five languages.

✓ Results: This promotion was so successful that Avaya created a For Dummies marketing campaign that has included — so far — 12 English-language titles. Many of these have been translated to accommodate Avaya’s global reach. The use of the For Dummies brand externally was so success-ful that Avaya’s HR Department worked with the For Dummies team to create an internal publica-tion on its newly implemented 401(k) programs, programs that not only saw a 53% increase in par-ticipation but also won five industry recognition awards. Avaya continues to work with the For Dummies custom sales team on new initiatives needed for their education objectives.

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Figure 2-1: A custom For Dummies book helped Avaya spread its VoIP message.


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✓ Perspective: “Avaya has always been pleased with the response that resulted from using the For Dummies brand in our marketing campaigns for our employees as well as customers. The Avaya For Dummies series of print and digital books not only helped us to reach our customers in the U.S., but worldwide in a variety of transla-tions.” — Sue Salek, Senior Marketing Manager, Avaya

Avery/Footprint Communications ✓ Solution: Green Offices For Dummies.

✓ Type of project: Custom publishing (print and digital).

✓ Objective: To raise awareness of the Avery brand outside of its traditional administrative audience without alienating Avery loyalists; to position Avery as a leader when it comes to environmentally-responsible products; to create opportunities for product trial among end consumers; to create excitement and profit-building opportunities amongst Avery trade customers; and to engage Avery staff, encouraging them to act and think green and improving teamwork.

✓ Strategy: Avery’s marketing agency, Footprint Communications, devised a campaign that culmi-nated in the U.K.’s first-ever Green Office Week (2–6 March 2009). The campaign aimed to speak to office workers in all walks of life and at all levels, from office juniors to senior management, and seed environmental change in the office envi-ronment. The For Dummies brand, the most


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popular and most recognized reference brand in the world, universally known for providing an easy access point to any subject, was the perfect third-party association.

A limited edition Avery branded Green Offices For Dummies guide, shown in Figure 2-2, was produced to educate and facilitate office worker empower-ment. FSC-approved paper sources and vegetable ink were used to produce the guide, which effec-tively formed the “call to action” for the campaign. A further five dual-branded versions were pro-duced featuring Avery trade partners who wished to use the guide as a gift with purchase to drive environmentally responsible purchases during Green Office Week. In addition, an electronic ver-sion of the guide was made available for people to download from the official campaign Web site.

The Dummies B2B team further supported the campaign with POS material and the provision of the famous Dummies Man, who created a sense of excitement for Avery head office staff at the cam-paign’s internal launch.

✓ Results: 82,000 Avery-branded For Dummies guides were distributed via the London newspaper Metro and through trade partners. The Green Offices For Dummies guide was so well received by the Metro editorial team that it was given a front page splash on the first day of Green Office Week. The cam-paign garnered 130 million impressions and is a regular event in the office workers’ calendar.

✓ Perspective: “We were aware of other large corpo-rates targeting the office environment with ‘green’ messages and we needed an angle that would set


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Figure 2-2: The green content and green materials in this For Dummies book were a focal point of a very green campaign.


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our campaign apart. Other companies had taken the approach of chastizing office workers for not doing enough. Our approach was more empa-thetic, realizing that efforts to green offices were often hindered by a lack of empowerment or facili-ties. Green Office Week needed to support and educate office workers to help create a climate for change. A tie-up with the For Dummies brand was the obvious choice to deliver this.” — Vanessa Gardner, Managing Director, Footprint Communications

Google U.K. ✓ Solution: Connecting People Using Google For

Dummies.

✓ Type of project: Custom publishing (print and digital).

✓ Objective: To promote the effectiveness of Google AdWords to the small and medium enterprise (SME) community, with an educational marketing tool that created a full understanding of the product.

✓ Strategy: The U.K. For Dummies team worked closely with Google to create a clear and concise guide that included a “money off” promotion to drive traffic to Google AdWords. A “free for every reader” promotion was implemented with The Mail on Saturday and Growing Business magazine. In addition, a micro-site was created for a digital download of Connecting People Using Google For Dummies. Traffic was driven by working closely with Google, and a mobile text company supplied codes for access to the e-book.


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✓ Perspective: “The For Dummies guide allowed Google to tap an audience and educate them in an exciting new way. The respect that our target audience has for the Dummies brand helped to ensure a successful campaign.” — Lee Hunter, Head of Advertiser Acquisition Marketing for Google U.K. and Ireland.

M&M Merchandisers/Kona Guitars ✓ Solution: Acoustic Guitar Starter Pack For

Dummies.

✓ Type of project: Merchandise license combined with custom publication.

✓ Objective: M&M’s goal was to gain entry into addi-tional retail channels and grow market share in the introductory guitarist “starter pack” market. At the end-consumer level they sought to reach new audiences by leveraging the recognition of the For Dummies brand.

✓ Strategy: M&M worked with the For Dummies licensing team to develop a new Dummies-branded acoustic guitar starter pack. The features chosen for the pack included a custom book with CD, Guitar Basics For Dummies, derived from the Wiley bestseller Guitar For Dummies. Wiley’s Brand Management Editorial Team provided the editorial and composition services needed to deliver files to a printer in China for bundling within the locally-assembled pack. M&M launched the new pack at the North American Music


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Merchandisers (NAMM) show and rolled it out through online retail channels before hitting brick and mortars.

✓ Results: The pack’s first full holiday season was in 2007, when the Electric Guitar Starter Pack For Dummies was added. In 2008, M&M secured broader distribution, sales were trebled, and the entire inventory sold out. The acoustic pack was the #1 selling guitar on Target.com and #3 on Amazon.com during the 2008 holiday season and continues to sell very strongly, even overseas (see Figure 2-3). The range was expanded in 2009 to include Electric Bass Starter Pack For Dummies, with ukulele, harmonica, and violin kits added in 2010.

✓ Comment: “M&M’s Kona guitars are in the hands of more consumers than ever before thanks to the effectiveness of the For Dummies brand license program. We are opening new accounts as well as new markets outside the U.S. thanks to the For Dummies global reach.” — Marty Stenzler, CEO, Chuck Franklin, COO M&M.

Simplicity Pattern Company ✓ Solution: Sewing Patterns For Dummies. (See

Figure 2-4.)

✓ Type of project: Merchandise license.

✓ Objective: To grow market share in the sewing pattern category, targeting novice consumers, and building on their mission of “Creativity made simple.” At the end-consumer level, they sought to reach new audiences by leveraging the recogni-tion of the For Dummies brand.


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Figure 2-3: This For Dummies licensed guitar kit has rocked the sales charts in many countries.


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✓ Strategy: Simplicity worked with the For Dummies licensing team to develop a new line of Dummies-branded sewing patterns, including designs for apparel, home decorating, window treatments, crafts, and costumes. The patterns featured pat-tern, fabric, cutting, and sewing instructions writ-ten in the familiar, easy-to-access Dummies style. Wiley’s Creative Services and Brand Management Editorial Teams provided the expertise to inte-grate Dummies instructions and brand “look and feel” into the products. Simplicity launched the new line with national retailers and in their catalogs.

✓ Results: The first dozen patterns initially shipped in April 2001 with distribution at one national chain and two regional craft chains. More patterns were added each quarter, and broad distribution was secured in 2002 at Walmart, JoAnn’s, and other accounts. Simplicity gained market share on the category market leader, secured incremental placement in 400+ Walmart stores with spinner racks dedicated to the For Dummies patterns, and increased business at JoAnn’s Fabrics when that account chose the For Dummies patterns for use in their “Sewing 101” classes.

✓ Perspective: “Working with the For Dummies brand licensing program has helped us reach new customers, increase our market share, and has grown our business in the U.S. and a half dozen markets outside the U.S. We developed a new product line that has delivered fantastic results for over eight years.” — Judy Raymond, Simplicity.


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Figure 2-4: Simplicity’s partnership with the For Dummies brand has been a hit with consumers and retailers.


Part III

Ten (Or So) Benefits of Partnering with Dummies B2B

In This Part▶ Benefitting from a partnership with Dummies B2B

So what can you get from working with Dummies B2B? Here’s a quick list:

✓ Acquire and retain customers.

✓ Take customer and client communications to a higher level.

✓ Reach your global audience in any language.

✓ Reward your employees and increase their productivity.

✓ Train and motivate your organization.

✓ Enhance your customers’ experience with or their perception of your product or service.

✓ Differentiate your products and services by adding value.

✓ Connect with your customers digitally, whether through mobile, video, online, or through e-books.


✓ Increase retail shelf presence, page views, and/or search engine visibility.

✓ Kick-start a product launch.

✓ Arm your sales force with a truly memorable leave-behind or a truly unique online experience to which they can guide their customers.

✓ Boost your brand awareness or online mindshare.

✓ Cross-promote other products and services.

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Contact UsNo matter what your product, no matter what your market, Dummies B2B has global representatives that can help you find the right solution for your company. For more informa-tion, e-mail us at [email protected], or call (U.S.) 317-572-3205. We look forward to working with you!


dummies b2b for dummies

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