As Ireland’s top B2B digital marketing agency, one of our core objectives is to continue to develop and attract the best people in industry.
Our team are ambitious, driven and above all else dedicated to delivering results both for IMS and our clients. We thought you’d like the scoop on what makes our people stand out in the B2B marketing crowd.
We touched base with Ryan Glynn, who has recently been promoted to our Head of New Business here at IMS. Ryan joined back in 2019 as a Client Marketing Manager. Coming from a B2C background, we were really interested in Ryan’s perspective on the shift to B2B.
Here’s what Ryan had to say……
So Ryan, when did you join IMS?
Early 2020, just before the pandemic. I think I had just 3 weeks in the office and then we were all sent home to work, and I’ve been here in my home office ever since. Happy to report though we are back on the road again, meeting with clients, attending events and so on.
What was your previous experience or role?
I was in account management or client services in a B2C creative agency, based in Dublin. I had worked primarily on FMCG, Alcohol, Motor and lots of other bits and pieces. All of my experience was B2C before I joined IMS. I had worked on a lot of experiential and events, outdoor, TV, radio, social and digital campaigns… it was a full-service agency so there was great variation in the work.
And why did you decide to move?
I was living in Dublin at the time with my wife. We had two young kids and we wanted to relocate back to the West. This was pre-COVID don’t forget, so remote working wasn’t so much “a thing” as it is now. I spoke to IMS but to be honest was a little apprehensive about moving from B2C into B2B as I feared my experience wasn’t relevant enough for the B2B industry.
What were you expecting to be different in B2B?
I did my research and found all the usual stuff about longer sales cycles in B2B, fewer prospective buyers to sell to, a more targeted approach to marketing and that kind of thing. I was also aware of the much more strategic nature of B2B marketing versus B2C. And the fact that I wasn’t really coming in with a “strategy” background – in B2C you have planners for that, so I figured there would be a learning curve there.
And what did you find was the reality?
Well, there was certainly a learning curve, but it wasn’t a steep as I had feared! There’s a great support structure in IMS with people working in teams and pulling in other disciplines when they’re needed, so that helps to close the gaps and speed up how quickly you can get comfortable with the job.
The work is different – I don’t get free tickets to Electric Picnic every year for one. But I do get to work on a much broader set of industries than before – I have clients now who are involved in incredibly niche industries, and even in niche sections of those niche industries. Like the client who designs catheters. Or the one who manufactures liquid processing equipment. Or the internet connectivity device, the business consultants, the English language college, or the craft jewellery maker. The breadth of industries is huge.
That’s one of the most enjoyable parts of the job actually – finding out about a company you never knew existed, then finding out that they’re in a multi-million-euro industry and they sell parts to NASA that go into space. They’re now your client and you need to learn all about them and what they do, who their customers are, evaluate their competitors and their industry, and then use your own expertise and data to develop a strategic marketing plan to help them to reposition their company so they can put more cool things into space!
Is there anything else you really enjoy about B2B?
The clients. That might sound glib but it’s true. The clients are so passionate about what they do – they’re not just doing the rounds from one brand to the next and trying to hit targets or get a promotion. They are usually the owner, founder or have been involved with the company long-term and the company is their baby. That passion can’t help but rub off on you, and there is a genuine appreciation of the work that you do for them and the results you get for them.
And any final tips for anyone considering a move into B2B?
Think about what skills and experiences you can bring. The great thing about marketing is that whether you are in B2B or B2C, it is still people you are selling to. And so long as you understand people, and have the ability to relate to people and to empathise with them, then you can do B2B marketing. Other skills can be learned and nurtured along the way.
Check out our insights page for more interviews with other IMS folk. And if you’re thinking you might like to work here, drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you.