BoB Award: what makes the B2B marketing of the gold winners stand out

BoB Award: the best B2B communication moments

The BoB Best of Business-to-Business Communication Award 2022 is highly coveted. A total of 120 campaigns from Germany, Austria and Switzerland were submitted for the award from the Deutscher Marketing Verband e.V. Of these, from the years 2020 and 2021, 28 were shortlisted. In the end, 20 campaigns were able to convince the jury, who awarded six gold, eight silver and six bronze awards in nine categories:

Print Series

• Silver: "We pioneer motion"- Schaeffler AG/ RTS Rieger Team Werbeagentur GmbH
• Silver: "LEXROCKET – Die Gründer-Initiative" (The start-up initiative)-Lexware GmbH & Co. KG/ REINSCLASSEN GMBH & Co. KG

Corporate Publishing

• Gold:  "Pulverzauber und Metallurgenkunst – 100 Jahre Plansee" (Powder magic and the art of metallurgy – 100 years of Plansee)- Plansee Group/ kest werbeagentur & kopfarbeit – Agentur für Geschichte
• Bronze:  "trigger – Das Unternehmer-Magazin für gezielte Inspiration" (The entrepreneur magazine for targeted inspiration)-Lexware GmbH & Co. KG/ REINSCLASSEN GMBH & Co. KG

Credentials

• Gold: "Corporate Language – das Praxisbuch" (The handbook)- REINSCLASSEN GmbH & Co. KG
• Silver: "JOMA: re:thinking Service mit DiME" (re:thinking service with DiME)- JOMA Kunststofftechnik GmbH/ Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann (DMB)

Dialogue Marketing and Sales

• Silver:"pinyourinterest.com – Die grösste, digitale Embroidery-Plattform der Welt" (The largest digital embroidery platform in the world)-Inter-Spitzen AG/ Agentur am Flughafen AG

Cross-media/Integrated Communications Campaign

• Gold: "Güter gehören auf die Schiene" (Goods belong on tracks)- Deutsche Bahn AG & DB Cargo/ Ogilvy Germany
• Silver: "Ruhrgebiet: Das erste Standortmarketing mit eingebautem FOMO-Effekt" (Ruhr region: the first city marketing with integrated FOMO effect)- Regionalverband Ruhr/ Scholz & Friends
• Silver:  "#ZEISS175 - ZEISS Beyond Talks"- ZEISS Group/ Wildstyle Network GmbH
• Bronze: "Goldesel Kampagne" (Golden donkey campaign)- MRM Distribution GmbH & Co. KG/ REINSCLASSEN GMBH & Co. KG

Events and Trade Shows

• Bronze: "DIGITAL X 2021"- Telekom Deutschland GmbH/ DO IT! GmbH
• Bronze:  "IBM Think Pop-up. Be One Innovation Ahead"- IBM Deutschland GmbH/ George P. Johnson GmbH

Video Formats

• Gold: "Da neie Gruaba" (The new Gruber)- Martin Gruber GmbH und Co. KG/ PATRICK HÜBNER Video Content
• Silver: "Feels Giant" (series of 3 commercials)- Mercedes-Benz AG/ PREUSS UND PREUSS GmbH
• Bronze: "GIVE YOUR KITCHEN A BREAK"- METRO AG/ SERVICEPLAN
• Bronze: "lexoffice – Mach, was Du gern machst"(Do what you like to do)- Lexware GmbH & Co. KG/ REINSCLASSEN GMBH & Co. KG

Public Relations and Social Media

• Gold: "Güter gehören auf die Schiene" (Goods belong on tracks)- Deutsche Bahn AG & DB Cargo/ Ogilvy Germany
• Gold: "Dein dritter Ort (Your third location)"- Metro Deutschland GmbH & Leaders Club Deutschland/ AGKaune, Posnik, Spohr GmbH

Employer Branding

• Silver: "Gute Frage. Gute Anwort! "(Good question. Good answer!)- DATEV eG/ SERVICEPLAN
   

The BoB awards took place on 14 July 2022, following a two-year break due to Covid mandates – with Claus Fesel (DATEV) and Tim Bögelein (RTS Rieger Team) as jury members for the last time. Upon leaving, they both emphasised that creativity has not suffered as a result of the pandemic. Tim Bögelien said that “despite Covid, supply chain problems and other challenges due to the crises in Europe, the quality of communication in the B2B field has continued to grow.”

And Claus Fesel summed it up with: “It was a great round to say good-byes. You can see that despite, or exactly because of, all the crises, more precision and more quality in advertising and communication have taken priority, helping to ensure return on invest can be boosted even more.”

Taking over for the jury for the next three years are Christian Daul from REINSCLASSEN and Geraldine Tenten from IBM.
 

This is what makes the communication from the 2022 BoB award winners stand out

• „Güter gehören auf die Schiene!“ (Goods belong on tracks): The client, DB Cargo, received two gold BoB awards – in the categories Cross-media and Integrated Communication as well as Public Relations and Social Media. In both cases, the subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn railway profited from the creative power of the agency Ogilvy Germany. The campaign’s slogan was plastered on a container which was then positioned in highly visible spots in major German cities. As a supporting measure, a gameshow, which is broadcasted right before the popular evening news, advertised the communications measure.
• „Da neie Gruaba“ (The new Gruber): The specialist business for modern agricultural technology, Martin Gruber GmbH engaged the agency Patrick Hübner Video Content for their gold-winning image film. Here is where the Bavaria-based company is presented in a self-ironic way, with their own Southern Germany accent, emphasising their connection to the region and their down-to-earth manner. At the same time, top priority is given to their high-quality offers. The new company leader, Martin Gruber, is the director himself.
• „Pulverzauber und Metallurgenkunst - 100 Jahre Plansee“ (Powder magic and the art of metallurgy – 100 years of Plansee): In this case, an elaborately designed anniversary book took the gold BoB award in the category Corporate Publishing. From rough ore to high-tech products, it showcases the multifaceted characteristics of powder metallurgy. The focus is on the refractory metals molybdenum and wolfram, sheets of which were integrated in the book’s cover. The Austria-based Plansee Group handed over this “heavyweight” project to kest werbeagentur & kopfarbeit. The mainly black-and-white and grey book was printed by Eberl & Koesel Studio.
• „Corporate Language – das Praxisbuch“ (Corporate language – the handbook): In the category Credentials, another book took gold. REINSCLASSEN GmbH & Co. KG was responsible – as both the client and the agency. The result is a 220-page, compact corporate language knowledge book focusing on the acquisition of new clients and enriched with real cases of success.
• ·„Dein dritter Ort“ (Your third location): Metro Deutschland GmbH / Leaders Club Deutschland AG want to show the significance of restaurants for our society with their gold-winning campaign. In the centre of their highly emotional film is a poem. The video is brand-neutral and avoids the use of advertising messages or logos. It was provided to all restaurants for spreading the word.

You can find more information about the winning entries from the Deutscher Marketing Verband (German).