Influitive Unveils New Awards Program to Recognize the Best in B2B Advocate Marketing

TORONTO, Oct. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Influitive, the advocate marketing experts, today announced the launch of the first annual Best Advocate Marketing Awards, also known as the BAMMIES. The awards recognize B2B companies and marketers for outstanding campaigns that capture and promote the enthusiasm of their customers, fans and evangelists.

Data from leading research firms shows that 80 percent of all B2C and B2B purchases include some form of word of mouth (WOM) recommendation during the purchase cycle, and up to 70 percent of buyers act based on opinions posted online.  Forward-thinking marketers are turning this trend to their advantage by organizing word of mouth marketing campaigns, referral programs and user-generated product reviews that generate positive buzz and accelerate revenues.

"We have seen innovative B2B companies rethink their marketing strategies and generate better results by tapping into the excitement and passion of their advocates," said Mark Organ, CEO and Co-founder of Influitive. "With some creative thinking and intense focus on what motivates customers and fans to share their positive experiences, these organizations are generating fantastic results. It's time these marketers received some recognition for their success so others can learn from their experience."

Companies will be recognized in award categories that span some of the most powerful applications and use cases for advocate marketing, including customer referrals, product reviews, content marketing, event promotion, and social media engagement. Other categories will celebrate the marketers who design and execute advocate marketing programs and the business impact these programs generate.

The 2013 Best Advocate Marketing Awards categories include:

• Advocate Marketing Program of the Year
• Best Referral Program Award
• Best Product Review Campaign Award
• Best Content and Social Engagement Award
• Best Use of Advocates at an Event
• Above and Beyond Advocacy Award
• Advocates Unite! Award
• Best Advocate Experience Award
• Big BAM Business Impact Award
• Advocate Marketer of the Year

B2B companies with advocate marketing programs or initiatives are invited to submit their applications online until December 3, 2013, via the BAMMIES website: www.influitive.com/bammies

The winner of the most prestigious award category, Advocate Marketing Program of the Year, will be determined by public voting in December. Meanwhile, a panel of advocate marketing experts will evaluate the nominations and select winners in the remaining nine categories. All winners of the first-annual Best Advocate Marketing Awards will be announced and celebrated at an awards ceremony hosted by Influitive in San Francisco in January 2014.

About Influitive
Influitive, based in Toronto and San Francisco, is changing the face of B2B marketing through its innovative AdvocateHub platform and Maven mobile app for advocate marketing. Today's buyers are leveraging knowledgeable peers at roughly twice the rate than they did even four years ago. Influitive helps marketers capture the enthusiasm of their best customers, followers and evangelists, turning that into direct support through all stages of the buying cycle, from social media reviews and customer referrals to case studies and references. Influitive's customers include some of most successful and fastest-growing business-to-business software and technology firms in the world. To learn how to get your advocates working with you, please visit www.influitive.com.

SOURCE Influitive