|
| 1975 |
As president of a business-to-business
catalog company, Vic Hunter pioneers a number of industry
practices including: electronic customer databases, measurement
and tracking systems, information architecture, and continuous
improvement learning. |
|
| 1982 |
High tech companies, faced with sales
and marketing structures that cannot effectively respond
to the rapidly expanding customer bases and rapidly falling
prices look to catalogs as a solution. In response to
this demand, Vic Hunter establishes a consultancy, Hunter
Business Direct, to help these companies establish catalog
divisions and works with the Direct Marketing Association,
to define B-2-B as a specialized form of marketing, and
support B-2-B conferences and courses. |
|
| 1985 |
The migration of computers and supplies
from the “glass house” to the desktop combined
with field sales forces, catalog divisions and multiple
channel partners created channel chaos and conflict. In
response, Hunter pioneers integrated sales and marketing
solutions driven out of customer defined preferences.
These approaches substantially increased customer value
and satisfaction while simultaneously lowering sales and
marketing expense. Many of the tools, models, principles
and approaches developed at this time continue to be industry
accepted practices. |
|
| 1990 |
Leading schools and researchers begin
to quantify the correlation between customer loyalty and
business results. Hunter Business Direct, in conjunction
with Harvard Business School, pioneers the application
of customer loyalty processes to the business-to-business
segment and builds it into its capabilities. |
|
| 1995 |
The internet begins to emerge as a significant
force. Hunter recognizes that the internet, by its nature,
is direct marketing and as such requires adherence to
measurement and continuous improvement in order to succeed.
They begin to weave the capabilities of the internet into
loyalty principles and integrated marketing solutions.
|
|
| 1997 |
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
gets co-opted by software manufacturers who underestimate
the behavioral and specific context requirements. Customer
management directed at earning customer loyalty is interpreted
as a technology solution and the sustainable benefits
of managing in ways that earn loyalty fail to take root
and fail to produce the anticipated business results. |
|
| 1999 |
Hunter Business Direct acknowledges
the industry shift from direct mail marketing and in response
changes its name to Hunter Business Group. |
|
| 2000 |
Quality improvements on the
production side of business begin to reach their limits
in terms of driving growth and profitability. Companies
increasingly recognize the need to grow the customer sides
of their businesses with the same levels of professionalism.
Hunter helps clients bring measurement, process discipline,
and professional management to the customer side of clients’
businesses. |
|
| 2006 |
Hunter Business Group celebrates
25 years of excellence in the B2B industry. |
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