The M&M's Valentine's Day case study shows how a common consumer good (candy) can be turned into a high-value product using multichannel direct marketing communications and selling only through e-commerce on the Web. The entire direct marketing elements of promotion were called into play: media/lists, creative (copy and layout), offer, and timing.

Using these same elements, describe how this product could be offered as a product in the business-to-business marketplace (see questions A-E). You will need to make some assumptions about how businesses would use personalized M&M's.

A. What kinds of businesses might you target for personalized M&M's?

B. What media/lists might you use to reach these business prospects?

C. Describe what your copy and layout emphasize differently to business prospects than to consumers.

D. Develop an offer that would include an incentive for business buyers to purchase.

E. Develop some alternative timings (other than Valentine's Day) for this promotion appropriate for the business market.