Boeing's long-awaited launch of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft earlier this month was more like a Hollywood premiere than a typical B2B product launch, with Tom Brokaw hosting the main event for 15,000 people at the final assembly factory, global broadcasts, viewing parties in almost 100 locations worldwide, exclusive online events with AOL, kids activities, prizes, and more. As noted today in MediaPost, the launch was another example "the growing trend of B2B2C marketing, wherein companies seek to help influence their customers' customers."

The basic idea is that product ingredients, in this case an airplane, can become a major source of value for the end consumer. It's certainly not a new idea; "Intel Inside" used this with great success for years. What is a bit newer is the collaborative approach, not simply advertising the ingredients but actually working with the end customers along the way to create a better mousetrap.

In Boeing's case, this meant not just reaching out to air travelers to hype the forthcoming plane, and thereby build buzz that helps convince airlines to invest in the Dreamliner, but working hard to gain input and ideas from flyers about designing a better flying experience in the first place (e.g., wider seats and aisles, cleaner and more humid cabin air, and features to lessen engine noise).

It's the listening that's the key. The more that business buyers are pressured by their customers, the more they squeeze their own providers. For B2B marketers, therefore, this means putting much more emphasis on listening to -- and learning from -- your customers' customers. It's an obvious point, but hard to overstate: it's awfully hard for you to succeed if your customers aren't successful first. Thinking through the opportunities to strengthen your B2B2C initiatives is a good place to start.