The B2B Barometer: Vital Statistics
• The B2B Barometer is the ‘state of the nation’ study for B2B marketers
• Now in its sixth wave, and backed by three years’ worth of historical data on B2B marketing
• Findings based on 128 interviews with B2B marketing professionals conducted in April:
• 73 client-side marketing professionals collectively responsible for controlling budgets amounting to £29.1 million a year
• 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
• This report project is sponsored by Circle Research, the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing and the Association of B2B Agencies
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
8%8%
6% 6%
16%19%
19% 21%14%
54%52%
54% 47%55%
19% 15% 19% 22% 25%
5%
Very confidentQuite confidentNeutralNot very confidentNot at all confidentI don't know
How confident are you with your own organisation's outlook for the next 12 months?
Base: 128 B2B marketers: 73 client-side marketers; 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
4
How confident are you with your own organisation's outlook for the next 12 months?Net confidence = % confident - % not confident
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 1225%
50%
75%
100%
72%
61%
67%
48%
80%
56%
48%
59%
75%
70%
Net confidence (agencies)Net confidence (clients)
Base: 73 client-side marketers; 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
5
How would you say your organisation’s budgets have changed in the past 12 months?
Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
22% 18%26%
48%
44%
41%
28%38%
32%
IncreasedRemained staticDecreased
Base: 73 client-side marketers
6
To what extent has your organisation’s revenue changed over the past 12 months?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
27%
10% 7% 12%6%
18%
20%16% 9%
11%
19%
20%
20% 19% 22%
23%
34%
34%26%
37%
11% 15%23%
34%24%
Significantly up
Slightly up
Largely static
Slightly declined
Significantly declined
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
7
In the past six months, would you say the number of enquiries you have received has…?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
15% 10% 10%
20%
8%9%
17%
8%
25%
17%17%
17%
26%
24%
47%42%
35%40%
12% 17%25% 20% 23%
Significantly increased
Slightly increased
Stayed the same
Slightly decreased
Significantly decreased
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
8
And now thinking about the quality of these enquiries, would you say they have…?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
32%
59%
10% 13% 9%
37%
7%
39%
49%
35%
31% 34%
51%38%
56%
ImprovedStayed the sameWorsened
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
9
Net quantity versus net quality of enquiries
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11 Apr 12
-25%
0%
25%
50%
75%
1%
46%
54%
28%
51%
-1%
-25%
41%
25%
47%
Net quan-tityNet quality
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
10
Compared to the previous 12 months, does your organisation's B2B marketing budget for the next 12 months represent an increase or a decrease?
>2
5%
21
-25
%
16
-20
%
11
-15
%
6-1
0%
1-5
%
0%
1-5
%
6-1
0%
11
-15
%
16
-20
%
21
-25
%
>2
5%
6%
8%
0%
2%
6% 6%
24%
9%
11%
6%5%
3%
15%
Increase = 48%Decrease = 27%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
11
Over the next 12 months, what proportion of this B2B marketing budget do you expect to be allocated to these areas?
15%
12%
11%
9%9%
7%
7%
6%
4%
4%
3%3%
3%3%
1%1%1%
Trade showsDirect mailEmailWebsite developmentPrintPR Direct salesContent creationSEO/PPCSocial mediaOnline advertisingTelemarketingMarketing researchMarketing strategyBrand identityOther advertising Other
Base: 73 client-side marketers
12
What are your three highest marketing priorities for the coming twelve months?
Other
Ensure employees 'living the brand'
Boosting SEO
Refining brand positioning
Reducing customer churn
Launching new product/service
Driving website traffic
Communicating brand positioning
Deepen customer understanding
Better nurturing leads
Better enabling sales teams
Generating better quality leads
Raising brand awareness
Greater up-selling, cross-selling
Generating more leads
15%
1%
8%
10%
10%
14%
18%
19%
19%
19%
21%
27%
32%
38%
41%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
13
Which three of the following are the biggest marketing priorities for your clients for the coming twelve months?
Other
Refining brand positioning
Ensure employees 'living the brand'
Reducing customer churn
Launching new product/service
Boosting SEO
Raising brand awareness
Communicating brand positioning
Driving website traffic
Deepen customer understanding
Better enabling sales teams
Greater up-selling, cross-selling
Better nurturing leads
Generating more leads
Generating better quality leads
7%
2%
9%
9%
9%
9%
15%
18%
22%
24%
27%
27%
29%
44%
45%
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
14
How closely integrated are your activities using these different marketing channels?
29%
47%
17%
3%4%
Very closely integrated
Quite closely integrated
Not very integrated
Not at all integrated
Don't know
Base: 73 client-side marketers
15
How many of your clients' activities are closely integrated?
4%
22%
33%
35%
2%4%
All our clients' activities are closely integrated
Most of our clients' activities are closely integrated
Half of our clients' activities are closely integrated
Few of our clients' activities are closely integrated
None of our clients' activities are closely integrated
Don't know
Base: 55 B2B marketing agency professionals
16
To what extent does your organisation use content in its marketing activity?
8%
40%
16%
22%
14%
All of our activity
Most of our activity
Half of our activity
Some of our activity
Little/None of our activity
Base: 73 client-side marketers
17
Do you expect to move closer towards or further away from a content driven marketing approach in the next 12 months?
8%
40%
16%
Closer towards
No change
Further away
Base: 73 client-side marketers
18
What are your three most important goals when using content in your marketing activity?
Other
Raising brand awareness
Enabling sales teams
Driving website traffic
Boosting SEO
Driving enquiries
Supporting brand positioning
Nurturing leads
Generating leads
4%
3%
12%
18%
21%
23%
23%
30%
42%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
19
To what extent do you use the following types of content? Chart shows % using extensively
e-books
Podcasts
Webcasts
Infographics
Tools, e.g. decision trees
Best practice guides
Video
Print articles
In-depth reports
Public speaking
Blog posts
Seminars
White papers
Case studies
4%
4%
10%
14%
18%
22%
22%
25%
25%
27%
31%
45%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
20
And which three of these content types do you think are most effective in achieving your marketing goals?
e-books
Podcasts
Webcasts
Infographics
Tools, e.g. decision trees
In-depth reports
Blog posts
Best practice guides
Print articles
Seminars
White papers
Public speaking
Video
Case studies
1%
1%
4%
4%
10%
10%
11%
12%
14%
21%
22%
23%
25%
48%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
21
Which of the following techniques do you use to distribute the content you produce?
Advertising on other webistes
Acquiring a microsite
Feature on other websites
Encourage others to blog about it
YouTube
Advertising in trade press
Direct mail
Publishing in trade press
Bespoke events
Ad hoc emails specific to content
Trade events
Regular email newsletters
Your website
11%
15%
16%
22%
25%
25%
36%
36%
36%
37%
37%
38%
41%
45%
59%
Base: 73 client-side marketers
22
Find out more …
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