Abm power of_industry

The Power of Industry-Specific Business Magazines

2Entire contents © 2007 Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview

ABM engaged Forrester Consulting to complete an independent research study of the trends and impact of B2B media on both end-users/decision makers and marketers.

The findings and analysis of this study indicate:

• That industry specific magazines continue to be an important communications tool and play a critical role in business decision- making and purchase processes.

• The integrated use of industry-specific business media – and industry-specific magazines in particular -- is the most effective way to help decision makers evaluate purchases, grow professionally, and improve their businesses.


Summary of survey findings

• Despite the growth in digital media use, industry-specific magazines continue to be an important communication tool:

– Business decision makers (BDMs) rank industry-specific magazines among the top 5 media they use on the job

– BDMs find industry-specific magazines highly valuable for validating and informing purchase decisions

– Similarly, B2B marketers find industry-specific magazines are more effective at reaching BDMs and generating leads than general business media

• Industry-specific magazines help BDMs do their jobs better and grow professionally.

• BDMs – and top executives in particular – are highly involved and engaged with industry-specific magazines, and their involvement has remained consistently high since 2001.

• The unique strengths of industry-specific magazines make them a valuable component of an integrated communications plan.

• Despite evidence of their unique value, B2B marketers underutilize industry-specific magazines in their current trade marketing spending.

• Even though BDMs indicate that industry-specific magazines will continue to play an important communications role in 2009, B2B marketers underutilize industry-specific magazines in their future spending plans.


With digital media’s growing importance, do business decision-makers (BDMs) continue to read industry-specific magazines and use them on the job?

Do BDMs rely on industry-specific magazines in making purchase decisions?

Do B2B marketers find that industry-specific magazines are more effective at reaching business decision makers and generating leads compared to magazines?


For doing their jobs, BDMs rank industry-specific magazines their #2 choice among all media – and rank them ahead of general business magazines

“Which B2B media do you use or interact with to do your job?”

Base: 878 B2B decision makers

Fewer than 45% of respondents chose the following media: Specialized business Web sites, Online video or rich Internet apps, Custom media, Online forums/communities/social networks, TV, Mobile/wireless devices, Listings in online directories, B2B blogs, Radio, Outdoor, Podcasts, and Syndicated content feeds/RSS.

Email or electronic newsletters

Industry-specific business magazines

Peer advice, word of mouth

Vendors’ Web sites

Industry-specific conferences

Industry-specific trade shows

Web portals (e.g. Google)

Industry-specific Web sites

General business magazines

Newspapers

Web-based events

Direct mail

General business magazine Web sites 45%

51%

52%

54%

55%

55%

57%

62%

65%

66%

67%

69%

76%


When making purchase decisions, BDMs rely on industry-specific magazines – and media – more than general business media

“Which business-related media are most effective at informing or validating your firm's business purchase decisions?”

Base

584

582

544

485

569

609

666

458

354

484

395

500

447

348

478




Industry-specific Web sitesIndustry-specific conferences



Web-based events

Specialized business Web sites (e.g. IT Toolbox)


General business magazine Web sites


Direct mail

Online videos or rich Internet applications

Newspapers

Fewer than 40% of respondents chose the following media : Custom media, Online forums/communities/ social networks, TV, Mobile/wireless devices, Listing in online directories, B2B blogs, Radio, Outdoor, Podcasts, and Syndicated content feeds/RSS.

17%

23%

23%

26%

26%

27%

37%

37%

40%

40%

44%

45%

45%

48%

48%


B2B marketers agree that industry-specific magazines reach decision makers and generate leads better than general business magazines

Reach Decision Makers Effectively

• 327 agree industry-specific magazines reach BDMs effectively

• 126 agree general business magazines reach BDMs effectively

• 132 – or 67% more – agree that industry-specific magazines are better at reaching BDMs than general business magazines.

Generating Leads Effectively

• 260 agree industry-specific magazines generate leads effectively

• 173 agree general business magazines generate leads effectively

• 87 – or 50% more – agree that industry-specific magazines are better at generating leads than general business magazines.


How do industry-specific magazines help BDMs on the job or in their careers?

In light of their busy schedules – and the availability of online content – do BDMs spend time reading magazines? Do BDMs visit industry-specific magazine Web sites as well?

How has their time spent with industry-specific magazine titles and Web sites changed over time?

Do BDMs find industry-specific magazines more engaging than general business magazines?


Industry-specific magazines provide information BDMs can trust and use to grow professionally – when used alone or with other industry-specific media

ResponseIndustry-specific

magazines

Industry-specific

Web sites

Industry-Specific

TradeshowOther media

Provides objective information 25% (2) 27% (1) 9% (4)General business magazine = 11% (3)

Provides information that I can trust 26% (1) 25% (2) 10% (4) Vendor Web site = 12% (3)

Keeps me ahead of the competition 20% (2) 24% (1) 14% (3)Gen’l business magazine Web site = 9% (4)

Helps me do my job better 20% (2) 22% (1) 11% (3) Web portals =10% (4)

Helps me advance my career 19% (2) 22% (1) 14% (3)General business magazine = 10% (3)

Helps me grow my business 18% (2) 21% (1) 15% (3)Gen’l business magazine Web site = 8% (4)

Helps me become aware of new products or services

19% (2) 17%(3) 22% (1) Vendor Web site = 16% (4)

Percentage of business decision makers who chose the following media as the best medium for the following statements:

Base: 878 Business decision makers

Q11 Decision Makers survey: Please indicate which of the following media best helps you do the following activities.

Key: Percentage of respondents selecting each medium(Overall rank in parentheses)


BDMs are highly-involved with industry-specific magazines

*In 2001, ABM engaged Yankelovich Partners and Harris Interactive to complete an independent research study of the role of B2B media on fulfilling 505 executives’ information needs. The 2001 trend data is taken from the findings of this survey available at: http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/abm/Yankelovich.asp?SnID=395133682.

► 64% of BDMs read 3 or more industry-specific business magazine titles in the last month.

► Even more top executives (67%) read 3 or more titles in the last month.

► 44% of BDMs spend 3 or more hours reading industry-specific magazines per week. This rate has more than doubled from 20% of BDMs in 2001.*

► Even more top executives (51%) spend 3 or more hours reading industry-specific magazines per week.


BDMs are also highly-involved with industry-specific magazine Web sites

► 54% of BDMs visited 5 or more industry-specific magazine Web sites in the last month.

► This rate has more than tripled from just 16% of BDMs visiting industry-specific magazine Web sites in 2001.*

► In 2007, even more top executives (61%) visited 5 or more industry-specific magazine Web sites last month.

► 47% of BDMs spent 3 hours or more visiting industry-specific magazine Web sites per week

► This rate has increased from just 29% of BDMs visiting industry-specific magazine Web sites 3 hours or more in 2001.*

*In 2001, ABM engaged Yankelovich Partners and Harris Interactive to complete an independent research study of the role of B2B media on fulfilling 505 executives’ information needs. The 2001 trend data is taken from the findings of this survey available at: http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/abm/Yankelovich.asp?SnID=395133682.


In fact, top executives read more titles – and spend more time reading – industry-specific magazines compared to other decision makers

► Top executives are 2 times more likely to read 6 or more industry-specific magazine titles per month than other BDMs.

► Top executives are more than twice as likely to spend 6 or more hours reading industry-specific magazine titles in the past week when compared to other BDMs.


The majority of BDMs find industry-specific content and advertising more engaging than general business media

Statement Agree

When reading or interacting with industry-specific magazines, I find that I spend more time reading or thinking about the editorial content and product/service messages than with other general business media

80%

Base: 878 B2B decision makers

What’s more, 85% of senior-most executives agree with this statement compared to 79% of other BDM titles.


When used together with other industry-specific media, do industry-specific magazines help BDMs recognize brands and products better?

Do they help B2B marketers attract more qualified buyers?

Are B2B marketers spending plans keeping pace with the value decision makers get from industry-specific magazines?


When used together, B2B magazines and other B2B media help BDMs recognize brands and B2B marketers find more qualified buyers

B2B Decision Makers Agree

It is easier for me to recognize or remember a company’s brand or products/services when I see messages about it in multiple media such as magazines, online, or at events

91%

B2B Marketers Agree

Our firm gets more qualified buyers when we integrate industry-specific B2B media like magazines and events with online media like Web ads and sponsored links.

85%

Base: 816 B2B marketers

Q14 Decision Makers survey: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements:Q9: Marketers survey; Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements

Base: 878 Business decision makers


B2B marketers rank industry-specific magazines among the top 3 media tactics they use in their marketing programs

“Which B2B media or trade marketing tactics does your company use in the past 12 months?”

Fewer than 39% of respondents chose the following media: Online video/rich Internet apps, Specialized Web sites, B2B blogs, TV, General business magazine Web sites, Outdoor, Radio, Online forums/communities/social networks, Mobile/wireless devices, Syndicated content feeds/RSS, and Podcasts.


39%

40%

40%

41%

42%

44%

49%

56%

61%

62%

63%

63%

71%

79%Corporate Web site




Direct mail


Public relations

Custom media

Web-based events

Newspapers


Product listings/ads in online directories




While BDMs rank industry-specific magazines #2 of all media they use for doing their job, B2B marketers spend a significant percentage of their budgets on media that BDMs use or rely on less, such as general business media and traditional broadcast

Reported % trade marketing budget spent on each marketing tactic in 2007

Base: 816 Marketers


Will BDMs continue to use industry-specific magazines in 2009?

Will B2B marketers’ spending plans for advertisements in industry-specific magazines keep pace with BDMs expected use of industry-specific magazines?


Industry-specific magazines will continue to be more important for BDMs than general business media in 2009

“How will your use of business-related media change in the next two years (2009)?”

Base: 878 business decision makers,

Q10 Decision Makers survey: How will your use of traditional media change in the next two years (2009)?

% who say their use of tactics will “increase” or “increase significantly” in 2009.

22%

22%

29%

39%

43%

44%

45%

45%

63%

66%

59%

58%

58%

Newspapers

Direct mail











Web-based events


Similarly, B2B marketers expect to increase their spending on industry-specific magazines more than on general business magazines


“How do you expect your spending on business-related media to change in the next two years (2009)?”

33%

37%

34%

34%

41%

30%

32%

28%

44%

34%

42%

44%

31%

13%

17%

22%

26%

27%

31%

33%

35%

27%

32%

30%

28%

39%

6%

6%

10%

10%

9%

16%

12%

15%

8%

15%

12%

12%

24%

Newspapers


Direct mail


Public relations



Web-based events





Corporate Web site

Key: % of respondents who say: Spend somewhat more on this tactic in 2009

Spend significantly more on this tactic in 2009

Spend about the same on this tactic in 2009


Media/tactic B2B Decision Makers B2B Marketers

Industry-specific trade shows OR conferences

58% 40%


44% 35%

Industry-specific Web sites 63% 45%

Corporate Web site 58% 62%

Email or electronic newsletters 58% 47%

Public relations 43% 42%

General business magazine Web sites 39% 36%

Traditional broadcast 33% 35%

General business magazines 29% 23%

Direct mail 22% 32%*

“In 2009, how will your spending on – or use of – the following marketing tactics change compared with 2007?”

Despite evidence of persistent value, B2B marketers’ budget plans will underutilize industry-specific magazines in 2009

Q3: Marketers surveyQ10: BDM survey

Base: 816 B2B marketers, 878 business decision makers

* = over-utilized

% who say their use of these tactics will “increase” or “increase significantly” in 2009

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