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Embracing the Changing Landscape of B2B Technology MarketingExclusive insights and analysis for B2B technology marketers in the UK

Produced by Marketing Options International and Circle ResearchNovember 2011

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Contents

• Methodology

• Part 1 - Challenges and Priorities

• Part 2 - The Defining Trend for B2B Technology Marketing in The Next Two Years

• Part 3 - Conclusion

• Acknowledgements

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Methodology

• Marketing Options International partnered with Circle Research to survey B2B Technology marketing professionals about their experiences and priorities over the next 1-2 years, as part of Technology Marketing In Mind

• 107 senior technology marketing decision makers were surveyed online

• All individuals were vetted to ensure they had responsibility for marketing strategy within mid-large (100+ employees) IT and technology firms deriving at least 25% of revenue from B2B sales

• All interviews were conducted by Circle Research during June and July 2011

Part 1Challenges and Priorities

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Shifting marketing objectives

• 81% of respondents’ core objectives have changed ‘to some degree’

• 22% of respondents’ core objectives have changed ‘significantly’

• 24% of respondents stated they had prioritised tactical lead generation over more strategic brand awareness or brand engagement activities

• 19% highlighted they are under more pressure to demonstrate ROI

• 14% said their marketing activities have needed to become more agile and flexible

• 14% have shifted towards relationship building with key accounts

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Most important objectives for next 12 months?• Respondents expect to place the

same focus on lead generation as brand awareness (25%)

• Managing brand reputation 9%

• Engaging with new audience 15%

Many of the activities associated with relationship building such as lead nurture, sales and marketing alignment are not being prioritised.

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What factors are likely to hold you back?

• Budgetary constraints still the biggest barrier 41%

• 29% lack of internal resource

• 28% complexity of product/service propositions

• 27% lengthening sales cycles

Part 2The Defining Trends of B2B Technology Marketing in the Next Two Years

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Priority areas for improvement

• Getting closer to customers 50%

• Raising brand awareness 50%

• Increasing the quality of leads 49%

• Improving the quality of content marketing 39%

• Bespoke events 44%

• Improving marketing measurement and analysis 39%

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Allocation of resources (time and money)

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Marketing channels

• 44% making significant investment in bespoke events

• 31% plan to invest heavily in virtual events

• Social media is maturing in B2B marketing with 26% planning to invest heavily and 26% to some extent

• Other significant factors cited as impacting marketing over the 2 years are cloud computing and mobile marketing

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Which technologies do you currently or plan to use in the coming 12-18 months?

Part 3Conclusion

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Plus ça change…

• Constant change is now a fact of life in B2B technology marketing

• 2010 - 2011 all about lead generation ROI and agility

• 2011 - 2012 sees the return of brand awareness and customer relationship activities

• Social media is approaching maturity and will take a central role from 2012 onwards

• Mobile is not yet being embraced by B2B technology marketers

• In 2012 marketers will prioritise lead generation, brand awareness and customer relationships using a combination of new and traditional channels

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Focusing on relationships

• Once you have your audience’s attention the importance of relationship building soars

• Marketing has a pivotal role to play in generating up-selling opportunities and raising awareness of new products and updates throughout the customer lifecycle

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Measuring the impact

• Return on marketing investment is getting progressively easier to measure

• Marketing automation is still in its infancy but as more markets start to use it, analysing and reporting will become a staple of marketing life

• The most technologically up-to-date marketers may have the competitive edge (for the moment at least)

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Marketing Options International (MOI) is a specialist B2B technology marketing agency supporting some of the world’s most admired B2B technology brands. With offices in London, San Francisco, Singapore and Sydney, its team of dedicated IT marketers deliver brand awareness, lead generation and relationship marketing programmes for clients across the globe, including Oracle, Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, EMC, Cognizant and Steria.

Find out more at www.mointernational.com

Circle is the B2B market research specialist. We create fresh perspectives - deep insights into what makes buyers tick, what they think of you and your ideas, what will really set you apart.

For more information visit www.circle-research.com

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the senior marketing decision-makers who generously shared their time and insights with us when completing this survey.