Impact, Integrity And Integration Are Key In B2B Marketing Success

DALLAS, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For B2B marketing success today, communication techniques with impact – like video and interactive demos – and sources with integrity – like social posts from colleagues – have grown in importance and effectiveness, according to a survey recently completed by hawkeye (www.hawkeyeww.com).

In a recent, national survey of B2B buyers, hawkeye evaluated the influence of various forms of content in integrated marketing campaigns and social media.

High-impact communication methods are working – While once relatively unimportant in the B2B marketing mix, video is now deemed "very influential" by 67% of B2B buyers during both the awareness and evaluation stages. Additionally, interactive demonstrations are now cited as "very influential" by more than 73% of buyers during these two stages. And, when testimonials and case studies are integrated into video and interactive demos, the communication's effectiveness is further improved.

In social media, the source's integrity is key – Social media has grown in importance in B2B marketing, but not all social media content is created equal. 64% of B2B buyers stated that the most helpful social media content is "relevant posts from peers and colleagues," followed by information on "new products and solutions" at 61%. "Promotional offers" were identified by 48%, and "corporate news" lags at 27%. B2B buyers also place more value on interactions with peers on community sites (cited as very influential by 72%) than interactions with peers in less-focused communities like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook (identified as very influential by 47%, 41% and 49% respectively).

Multichannel integration and communication consistency are important – The B2B buyer research affirmed that a myriad of communications alternatives can be effective – including industry press, emails, webinars, direct mail, blogs, community sites, word-of-mouth, vendor directories, trade shows, web searches, banners and advertising – but the reliability of the product itself and the reputation of the company behind the product are paramount. Marketers are encouraged to ensure their product reliability and brand reputation are consistently reinforced through an integrated communications campaign that leverages channels that have proven effective in the past or are now proving effective for competitors. 

According to John Tedstrom, hawkeye Managing Director of Insight & Strategy, "B2B marketing has never been more complex, with more channels and influencers to consider. To improve ROI, marketers should concentrate on those communications that have greater impact, like video and interactive demos."

Larry Kimmel, hawkeye Executive Director added, "B2B marketers should also appreciate that the balance from paid to owned and earned media continues to evolve.  Smart marketers will redouble their efforts to help move their brand advocates to become brand evangelists who share their thoughts with peers."

About hawkeye

hawkeye is a leading independent, digital agency, serving many leading B2B and B2C companies, including Adobe, Allstate, American Airlines, AMF, Bank of America, BASF, Cargill, Cisco, HP, Microsoft and Peterbilt.

For more information about this research or to schedule an interview, contact:

Erika Gonzalez
[email protected]
214.659.5635 – W
318.458.1786 – C

SOURCE hawkeye