A survey of 500 global business executives and marketers revealed a disconnect in content expectations, with executives seeking substantial insights while marketers focus on sales-driven content. Although 93% of businesses plan to increase content investment, 71% of executives prefer informative articles over product pitches. The need for unique and trustworthy content is emphasized, highlighting the importance of brand credibility in business communications.

1. Missing the Mark:
Global Content Survey of
Brand Marketers and
their B2B Audiences
Business Executives to Marketers:
Stop Marketing
Developed in association with

2. We surveyed…
500 GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
about what they are looking for from content providers
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and
500 GLOBAL MARKETERS
about how they are building their content strategy.
2

3. of companies surveyed plan to
MAINTAIN or INCREASE their
investment in content creation in
the coming year.
Developed in association with
93%
MANY ARE GETTING IT WRONG.
3

4. GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
ARE SEEKING SUBSTANCE.
WHILE MARKETERS ARE
LARGELY MARKETING.
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4

5. Executives: Tell me something I don’t know.
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5
75% Researching a business idea
What is the primary
purpose for seeking
business content?
What is most useful
in making informed
business decisions?
34%
Gives me a sense of the widely
held outlook of my industry peers
24%
Presents two sides of a
complicated industry issue
24%
Sheds light on an area of my
business that I wasn’t fully aware of

6. Developed in association with
Marketers: Look at us.
6
connect their content directly to
a product or service 93%
75%
say that mentions of their products
and services are a frequent part of
their content strategy

7. Executives: Make it worthwhile and I’ll give you my time.
51% Research reports
27% Briefing papers
19% Newsletters
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7
Which forms of content
have you found most
helpful for a business-related
matter?
What is most useful
in making informed
business decisions?
71% Articles
8% Events
85%
Report preferring text over
video and audio
78%
Report using their laptop or desktop
to view content most frequently

8. EXECUTIVES JUDGE SUCCESS OF
CONTENT ON ITS DISTINCTIVENESS.
WHILE MARKETERS JUDGE
SUCCESS ON SALES.
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8

9. Executives: Save the product pitch for another time.
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67%
Contained timely
or unique
information
What are the key
characteristics of content that
had a meaningful impact on
your perceptions of a brand?
What is the main reason a
piece of content did not
succeed in making a
positive impression?
60%
Helped me to understand a
complex issue in simple terms
71%
Seemed more
like a sales pitch

10. Brands: Success is based on sales.
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10
measure the effectiveness of their
content by the number of calls from
prospects or customers 70%
say the primary reason for creating
content is to build brand and positive
perceptions of the company
85%
yet

11. Brands: My colleagues don't get it.
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report their content strategy is highly
31% understood throughout their organization

12. MARKETERS AND EXECUTIVES AGREE:
BRAND MATTERS.
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12

13. Content can build credibility or destroy it.
of business readers say the brand a piece of content
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89% comes from is important
and
of marketers say the primary reason for creating content
is to build brand and positive perceptions of the
company
85%
35%
but
of executives report they have encountered content
from companies that turned them off because they
did not perceive it to be trustworthy
and (happily)
MEDIA COMPANIES ARE THE MOST FREQUENT
PLACE EXECUTIVES TURN TO FOR
TRUSTWORTHY CONTENT

14. The survey was conducted with the Economist
Intelligence Unit’s Opinion Leaders Panel, made
up of more than 100,000 global executives.
More than 40% of the business executives
surveyed are C-level, representing a wide array
of industries, geographies, and company sizes.
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For complete data and demographics visit:
missingthemark.ads.economist.com

15. 15
ABOUT
In an era of information overload, The Economist Group Content Solutions
help organizations be heard by the world’s most influential people.
With 60 years experience of delivering content to clients, bolstered by 650
expert analyst and editors worldwide across 200 countries - underpinned by
an unrivalled in-house survey panel that bolsters the qualitative and
quantitative analysis we undertake – we have the depth and breadth to
deliver vital business intelligence which can rise above the noise.
See our work here.

16. 16
ABOUT
Peppercomm is an award-winning strategic, integrated communications and
marketing firm headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco
and London. We pride ourselves on listening first, last and always. The firm’s
tagline: “Listen. Engage. Repeat.” emphasizes the unique approach
Peppercomm takes in understanding exactly how a client can engage in
authentic conversations with its audience, including developing, curating and
circulating relevant content.
Peppercomm was ranked No. 1 in Crain’s New York Business Best Places to
Work 2012 and won the Silver Anvil Award for Best Integrated Campaign in
2014.
See more on what we’re about: peppercomm.com.

17. Thank you.
Jeff Pundyk
Global VP, Content Solutions
@jpundyk