Visibility of what works in B2B is harder than in consumer marketing as so much activity is select in its targeting and often commercially confidential. In 2011 Omobono set out to share the best practice of B2B marketers so that they could learn from their peers. Partnering with The Marketing Society and ably supported by Circle Research, Omobono has researched what B2B marketers really do in digital and what they think works. In 2012 we also looked through the other end of the telescope to see how buyers are consuming the information that marketers lay in their path, and what effect it has. The results, gathered over 2 years, are based on the collective views of 170 senior marketers, spending in the region of £100m between them, and 224 buyers with buying power of over £150 million. With the survey being completed by senior decision makers at some of the world’s biggest companies, this is a definitive guide against which B2B marketers can benchmark their own activities.

1. THE BUSINESS AGENCY
What works where in B2B?
How marketers market and how buyers buy
Digital benchmarking research 2012 #wwwb2b

2. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Introduction
Visibility of what works in B2B is harder than in consumer marketing as so
much activity is select in its targeting and often commercially confidential.
In 2011 Omobono set out to share the best practice of B2B marketers so
that they could learn from their peers. Partnering with The Marketing
Society and ably supported by Circle Research, Omobono has researched
www.marketing-society.org.uk
what B2B marketers really do in digital and what they think works.
In 2012 we also looked through the other end of the telescope to see how buyers are consuming
the information that marketers lay in their path, and what effect it has.
The results, gathered over 2 years, are based on the collective views of 170 senior marketers, spending
in the region of £100m between them, and 224 buyers with buying power of over £150 million. With
the survey being completed by senior decision makers at some of the world’s biggest companies, this is www.circle-research.com
a definitive guide against which B2B marketers can benchmark their own activities.
About Omobono
Omobono is an award-winning business agency specialising in digital engagement for large
corporates and government.
Omobono works with some of the world’s largest companies to drive their relationships - with
customers, employees and stakeholders. Which leads to increased sales, loyalty and share of voice.
Our combination of business expertise, creativity and technical delivery is unique.
We offer a full service, from strategy and communications planning to creative delivery and www.omobono.com
implementation of complex, dynamic websites, through to mobile and social media marketing.
To find out how Omobono can help you maximise the effectiveness of your digital activities:
please call Fran Brosan on 01223 307000 or email fran@omobono.co.uk
© Omobono Ltd 2012

3. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
How marketers market

4. Professional and
support services
45%
Banking and finance
33%
Technology
30%
What works where in B2B 2012?
Media
26%
Who did we survey?
Consumer goods 21%
Health
21%
Telecoms
19%
Retailing
17%
Engineering and
manufacturing
14%
Leisure
14%
Construction and
property
13%
Industrials
13%
Utilities
12%
Transport
10%
Natural resources
10%
Other
6%
How marketers market

5. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
What marketers told us
• hat their B2B marketing goals were.
W
• ow they allocate their digital budgets.
H
• hich channels they think work best.
W
• The challenges they face.

6. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
What is your organisation’s highest B2B marketing
priority over the next twelve months?
8%
Raise brand Strengthen
awareness ‘thought
leadership’
(17%) position 2%
(15%)
Deepen customer 9%
Develop
brand
relationships positioning
(11%)
(33%) 2%
Ensure
organisation (3%) Deepen
is living the understanding
brand of target
Launch a market
Other (3%)
new product (9%)
or service
1% (9%) 1%
3%
Highest priority % increase against 2011 % decrease against 2011

7. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
What are your organisation’s top three B2B marketing
priorities over the next twelve months?
3% 34% 17% 9% 11% 9% 14% 3%
2% 24% 23% 7% 14% 5% 16% 9%
1% 20% 16% 10% 20% 10% 19% 4%
Other Deepen customer Raise brand Deepen Develop brand Launch a new Strengthen Ensure
relationships awareness understanding positioning product or ‘thought leadership’ organisation
of target market service position is living the brand
For large companies, strengthening their thought leadership Highest priority Second highest priority Third highest priority
position becomes the second highest priority.

8. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Digital marketing is still seen as important in achieving these goals
Important
Critical! 51%
43% (2011: 51%) Less
important
(2011: 44%)
6%
(2011: 3%)
Not
relevant
0%
(2011: 2%)

9. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Almost two-fifths of B2B budgets are invested in digital
Under 20% Between 20–70% Over 70%
2012 = 22% 2012 = 68% 2012 = 10%
2011 = 27% 2011 = 60% 2011 = 14%
2012
2%
10% 11% 22% 15% 8% 19% 5% 4% 3%
0% 100%
11% 17% 18% 17% 8% 11% 6% 8% 5%
2%
2011
Mean
2012 = 38%
2011 = 37%
Q: Over the next 12 months, what percentage of your organisation’s overall B2B
marketing spend - excluding staffing costs - is likely to be invested in digital marketing?

10. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Five channels share almost three-quarters of digital budget
Social media Video/podcasts
13% /webinars 9%
optimisation
Mobile
3%
Display
advertising 7%
Mobile apps
3%
Email marketing 18%
Microsites SEO 6%
marketing
Corporate website
development 22%
Affiliate
10%
2%
Extranets
1%
PPC 6% SMS/MMS
1%
Other
1%
Q: Over the next 12 months, approximately what proportion Increased by Increased by Unchanged
2.5% from 2011 2.5% from 2011 from 2011
of your organisation’s B2B digital marketing spend do you
Decreased by Decreased by
expect to be allocated to each of these areas? 2.5% from 2011 2.5% from 2011

11. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Effectiveness of digital channels in achieving goals
5% 10%
3%
Website Social Online Email
marketing Microsites
development media video (51%)
(75%) (74%) (66%) (64%)
2%
4%
Display SMS/
Affiliate Extranets
advertising MMS
1% (29%) 1% 7% (20%) (20%)
(13%)
SEO PPC
(42%) (29%)
1% Mobile Mobile 9%
1% apps optimisation
(25%) (24%)
Q: How effective are the following digital % increase against 2011
marketing activities in achieving your goals? % decrease against 2011

12. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
…but it’s not as easy as it sounds
Q: What would you say are the most significant challenges you face in relation to digital marketing in a B2B context?
14% 12% 12% 11% 10% 10% 9% 9% 9% 4%
Measuring Managing Cut-through Internal Targeting Staying Quality Internal Finding right Other*
ROI resources buy-in right innovative content expertise approach
audience
*Other challenges B2B marketers face: Keeping content relevant, understanding what works where, finding the right agency, making content visible,
acquisition, consistent approach, adapting to tablets, data quality, increasing reach of activity, global scale, optimising for emerging markets, connectivity,
quality standards (e.g. data privacy), press fragmentation, tracking sales, longer buying cycle, Mac vs. PC, changing marketplace and channel co-ordination.

13. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Social media and email also use plenty of internal resources
60%
50%
Mostly in-house
40%
30%
webinars/podcasts
20%
Online video/
optimisation
SMS/MMS
advertising
Microsites
10%
Mobile
Mobile
Digital
apps
3%
SEO
PPC
2%
55% 45% 6%
0%
6% 7% 9% 13% 17% 17%
Social
media
Email
marketing
marketing
Website
development
Affiliate
Extranets
1%
outsourced
3%
Mostly
10%
20%
30%
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you outsource activity in each of the following
channels to external agencies as opposed to doing it in-house?

14. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Budget allocation doesn’t match perceived effectiveness
80% Website
Social
development
media
Q: How effective are the following digital
Online
video/
marketing activities in achieving your goals?
70% Email
marketing podcasts
60%
Microsites
Effectiveness
50%
Perceived
SEO
40%
Mobile
optimisation/
30% Display
apps
advertising PPC
20% Affiliate SMS/
MMS
Extranets
10%
0%
Budget
10%
20%
Q: What proportion of your organisation’s B2B digital marketing
30% spend do you expect to be allocated to each area?

15. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
What works where?
Deepen customer Raise brand Strengthen thought Develop brand OVERALL
relationships awareness leadership positioning
Website development 69% 80% 79% 85% 75%
Email marketing 60% 63% 65% 68% 64%
Social media 54% 88% 91% 75% 74%
Microsites 51% 37% 63% 58% 52%
Online video 69% 61% 70% 68% 66%
Display advertising 7% 61% 19% 33% 28%
SEO 25% 61% 40% 55% 42%
PPC 16% 45% 23% 30% 29%
Mobile optimisation 24% 22% 23% 28% 24%
Mobile apps 24% 18% 26% 25% 25%
Affiliate marketing 16% 31% 16% 25% 20%
Extranets 24% 18% 18% 18% 20%
SMS/MMS 15% 10% 7% 15% 13%
Q: How effective are the following digital marketing activities in achieving your goals?

16. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Buyer reactions to marketers’ approaches
% positive reactions to contact % positive reactions to to
by prospective suppliers contact by existing suppliers
Personal visits 79% 79%
Trade events 70% 68%
Bespoke events 69% 76%
Key: Email sharing contents 63% 65%
Significant LinkedIn 56% 53%
points of Webinars 53% 55%
Personalised emails 52% 65%
difference
Industry sponsorship 51% 55%
Twitter 47% 56%
Mobile messaging 43% 37%
Direct mail 36% 42%
Facebook 35% 40%
Generic email 16% 21%
Telemarketing 13% 16%
Q: How do you react to attempts to engage with you through these methods of communication?

17. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
Measuring ROI
Q: Does your organisation currently measure return on digital investment?
10% 49% 34% 7% 18% 39% 28% 15%
Yes, and Yes, but not No, but plan No, and no Yes, and Yes, but not No, but plan No, and no
confident in with the accuracy to start plans to start confident in with the accuracy to start plans to start
its accuracy we’d like its accuracy we’d like
Compared with 2011, twice as many respondents said they don’t measure ROI and have no plans to start.

18. What works where in B2B 2012? How marketers market
ROI metrics measured
95%
87% 85%
79%
63%
56%
50% 51% 51%
44% 44%
40% 38% 37%
34%
31% 29%
19%
Web analytics/traffic
Lead generation
Conversion rates
Brand awareness
Spend per campaign
Cost per enquiry
Sales pipeline
Closed sales
Profitability
Q: What metrics do you use to measure return on digital investment? 2011 2012

19. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
How buyers buy

20. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Who did we survey?
y/ Fi
og s ser na
50–
24 ol m v
9 o
nc es
tel hn
18% 26
ec
ial
ic
Tec
%
25
%
250–
5000+
Number of
45%
9%
Sector
499
employees
ces
999
%
6%
E n n uf
11
%
23
2
al s s /
r vi
0–
ma
g/
gi n
sin ent e in
se
50
a c e ri n
e
17 % ha em us n
99 ur
pro urc tu g / B io
1000–49 rin ss
2% g ro f e
c
P
2 p
IT
42%
manage m
Job role
14 %
S e n i o e nt
2%
3%
r
17 %
Op
era
ti o n s HR
e
Financ

21. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
What buyers told us
• here they go online to keep up to date with
W
their industry or sector.
• hat channels they turn to when they look for
W
a supplier.
• hat influences their final choice of supplier.
W

22. IT software
59%
IT hardware
53%
Technical consulting
services
41%
Telecommunications
What works where in B2B 2012?
equipment
Telecommunications
services
Management
38% 37%
consulting services 33%
Recruitment, training,
development
32%
Office supplies
25%
What are they actually buying?
Transportation
and vehicles
21%
Utilities and energy
Building and
maintenance
Plant and equipment
18% 17% 17%
Banking and
insurance services
Raw materials
16% 15%
Legal services
Marketing services
and services.
14% 13%
Stock
Accountancy services
11% 11%
On average, respondents were
Property or land
9%
responsible for purchasing 4.8 goods
Other
1%
How buyers buy

23. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
B2B buyers interact with marketers in two “states of mind”
Passive Active
Keeping informed Defining specific
about developments in needs
profession/industry Buyer seeks out marketer
Identifying
Contacted by potential suppliers
existing suppliers Marketer seeks out buyer
Evaluating
Contacted by potential suppliers
prospective suppliers

24. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Buyers use a mix of online and offline channels to stay informed
Print
Trade business
Seminars Online trade press Online
Supplier events
Online press mainstream
websites
business Print press
Email White papers/ mainstream
press
newsletters similar content press
93% 90% 87% 84% 84% 83% 83% 82% 80% 79%
79% 78% 77% 72% 70%
58% 52% 48% 36% 35%
Online trade LinkedIn
communities Twitter
Webinars Podcasts
YouTube, Facebook
Print trade online video
Advertising Trade
press
campaigns blogs Online Offline
Q: Which of the above channels do you use in order Social for business?
to keep yourself informed on developments in your 65% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn regularly for business.
profession or industry? 29% of B2B buyers don’t use any social networks regularly
for business.

25. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
How frequently do you use each channel to keep yourself informed?
Every 2–3 times Once Once a Once a Less Not
day a week a week fortnight month frequently at all
Email newsletters 13% 21% 25% 12% 9% 10% 10%
Primary method
Online mainstream press 15% 18% 18% 8% 8% 12% 21%
Supplier websites 6% 21% 21% 13% 22% 10% 7%
Print mainstream press 11% 17% 17% 11% 13% 11% 20%
Online business press 9% 18% 18% 13% 13% 13% 16%
LinkedIn 8% 15% 18% 10% 11% 10% 28%
Secondary method
Online trade press 5% 14% 19% 14% 13% 18% 17%
Print trade press 3% 8% 24% 13% 17% 13% 22%
Print business press 5% 12% 15% 17% 17% 16% 18%
Online trade communities 3% 8% 16% 10% 13% 21% 29%
White papers 3% 8% 15% 13% 21% 23% 17%
Advertising campaigns 2% 8% 12% 15% 13% 27% 23%
Trade blogs 1% 8% 12% 10% 10% 17% 42%
Facebook 4% 4% 7% 6% 5% 10% 64%
Other method
Twitter 6% 5% 4% 5% 4% 11% 65%
Webinars 3% 4% 7% 9% 18% 29% 30%
YouTube, online video 1% 6% 6% 9% 8% 22% 48%
Podcasts 1% 4% 5% 6% 12% 20% 52%
Trade events 1% 2% 6% 6% 19% 53% 13%
Seminars 1% 3% 5% 6% 24% 45% 16%

26. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Useful content comes from multiple information sources
% finding a channel very or quite useful
Online Offline
Online Online Print
Supplier business press mainstream mainstream
Email
websites press press
newsletters
71% Print
82% 78% 69% 65% business press
77%
LinkedIn
Online
communities
59% Print
White trade press
Online
papers trade press 61% Webinars 76%
79% 77% Ad.
72% Seminars
campaigns
76%
55%
Twitter Trade
YouTube events
Podcasts Trade blogs
Facebook 54%
39% 73%
43% 55% 57%

27. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Email is the most effective digital channel to get buyers to act
Q: Which of the following means of engaging with you, if any, have
actually resulted in you purchasing goods or services from suppliers?
45% Don’t provoke particularly
negative reactions but don’t
lead buyers to act either.
28%
25%
20%
16% 16%
13%
11% 11%
10%
8% 8%
5%
4% 4%
2%
Personal visits
Personalised email
Trade events
Bespoke events
Email sharing content
Direct mail
LinkedIn
Industry sponsorship
Webinars
Generic email
Telemarketing
Twitter
Facebook
SMS/MMS
No-one made a
compelling case
No need for any
goods/services
Online Offline None

28. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Twitter and extranets are good ways to deepen existing
customer relationships
 % reacting very or quite positively to contact
100%
Personal Bespoke Email
Trade
visits event Personalised sharing
80% event
email content Industry
sponsorship
60% Webinars Extranets
LinkedIn Twitter Direct
Facebook Mobile
mail
40% messaging
Generic
marketing
email
20% Telemarketing
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100% % of buyers contacted by suppliers through this channel

29. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Lowest frequency of most popular B2B
site visits using mobiles
Half of the B2B buyers on Twitter use Most B2B buyers use supplier website
their mobile; but few use it in first place. to keep informed; few use their mobiles
to do so.
50% 38% 27% 23% 18% 17% 14% 13% 13% 12%
46% 33% 22% 37% 25% 22% 30% 50% 38% 33%
35% 36% 52% 78% 79% 58% 83% 79% 84% 93%
Twitter Facebook YouTube, LinkedIn Online trade Trade Online trade Online Online Supplier
online video community blog press mainstream business websites
press press
Q: How frequently do you use each of Q: And how frequently do you visit % of B2B buyers visiting site
the following in order to keep yourself these websites using a mobile device as % of visitors who go to site at least 2–3 times
a week
informed on developments opposed to on a laptop or PC?
% who use a mobile to visit site all or most
in your profession or industry? of the time

30. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Suppliers must concentrate on the ‘how’ more than
the ‘what’ when contacting buyers cold
Approach taken Channel used
Be clear,
concise in your At some
Understand my communication
8%
point, contact me
needs and tailor face to face
your offer 15%
22% Personalise
your approach;
nothing generic
Build a
10%
relationship with
me; be personable,
open, honest
Q: What is generally best practice
12% for potential suppliers hoping to
make their communications stand
out and persuade you to purchase
goods or services from them?

31. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Search marketing and websites key for ‘active’ state of mind
% using as a primary source of information
40%
Contact supplier
directly
Search engine
Ask professional advisor
Ask a colleague
Sector reports/buyer guides
Search engine
Contact supplier directly
Ask professional advisor
Consult procurement
Ask a colleague
Ask a peer, sector reports/buyer guides
Contact supplier directly
Ask professional advisor
Consult procurement
Reports/buyer guides
Ask a colleague
24% 23%
17% 17%
15% 15% 15%
13% 12% 12%
9% 8% 10% 9%
6% 6%
0%
Defining specific need Identifying potential suppliers Evaluating potential suppliers
Q: To what extent would you use Q: To what extent would you use the Q: To what extent do you use the
the following sources of information following sources of information to following sources of information to
to define your specific needs for identify potential suppliers? evaluate suppliers?
a purchase?

32. What works where in B2B 2012? How buyers buy
Best 5 channels for prospective suppliers to contact B2B
% reacting very or quite positively to contact
Financial services Engineering/manufacturing Business/professional services Technology/telecoms
1 Personal visits (83%) Personal visits (87%) Bespoke event (75%) Bespoke event (78%*)
2 Trade events (73%*) Trade events (69%*) Personal visits (74%) Personal visits (69%)
3 LinkedIn (71%) Industry sponsors (65%*) Trade events (69%*) Trade events (69%*)
4 Email sharing content (67%) Bespoke events (62%*) Email sharing content (66%) Email sharing content (64%)
5 Webinars (67%) Personalised email (56%) Personalised email (60%) Twitter (54%*)
% who had actually purchased something as a result of contact through this channel
Financial services Engineering/manufacturing Business/professional services Technology/telecoms
1 Personal visits (36%) Personal visits (58%) Personal visits (53%) Personal visits (33%)
2 Personalised email (20%) Personalised email (27%) Trade events (45%) Personalised email (31%)
3 LinkedIn (19%) Trade events (25%) Personalised email (33%) Bespoke events (24%)
4 Bespoke events (17%) Direct mail (22%) Bespoke events (29%) Email sharing content (20%)
5 Trade events (17%) Bespoke events (10%) Industry sponsors (24%) LinkedIn (16%)
Q: Which of the following means of engaging with you, if any, have actually * indicates base size less than 30
resulted in you purchasing goods or services from these suppliers?

33. The middle ground

34. What works where in B2B 2012? The middle ground - how buyers buy
Summary – a best practice approach is possible through digital channels
% reacting very or quite Bespoke and Twitter
positively to contact trade events Buyers are more
Industry focused events likely to engage with
still have a role to play. existing suppliers on
Personal
visits Use digital channels Twitter; but more
(79%) before, during and post likely to be contacted
event to maximise the by potential suppliers.
value of investment and
build thought leadership.
Bespoke Trade
event event
(69%) (70%)
Email
Webinars LinkedIn sharing
(53%) content
(56%)
(63%)
Personalised Industry
email sponsorship Twitter
(52%) (51%) (47%)
Mobile Search and
messaging
(43%)
extranets Web
Direct mail Facebook Both are areas Buyers rely heavily
Generic marketing email Telemarketing
(36%) (35%) which help buyers, on information on
(16%) (13%) suppliers’ websites.
but are in danger
of underinvestment Underinvest in them
from marketers. at your peril.
Q: How do you react to attempts to contact you through these methods
of communication?

35. What works where in B2B 2012? The middle ground - how marketers market
Summary – a best practice approach is possible through digital channels
Mobile
Personal Visits Twitter messaging
Facebook
Direct relationships (49%)
(29%) (30%)
still matter; buyers are
more likely to buy from LinkedIn
face-to-face contact. (69%)
LinkedIn Bespoke
The most popular event Telemarketing Industry
sponsorship Webinars
B2B social network – (88%) (75%)
(71%) (70%)
65% of buyers use it
regularly for business.
Trade Email sharing Generic marketing
event content email
(88%) (86%) (88%)
Direct Personal
mail visits
(90%) (90%)
Mobile and social Personalised % of buyers
Best digital performance An imbalance still exists between what email
contacted by
Emails sharing content deliver the marketers do and how buyers behave; but as (94%)
best digital performance; don’t forget mobile devices proliferate and digital natives suppliers through
to personalise content to the enter business, we believe both channels will this channel
buyer’s requirements. be normalised.
Q: How frequently are you contacted through the following communications
channels by prospective suppliers attempting to engage with you?

36. To find out more about how Omobono can help youmaximise the effectiveness of your digital activities:
please call Fran Brosan on 01223 307000 or email fran@omobono.co.uk
www.omobono.com