|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
B2B COLLATERAL SURVEY: WHITE PAPER STILL KING,
VIDEO’S INFLUENCE GROWING
Technology Decision Makers Say Collateral Has Greatest
Impact Early in the Sales Relationship
SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 23, 2009) – It
may not be glamorous, but the tried-and-true white paper is
still the No. 1 most influential piece of collateral that
technology purchasers consult when making or influencing
buying decisions for their companies. Additionally, video is
quickly becoming more widely used when making purchasing
decisions, according to the results of the
Eccolo Media 2009 B2B Technology
Collateral Survey of
American businesses.
Commissioned by San Francisco marketing communications
agency
Eccolo Media, Inc.,
the survey of more than 500
technology-purchasing decision makers and influencers also
found that sales materials of any kind – white papers, case
studies/sale sheets, podcasts, videos, product brochures and
data sheets – are most frequently consumed at the beginning
of the sales cycle – before a company ever invites vendors
to participate in an RFP. Collateral subsequently is used
less frequently as sales relationships evolve, the survey
said.
Among this year’s key findings:
-
Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they’d read at
least one white paper in the last six months, with 84
percent of them rating white papers as moderately to
extremely influential when making technology-purchasing
decisions.
-
Nearly
half (49%) of respondents said they had watched a
vendor’s video while considering a technology purchase,
up from 1 in five in 2008.
-
Collateral is more viral than ever: 89 percent
respondents said they share white papers with others,
while 85 percent share case studies, 81 percent share
brochures or data sheets; 80 percent share podcasts; and
79 percent share video.
-
People
prefer to consume collateral from their desktop – in
fact, only 1 in 4 surveyed even print out an online
document.
-
Data
sheets and brochures were considered least influential
written collateral but were also the most consumed type,
indicating they are still valuable “table stakes” in
helping solidify a brand’s product messages with
potential buyers.
-
Good
writing matters: 86 percent of respondents felt that
high-quality writing was at least moderately
influential; 51 percent ranked good writing as either
very or extremely influential. By contrast, poor
quality writing was the most frequent reason respondents
gave for decreasing the influence of a white paper.
A downloadable version of the full
survey report is available at:
http://www.hart-communications.com/Eccolo_2009_B2B_Survey_Report.pdf
“We’re definitely seeing some
important trends here for technology marketers,” said
Lorie Loe,
President and Chief Content Strategist
at Eccolo Media, Inc. “Decision makers and those who
influence them want information that is straightforward,
well-crafted and can inform their earliest research into
vendors and products.
“Our research shows that being able to consume content from
their desktops and share it frequently are key drivers for
technology purchasers – drivers that good technology
marketers must consider as they plan and develop effective
content and collateral.”
ABOUT THE SURVEY
This is the second year
Eccolo Media, Inc. has
surveyed U.S. technology executives seeking input on their
preferred collateral types, how they used content, if they
share it, and just how influential it was on their final
technology purchase. The Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology
Collateral Survey compiled results from 155 respondents, of
whom two-thirds identified themselves as technology-purchase
decision makers and one-third identified themselves as
purchase influencers.
The 2009 survey sample grew to 501 respondents; 55 percent
identified themselves as technology purchase decision
makers; the remaining 45 percent identified themselves as
purchase influencers. They were divided almost exactly into
under- and over-40 age categories. More than a third (35
percent) had in excess of 15 years experience in the
technology industry; more than half (55 percent) had upwards
of 11 years of experience; and 76 percent had more than
eight years experience.
Respondent titles included C-level executives, vice
presidents (VPs), managers, directors,
developers/programmers, and technicians. All worked for
U.S.-based companies. All were responsible for either making
B2B technology purchases or influencing purchasing
decisions. Only respondents who indicated that they had
participated in a technology purchase in the last six months
were included in the survey results.
Eccolo worked with survey specialists at Global Marketing
Insite (GMI), a leading global market research firm, to
identify and manage participants. GMI distributed the online
survey in July 2009 and provided the results as raw data to
Eccolo for analysis.
ABOUT ECCOLO MEDIA
Eccolo Media specializes in strategic marketing
insight and content development for some of the world’s
best-known technology companies. An agency of exceptional
writers, Eccolo combines deep experience with ongoing
research to identify and apply best practices for producing
remarkable content. The agency helps align clients’
marketing needs with their key business goals by bringing a
proactive, innovative approach to the planning and execution
of collateral in both traditional and new media channels.
Founded in 1999, Eccolo Media is headquartered in San
Francisco, California, and fulfills a wide range of project
needs throughout the Americas and EMEA. Visit our Web site
at
www.eccolomedia.com.
# # # |
|
|
