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Profiling the APAC

Technology Buyer for more

Effective Media Planning

A TechTarget Global Marketer Services report

July 2012

Survey goals

● Key goal:

- Put common assumptions about APAC marketing

to the test

● Especially in these areas:

- Specialists v. Generalists

- Buying teams

- IT managers role in online research

- How do IT decision makers want to communicate

with us/you

- What type of content should we all be producing

- How is social media working for B2B

2 © TechTarget, Profiling the APAC Technology Buyer for more Effective Media Planning, July 2012

Who took the survey?

● Fielded March–April 2012

● Conducted online through web-based form

● 1,106 respondents across APAC

● 150+ per country (ANZ, ASEAN, India, China, Japan)

● Local language for China and Japan

● Roughly half < 500 employees.; half > 500 employees

● Variety of job titles, 25% IT manager+


Specialists are the marketing target you

should be planning for

● In most countries, a plurality

of IT targets call themselves

specialists

- Across tech specialists and

project-to-project specialists

- Japan lowest at 33%

- IT generalist sits at a little

over 1/3 of target

● IT managers deserve separate

marketing effort

- At SMBs, IT mgrs are larger

segment of buying team

● At larger companies,

specialization jumps to

about 60%

© TechTarget, Profiling the APAC Technology Buyer for more Effective Media Planning, July 2012 4

How would you describe your role?

48%

50%

52%

41%

33%

38%

38%

37%

37%

41%

14%

12%

11%

23%

26%

ANZ

ASEAN

India

China

Japan

Tech/Serial specialist

Generalist IT manager

Specialist considerations as you set

your strategy

● Content considerations

- For mature categories, assume your targets have a sophisticated

knowledge of features and competitors—look for segmentation

opportunities

● Don’t shy from deeper technical problems as prospects are likely looking for

content focused on it

- SMB targets are more generalists, with less experience and will want

appropriate content

● Consider the impact this may have on your VAR enablement strategy?

● Larger company marketing

- Assume they are sophisticated on the tech front

- For serial specialist getting up to speed, need full chain of content

● IT Manager deserves a separate stream of marketing—focused on

cost-savings and business benefit


IT researchers are juggling multiple purchases;

you’re competing for their attention

● Across the region, a majority

are multi-tasking, researching

more than one potential

purchase each quarter

- Japan (28%) most likely to

have a single project going

- About 10% have 5+ projects

- Little variance by company size

or change year to year

● Importance of marketing “at the

point of research” and aligning

with editorial content to

influence buyers as they are

doing research


57%

51%

58%

60%

31%

ANZ

ASEAN

India

China

Japan

2+ purchases per quarter

Plenty of ways to influence and “assist”

the busy IT researcher

● Capitalize on the ability to be a one-stop shop

- Those with broad product portfolios can try to address multiple

concerns

● Lots of cross-sell opportunities

● IT departments generally prefer to manage fewer vendor relationships

● Respect the researcher’s time

- Make content readily available and easy to access

- Hold their attention; nurture with links to additional content

- Take an on-demand vs. live approach to webcasts, virtual trade

shows and other multimedia


How involved is the IT manager in

web research?

● At small companies, IT mgr

takes early stage research

burden

- 53% IT mgr+ from companies

<250 employees conduct

“awareness stage” research

alone

● >250 employees, IT mgrs farm

out early (54%) and late stage

(35%) research to team

● Late stage research—everyone

is involved


Which most accurately describes

your research pattern?

54%

45%

35%

48%

16%

45%

53%

29%

50%

12%

Early web research: Team does it

Early web research:

Do it myself

Late stage web research: Team does it

Late stage web research:

Do it myself

Rarely do webresearch

IT mgrs >250 emp IT mgr <250 emp

Obviously, your reps want to talk to the

IT director/manager, but…

● Marketing efforts solely focused on IT manager and above

miss the point at larger organizations

- 64% of IT managers at larger organizations do not do online lead

gen in early research stages, so they won’t become leads from

online programs

● “IT manager-only” lead gen campaigns may be most effective

for smaller business target

● Need to change marketing and sales targets processes to

identify, incorporate and cultivate the broader buying team

● Online programs are part of the marketing cycle, not where it

will end. You will need to work to get to full buying team

(including the manager), but don’t ignore the first open door.


Single buyer scenario is rare, especially

at large companies

● <17% in any country say

buying team of 1 is standard

- Less than 7% of companies

>500 employees say there is a

single buyer (except China)

● About 2/3 say buying teams

have 2–4 people

● 30%+ of >500 employee

companies report a typical

5+ buying team size; 44%

in India


% with single buyer scenario

12%

11%

9%

10%

17%

6%

7%

4%

16%

4%

ANZ

ASEAN

India

China

Japan

All >500 employees

Larger buying team has implications

for the way you market

● More potential contacts and ways to penetrate an account,

but everyone has a unique area of interest

- You need more content

● App manager, storage admin, project mgr, IT director may all work

on project, but each will approach a purchase from their unique

perspective

● Reps and marketing team follow-up has to know how to take

good first step with different roles

- Is the first email to a lead targeted to role or content downloaded?

- Can your reps/marketers speak the unique “language” of the

person who has downloaded the content?

● Finding as many contacts as possible is key

- Any contact you DON’T know is an opportunity for another

vendor to set tone for buying process


Pre-purchasing research gradually becoming

less ‘personal’ and more digital

● Varies by market

- Events declining most rapidly

in ASEAN (40%); ANZ and

India close

- About ¼ relying less on print

publications

● China is quickest to move

to independent websites,

slowest to move away from

events/magazines

- 42% spending more time on

publisher websites

- 15% spending less time w/

magazines, 17% events


Over last 2 years, where have you

spent less time in purchasing

research?

0% 20% 40%

F2F events

Print

Independent sites

ANZ ASEAN China India Japan

While vendor interactions are moving online,

in some markets human contact still matters

● Push toward spending more

time on vendor websites

- China moving quickest (+53%)

● Face to face remains important

in China

- China—45% more time face-to-

face with vendors

● Much less in others

- Australia—33% spending less

time in vendor meetings

- Japan moving away from direct

vendor content and more

online


Where are you spending more time

in terms of buying research?

0% 30% 60%

Visit vendor sites

Email w/vendors

F2F w/vendors

Phone w/vendors


Need for personal contact increases as

researchers move deeper into buying cycle

● Early stage research is overwhelmingly done online

- Independent web research is the main source in all markets

● ANZ (77%) and Japan (59%) are most online focused

● A plurality of Chinese researchers (32%) are inclined to do

independent research but about ¼ will call a vendor directly

● In all markets <5% want a vendor phone call at this stage

● Shift starts to emerge during the shortlisting process

- Online resources (publisher/vendor sites) still preferred in all

markets except China (39% opt for calls/meetings with vendors)

- 27%–33% in other markets are ready for a call or meeting

at this point

- Few turn over decision-making to VARs; Chinese organizations

(17%) more likely than others to do so


Outbound calls need to be timed just right

● Most frown upon early-stage

phone calls

- China is the exception (53%)

● Phone receptivity peaks during

the shortlisting process

- Roughly half would take a call

- Dips again during decision

making

● Aussies are least receptive to

ever getting a phone

- Less than 40% would take a

call during any stage of the

buying process


Where are you open to receiving

a phone call?

0% 30% 60%

Shortlisting

Initial research

Final decision-

making


Receptivity to early stage phone calls is

on the decline

● In nearly all markets, IT buyers are becoming increasingly

reluctant to receiving early stage calls from IT vendors


2012 2011 % change

ANZ 27% 38% -11%

India 38% 49% -11%

ASEAN 42% 41% +1%

China 53% 55% -2%

Japan 34% 54% -20%

Don’t believe everything you’re told on a call

● Across all markets, about half

got a call offering content

- 62%–77% accepted the

content, if it’s interesting even

if they had no plan to make a

purchase

- Aussies (24%) most apt to take

the content just to end the call

● Be skeptical of the info

collected

- Less than 20% provide

accurate info

- Aussies most apt not to tell

truth


How accurate would the information

you share about your company and

purchasing plans be?

0% 35% 70%

Somewhat accurate

Would say anything to end the call

Completely accurate


Hit users at the right time, with the right

message, through the right channel

● Avoid cold calling to early-stage prospects

- Most find it a nuisance and the information you should be

skeptical of the information you gather

● Nurture prospects using the same channel where you initially

engaged them

- Email online leads with additional content; raise familiarity

with your offerings and move them downstream

● Look for activity cues on when it’s a good time to call

- There’s a small window of time when calls are most likely to

be welcomed

- Rely on internal CRM systems and publishers to establish these

cues and have more engaged conversations with prospects

- Ensure your reps/ISRs are Web savvy


Local vs. .com websites: Which do IT

researchers prefer?

● Localization is most important

in non-English speaking

countries

- Large majorities in China and

Japan prefer local websites to

global ones

- Least essential in India and

ASEAN where users

overwhelmingly would opt for

.com sites

- At large (500+) ANZ

organizations global sites are

preferred by 63%

- Most think having a local voice

on a website is “nice to have,

but not essential”

56%

70%

38%

76%

22%

44%

30%

62%

24%

78%

ANZ

ASEAN

China

India

Japan

Global best practices Local content


Which type of site do you prefer

for conducting IT purchasing

research?

What do the global/local results mean for

your marketing?

● Technology problems are rarely geo-specific

- Buyers want to stay up to speed on what is going on globally

● We think it says something positive about our approach of

global best practices content with local online sites

combination

● For your content, keep in mind:

- Users first want to know what you are doing that is global

and best

- Don’t diminish the value of local content, just size the investment

appropriately because it is typically the hardest to source,

produce and approve

- Prioritize what you want to be “local”


More variety exists than you would expect

in preferred content types

● Despite taboos around

“comparison,” users want it

most

● More demand for product

literature than you might think

(especially so in India and

China)

● Users *say* they put case

studies a bit ahead of white

papers, performance suggests

otherwise

● Independent publisher content

on par with tech solutions


Rank value of the these content

resources when visiting an IT site

for research*

0% 30% 60%

Tech solution comparison

Trial software

Case studies

Product lit

White papers


* % rating ea. asset as among two most valuable

Which is more valuable: A local case study

or an industry case study?

● It’s a close call, but local trumps vertical-specific; local is

especially important in China


Local case studies from

my country Case studies from

my industry

ANZ 33% 21%

India 36% 36%

ASEAN 38% 35%

China 42% 36%

Japan 20% 13%

What insight do content preferences provide

for your marketing plan?

● Invest in comparison content

- Produce your own comparison content—buyers know it is biased,

but not enough content like it exists.

● Align with sites that offer deep, technical best-practices

oriented material

- It’s among the two top types of content that researchers look for

● Make trials easier—people want them

● Make the most of the case studies you have

- Tend to work well as a secondary asset

- Preference for local over vertical—especially in non-English

speaking places where little of that content is produced


In non-English speaking countries, comfort

with English content decreases with rich media


27%

11%

7%

27%

35%

36%

29%

19%

38%

53%

60%

74%

Subtitled videos

Product Lit

White papers

Webcasts

Very comfortable

Somewhat comfortable

Not comfortable

China comfort

with English?

Japan comfort

with English?

35%

26%

27%

35%

48%

40%

43%

35%

18%

34%

30%

51%

Subtitled videos

Product Lit

White papers

Webcasts

Very comfortable

Somewhat comfortable

Not comfortable

IT Pros are using social media for research,

but not the popular platforms

● ITDMs seem to be looking to

social media for peer expertise

and opinion

- Most of these options are very

niche

- “Influencer” based marketing

becomes important

● Broader social media platforms

are used in India, but not much

elsewhere

● Microblogging more widely

used in China than elsewhere


Which social media tools do you

use to gather info on potential tech

purchases?

0% 40% 80%

Online usercommunities or forums

Industry blogs

Q&A sites (e.g. ITKE,Quora)

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter /Weibo

Japan China India ASEAN ANZ

Across several markets, social media usage is

becoming more pervasive for IT researchers

● An increasing number of researchers are utilizing social media

platforms this year


2012 2011 % change

ANZ 81% 74% +7%

India 77% 77% 0%

ASEAN 83% 82% +1%

China 88% 68% +20%

Japan 55% 45% +10%

Key takeaways

● Realize you are largely talking to a specialized audience and

respond to it

● Aggressively pursue the whole buying team

● Put even more bets online—that is where users are and

increasingly will be, including IT managers

● Respect users’ sensitivity to sharing data in places like

Australia where privacy is top of mind

- Understand and respond to online behavioral patterns

● Don’t discount the value of personal contact, especially in

markets like China, but know when to initiate it

● Simplify your local content approaches and start with the

English assets you have; align with good global best practices

material


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