the b2b barometer wave 5 (q3 2011)
DESCRIPTION
Wave 5 of the B2B Barometer was launched in the summer of 2011 and responses collected over a 3-4 week period in July and August. 137 online interviews were conducted in total; 68 with client-side B2B marketing professionals controlling a total of £27m in B2B marketing budgets, and 69 B2B marketing agency professionals with total annual revenues of £540m. Findings include the movement and allocation of B2B budgets across channels, attitudes to sales and marketing alignment and forecasts of economic confidence. Read the full, free report at www.b2bbarometer.co.uk.About the B2B Barometer®: The B2B Barometer® has established itself as the definitive state of the nation study. The surveys are undertaken by B2B research specialists Circle Research and supported by ABBA, the IDM and members of the IDM B2B Council. The fifth report is now available, making interesting comparisons available between client's perceptions over time, as well as differences between client and agency views.Key areas covered:B2B agency performance; Online advertising budget share in next 12 months; Attitudes and behaviours to sales/marketing alignment; Budgets and economic confidence.TRANSCRIPT
The B2B Barometer: Vital Statistics
• The B2B Barometer is the ‘state of the nation’ study for B2B marketers
• Now in its fifth wave, and backed by two years’ worth of historical data on B2B marketing
• Findings based on 137 interviews with B2B marketing professionals conducted in July and August 2011:
• 68 client-side marketing professionals collectively responsible for controlling budgets amounting to £27.0 million a year
• 69 B2B marketing agency professionals with total annual revenues of £540m
• This report project is sponsored by Circle Research, the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing and the Association of B2B Agencies
How confident are you in the ability of the current government to effectively manage the UK's economy?
Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11
4%
9% 14% 12%
26%25% 22%
51% 49% 50%
8% 7% 7%
5% 8%
Very confident
Quite confident
Not sure
Not very confident
Not at all confident
No opinion
Base: 137 B2B marketers
How confident are you with your organisation's own outlook for the next 12 months?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 1140%
80%
64%
54%
63%61%
Base: 137 B2B marketers
Net confidence = % confident - % not confid-ent
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 1140%
80%
64%
54%
63%
61%
0.63
Base: 137 B2B marketers
59%
After 4th August
Before 4th August
How confident are you with your organisation's own outlook for the next 12 months?
To what extent has your organisation's revenue changed over the past 12 months?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11
27%
10% 7% 12%
18%
20%16% 9%
19%
20%
20% 19%
23%
34%
34%26%
11% 15%23%
34%
Significantly up
Slightly up
Largely static
Slightly declined
Significantly declined
Base: 69 B2B marketing agency respondents
In the past six months, would you say the number of enquiries you have received has...?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11
15% 10%4%
10%
20%
8%9%
17%
25%
17%17%
17%
24%
47%42%
35%
12% 17%25% 20%
Significantly increased
Slightly increased
Stayed the same
Slightly decreased
Significantly decreased
Base: 69 B2B marketing agency respondents
And now thinking about the quality of these enquiries, would you say they have...?
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11
32%
59%
10% 13%
37%
7%
39%
49%
31% 34%
51%38%
Improved
Stayed the same
Worsened
Base: 69 B2B marketing agency respondents
Agency revenues versus agency enquiries
Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 110%
100%
34%
49%
57%
60%
36%
64%67%
55%
Revenues up over past 12 months
Enquiries up over past 6 months
Base: 69 B2B marketing agency respondents
Thinking about your organisation's budgets, in overall terms how, if at all, would you say they have changed in the past 12 months?
28%
48%
22%
38%
44%
18%
Increased
Remained static
Decreased
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Jan 11
Aug 11
Compared to the previous 12 months, does your organisation's B2B marketing budget for the next 12 months represent an increase or a decrease?
Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 11
9% 9% 5%
18% 15%
5%
30% 35%
33%
25%34%
38%
16%8%
20%
Significant increaseSlight increaseNo changeSlight decreaseSignificant decrease
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Over the next 12 months, what proportion of this B2B marketing budget do you expect to be allocated to these areas?
19%
13%
12%
9%
8%
7%
6%
4%
4%
3%2% 4%
7%Trade shows
Website development
Direct mail
PR
Online ads
Marketing research
Marketing strategy
Social media
Brand identity
Telemarketing
Other
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
The rise in spend on digital marketing channels and fall in spend on traditional marketing channels has tapered off over the past six months
Apr 09 Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Aug 110%
75%
47% 45% 43% 43% 43%
39% 41% 42% 41%
34%
14% 14% 15% 16%
23%
Traditional channels*
Digital channels
Other
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers* excludes telemarketing
Direct mail’s share of B2B marketing budget has almost halved in two years. The channels to gain from this shortfall have been social media and trade shows.
Apr 09 Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Jul 110%
20%
12%
14%
13%
15%
11%
12%
10%
6%
2%
5%
3%
Website devel-opment
Online ads
Social media
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Direct mail’s share of B2B marketing budget has almost halved in two years. The channels to gain from this shortfall have been social media and trade shows.
Apr 09 Nov 09 Jun 10 Jan 11 Jul 110%
20%
14%
17%19%
16%
9%10%9%
7%
Trade shows
Direct mail
PR
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Comparison of how B2B marketing budgets are allocated amongst channels against how time assigned to B2B marketing is allocated
Other
Telemarketing
Brand identity
Social media
Marketing research
Strategy
Online
PR
Direct mail
Website development
Trade shows
6%
3%
2%
6%
5%
7%
4%
8%
6%
8%
12%
16%
16%
7%
4%
2%
3%
4%
4%
6%
7%
8%
9%
12%
13%
19%
BudgetTime
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Do you think that your organisation's sales and marketing activities should be better aligned?
28%
51%
18%
Yes, significantly
Yes, to some degree
No, not really
No, not at all
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
What would you say are the most significant consequences of mis-alignment?
No major consequences
Other
Customer dissastisfaction
Effort duplication
Internal tensions
Inconsistent brand message
Inefficient budget allocation
Wasted time
Leads not fully nurtured
6%
9%
21%
28%
29%
31%
41%
53%
60%
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
To what extent is aligning sales and marketing an important objective for your organisation?
59%
32%
7%
Very importantQuite importantNot very importantNot at all important
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Do you think that that sales and marketing alignment can be realistically achieved by your organisation?
35%
60%
4%
Yes, perfectly realisticYes, largely realisticNo, not very realisticNot at all realistic
Base: 68 B2B client-side marketers
Find out more …Access the full contents of Report 5 (and earlier
reports) FREE at www.b2bbarometer.co.uk
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