New UBM TechWeb Report Finds Technology Marketers Missing Critical Opportunity to Impact Enterprise B-to-B Purchase Process

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM TechWeb released "Understanding the Technology Purchase Process: Reframing Your Marketing Around Customer & Organizational Needs," a report that provides insight into today's complex enterprise organizational purchase process, and guides technology marketers on how to deliver information around their customers' needs.  The report is based on new quantitative research that studied the purchase process of 860 business and technology professionals, and qualitative data based on metrics drawn from millions of monthly transactions and engagements UBM TechWeb has with enterprise decision makers.

An executive report of the findings can be downloaded at CreateYourNextCustomer.com, UBM TechWeb's resource for technology marketing best practices, advice and research.

Report highlights include:

• The enterprise purchase process is initiated by a clearly identified need by organizations for change: a business problem that needs to be solved, an operational or process-related issue that must be addressed, or a market opportunity that creates more revenue or competitive leverage
• The greatest opportunity for marketing influence is during the early stages of the process; most marketing content and efforts today focuses on later stages, a missed opportunity for many marketers: (Percent of respondents involved at each stage of the purchase process)
  • 61% - Determine need
  • 58% - Define requirements
  • 64% - Evaluate and recommend
  • 46% - Select
  • 25% - Approve
  • 44% - Implement
• Marketers who target campaigns simply by job title often miss critical influencers who shoot down projects; the report concludes the marketing best practice is to target by role
• Decision makers require different types of content to solve different information needs during the complex purchase process

"B-to-B tech marketers have been so focused on their product that they often ignore what information organizations need to make purchasing decisions," said Jonathan Vlock, Director of Client Marketing Strategy, and one of the report authors.  "The role of B-to-B tech marketers has evolved, and our findings show that marketers need to re-think how they approach their targeting and communications strategies.  Our recommendation to marketers is to conduct a content inventory and audit annually, if not semi-annually, to refine and optimize their marketing communications strategy."

To download an executive summary of UBM TechWeb's "Understanding the Technology Purchase Process: Reframing Your Marketing Around Customer & Organizational Needs," report, please visit: http://createyournextcustomer.techweb.com/2011/11/understanding-the-technology-purchase-process/. Registration is required.  This report is part of UBM TechWeb's CreateYourNextCustomer.com tech marketing best practices series.  Please visit the site to access additional reports.

For more information, contact:
Winnie Ng-Schuchman
VP of Marketing
InformationWeek Business Technology Network
wng@techweb.com

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 15 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb