How buyers are dictating content marketing and sales strategies globally

Transcription

1 2013/2014 TechTarget Media Consumption Research rief Content essentials for technology buying teams worldwide How buyers are dictating content marketing and sales strategies globally PC Edition vs. vs. vs.

2 Content essentials for technology buying teams worldwide Identifying the needs and demands of PC technology decision makers for effective content marketing Just like those in North merica, Europe and Latin merica, IT departments in PC are tasked with the responsibility of conducting research, evaluating vendors and selecting the solution that will best satisfy their organization s needs. While the region has always been seen as a face-to-face culture when it comes to business s, technology buying teams have become more reliant on digital content and media, including white papers, case studies and online videos, to effectively compare vendors and gain information on the solutions that best solve their technology problems. s buyers arm themselves with the right tools and information to make more educated decisions, buy cycles are rapidly accelerating across the PC region, and both local and global marketers need to make sure their content marketing strategy is keeping pace with the needs of these well-informed buyers. bout the study Content essentials for technology buying teams worldwide aims to provide marketers with a complete understanding of how technology buying teams from different regions of the world consume content and expect to engage with technology vendors during the research and purchasing process. This research brief features the data and openended responses collected from technology buyers in ustralia and New Zealand, ssociation of Southeast sia Nations (SEN), China, India and Japan. Each highlight from the study includes in-depth and suggested best practices for marketers to leverage in their future strategies. This research brief is the PC edition of the global report presenting aggregate results for technology buyers in North merica, EME, PC and Latin merica. Download the global report. Highlights from this study include: Technology buying teams frequently include a variety of titles and geographically dispersed members. The project research and decision making process is moving rapidly for both established and emerging markets. The need for both vendor and third-party content for a complete perspective. The variety of media types required to move through the buy cycle. The influence of face-to-face among PC technology buyers. The information that technology buyers and vendors need to know about each other prior to. This research brief does not include every question that was asked in our survey. To receive the full report data, please contact the TechTarget Market Research Team. TechTarget s Media Consumption Report Published annually since 2008, TechTarget s Media Consumption Report is recognized as an authoritative resource for examining global content marketing trends and investigating the research and purchase behaviors of technology buyers. Past reports can be found at

3 Study NZ SEN China India Japan Regional breakdown Regional breakdown Company size Company size Company size ustralia: 78% Singapore: 29% Small: 20% Small: 16% Small: 21% New Zealand: 22% Malaysia: 27% Midsize: 24% Midsize: 40% Midsize: 35% Company size Small: 36% Midsize: 25% Large: 29% Job titles IT Staff: 19% IT Management: 21% Senior IT Management: 7% Senior Non-IT Management: 7% Industries Financial: 10% Philippines: 24% Indonesia: 11% Company size Small: 18% Midsize: 31% Large: 61% Job titles IT Staff: 18% IT Management: 28% Senior IT Management: 10% Senior Non-IT Management: 5% Large: 56% Job titles IT Staff: 11% IT Management: 46% Senior IT Management: 20% Senior Non-IT Management: 9% Industries Financial: 11% Manufacturing: 11% Telecommunications: 7% Government: 5% Large: 44% Job titles IT Staff: 16% IT Management: 22% Senior IT Management: 11% Senior Non-IT Management: 4% Industries Education: 7% Financial: 5% Government: 4% Manufacturing: 3% Large: 44% Job titles IT Staff: 36% IT Management: 23% Senior IT Management: 2% Industries Manufacturing: 13% Retail/Wholesale: 10% Telecommunications: 4% Publishing/Media: 3% Total respondents 137 Education: 10% Government: 9% Industries Financial: 15% Total respondents 203 Total respondents 276 Telecommunications: 7% Education: 10% Manufacturing: 10% Total respondents 168 Government: 6% Total respondents 133

4 PC technology buying teams expand internationally in most countries The responsibility of researching and comparing technology vendors and solutions that will best satisfy the needs of an organization is not assigned to a single person. Various members of the IT organization consider themselves to be decision-makers, influencers, or implementers and collectively, determine the most appropriate solution for their technology needs. In sia- Pacific countries, most technology buying teams consist of 5 or more members. In SEN and India specifically, many teams consist of 10+ members. Technology buying teams are expanding beyond sia-pacific 60 % s buying teams in PC grow in size, they also are expanding and including members from different geographies. The majority of technology buying teams in ustralia/new Zealand, SEN, China and India include members from different geographies for many of the organization s large-scale projects and roll-outs. major exception is in Japan where buying teams often include more than 8 centrally located members, with few members in other regions. Other than Japan, the majority of technology purchases in PC are made by members from different geographies The demand for content is coming from all directions, customize it accordingly With more than 5 members of an organization involved in the process of researching and comparing vendors, the need for information is greater than it has ever been before. Similar to the rest of the world, PC buying teams include members with various titles, roles, and have different when it comes for technologyrelated content. You will need to produce various content assets that speak to each persona and member. Global organizations have global decisionmakers If all of your prospects from a single account are sourced from one location, you may be missing a significant piece of the decisionmaking puzzle. efore passing leads to sales, look closely at the account and see if they have multiple locations. If so, you will want to identify the decision-makers in those locations so you can pass along complete, well-informed decision-making teams for the most effective follow-up. Multi-regional content efforts must include consistent messaging to be effective To maximize influence with multi-regional buying teams, it is key to maintain consistent messaging and themes as you expand content and marketing efforts to different regions. lso, be sure to localize content as needed to better engage in-country buyers.

5 The technology buy cycles in PC have accelerated and are on pace with those in North merican and EME In more mature IT markets such as North merica and EME, the standard amount of time it takes technology buying teams to effectively build a solution landscape, identify the key vendors and build a short-list is 6 months or less from identifying the original technology problem. ecause information is more readily available online across PC for buyers to conduct their research without engaging with vendors, buying teams in this region are now making purchase decisions at the same accelerate pace as EME and North merican buyers. PC buyers are accelerating their buy cycles NZ, Chinese and Indian buyers are making technology purchases in 6 months or less wareness Consideration Decision NZ SEN China India Japan 73% of technology buyers in ustralia/new Zealand are making their purchase decision in 6 months or less, while 40% of Chinese and 55% of Indian buyers are completing their buy cycles in 3 or less months. In Japan and SEN, decisions are made slightly longer than the other regions but still within the accelerated time frames. 70 % 6 months 40+ % of Indian and Chinese es are 3 months or less Guide your prospects with content, not sales reps Increasing their use of online sources of information such as vendor and publisher websites, technology buying teams are able to acquire the insight and details necessary to conduct their research without engaging with sales representatives. The research and purchasing process is fueled by the content that buyers consume to get a better understanding of what solutions best satisfy their needs and will gauge how receptive they are to engaging with vendors. e sure your follow-up strategy provides multiple content assets and useful information to allow your prospects move through the buy cycle. Nurture PC prospects at same rate as those in North merica and EME It is time to stop generally labeling the PC market as emerging or marketing to technology buyers in this region differently than those in North merica and Europe. uyers in many of the sia-pacific markets are conducting their research the same way, and at the same rate, as those in the more established markets. If you are running a worldwide campaign, make sure your nurturing streams are similar. uyers in every region are leveraging online sources of information and content to guide through the buy cycle quickly; make sure you are keeping pace with every one of them.

6 Content PC buyers leverage content from both third-parties and vendors to gain a complete perspective of solutions In order for technology buying teams to effectively identify the right solution and vendor for their organization, each member seeks out multiple pieces of content to conduct their research. For 66% of buying teams in PC, each member requires 4 or more pieces of content in order to effectively build a vendor short-list for the organization. 28% of buyers in India and 23% of buyers in China require 10 or more pieces of content. While 40% of Japanese buyers prefer to consume vendor-produced content, the majority of technology vs. Third-party content Solution landscape Unbiased comparisons Solution features buyers in PC consume content that is created by both third-party experts and vendors as each provide the information required to gain a complete perspective of what solutions are currently available to buyers. Third-party content is viewed as a good source when buyers are seeking unbiased opinions on the current solution landscape and vendor content for pricing and implementation details. While there is a strong affinity for vendor content among Japanese buyers, many PC buying teams are guided by a consumption of third-party and vendor-produced content content 66 % of buyers require 4+ pieces of content to build short-list. Half of those requiring 8+ Technical details Implementation tutorials Pricing information Create content that fills the gap left by third-party content Third-party content can provide very useful information for PC buyers to conduct research and evaluate vendors but it does not provide all the information required to make a well-informed decision. content is very useful for buyers because it can provide technical, implementation, and cost information not featured in third-party content. e sure to develop content that provides and emphasizes this information as buyers move through the buy cycle. Leverage more vendor content for Japanese buyers Similar to the other regions in PC, Japanese buyers each consume a minimum of 4 pieces of content to build their shortlists. However, they have a higher preference towards vendor-produced content than any other region. When targeting Japanese buyers, be sure to increase your portfolio and develop a wide variety of content pieces and themes for all members of the buying team. Use third-party content to your advantage Knowing that IT buyers view third-party content to research solutions and evaluate vendors can work to your advantage. Increase your chances of making buyer short-lists and associate your brand with trusted third-party expertise by sponsoring these highly valued content types.

7 PC buyers consume a variety of media types in different stages of the buy cycle Similar to the rest of the world, PC buyers find product literature, white papers, and case studies to be the most effective media types in all stages of the buy cycle. However, there are media types that are found to be most effective in certain stages of the process. In the early stage, when buying teams have just identified a technology problem and are looking to understand the current marketplace, buyers in every region of PC find online videos to be among the most effective media types. During the middle stages, buying teams have begun wareness White papers Consideration White papers the process of evaluating vendors. For buyers in NZ, SEN and India, vendor comparisons are considered to be most effective here, where webcasts are preferred among Chinese buyers and trial downloads for buyers in Japan. Infographics are also found effective in the middle stages for Chinese and Indian buying teams. In the final stage, trial downloads are effective for buyers in NZ, China and Japan to build their shortlist and make a purchase decision. SEN and Indian buyers prefer to leverage vendor comparisons during this stage. ll PC buyers consume product literature, white papers, and case studies throughout the buy cycle Some countries have different for media types based on stage Decision White papers Media is only as good as the information it provides While IT buyers have towards specific media types based on their stage of the buy cycle, the type of media is only effective if the information that it features is relevant to their research. e sure that any media type you use provides the insight and details IT buyers want and require; or they will turn to other vendors that provide it. Leverage streaming media and visual assets to quickly broadcast message Online videos, webcasts, infographics and blogs are effective ways to engage PC prospects quickly while you are producing detailed content such as white papers and case studies; just be sure to keep them brief and relevant. Most PC buyers consume webcasts, preferably on-demand, that are 30 minutes or less and online videos under 15 minutes in length. Japanese buyers prefer webcasts be shorter than 20 minutes and videos to be less than 10 minutes. Case studies Case studies Case studies Product literature Online videos Product literature Trial downloads vs. Product literature comparisons

8 uyers across PC leverage face-to-face during different stages of the buy cycle Online information sources such as search engines and IT-related publisher websites; as well as the consumption of media types like webcasts and videos has allowed technology buyers to effectively move through the buy cycle. Even with this growing trend, there continues to be a demand for face-to-face for buyers across sia-pacific. However, the level of effectiveness and the stage in which these topically-aligned are utilized varies among the different PC regions. Hot Warm Cold Stages of the buy cycle Late For SEN, as well as Chinese buyers, the valuable information provided during a topically-focused event are effective across PC In the different PC regions, the level of effectiveness and time of use varies NZ 21% India 24% is useful in all stages of the buy cycle, but is seen as most effective during the middle stages. For Indian and NZ buyers, face-to-face are most effective during the late stages when compared to other sources of information. 63% of Japanese buyers find face-to-face to be the most effective source of information in early stages of the buy cycle. China 23% SEN 21% Japan 3% Sponsor topically-align to engage the right prospects in PC are a great way to present your brand and message to prospects, as long as it topically relevant. Identify that are most aligned to your brand, and present your solution to an active, highly-engaged audience of technology buyers and their team members. Understand the buy cycle stage of face-toface event attendees and plan follow-up strategy accordingly uyers in different regions of PC attend face-to-face at different stages of the buy cycle. Therefore, there are different follow-up strategies when contacting the attendees from your sponsored event. For buyers in Japan, they are most likely in the early stage or entering the middle stages of the buy cycles after attending so followup with relevant content and not sales representatives. For Indian and NZ buyers, attending an event may indicate that the buyer is in the late stage and therefore, may be more receptive to sales follow-up. Middle 26% 29% 36% 35% 24% Early 28% 22% 22% 29% 63%

9 PC buyers demand well-timed s with well-informed vendors With the wealth of information readily available online, buyers have the ability to dictate when they would like to discuss their technology needs, as well as the topics of the conversation with vendors. Similar to the rest of the world, buyers in all PC regions are most receptive to engaging with sales reps from technology vendors once they have obtained some information about the vendor and their solution. While NZ, SEN, Chinese and Indian buyers prefer to understand the benefits that the vendor s solution brings to all parts of the organization, most Japanese Success stories of adoption methods enefits of your product Cost of your product. Competitive differentiation buyers want to know the cost of the product prior to. Just as buyers seek out information on vendors prior their first, they also expect vendors to have information on them as well. NZ, SEN and Japanese buyers believe the most effective discussions occur when the sales reps can provide insight on effective adoption and implementation methods. For Chinese and Indian buyers, the most effective s are those that present competitive differentiators. PC buyers expect vendors to understand their needs and interests prior to. Products that are currently installed C. Effective methods of implementation C Develop content with themes that will influence buyers efore engaging with any sales reps, buyers want enough information about you and your solution, so make sure you provide it. Your content, in any format, must nurture prospects with the technical information, implementation insights and comparative information IT buyers prefer to know in preparation for their first with sales. Without providing this information, your sales teams attempts will fail and opportunities will be lost. Identify when prospects are ready to engage with sales Monitoring the information your prospects are consuming can alert you to when they are ready for sales. If a prospect has consumed content assets that feature comparative insights, technical details or cost information, they will be most receptive to sales. Equip your sales teams with the information required for effective s The first between your sales rep and the buying team must be as productive as possible. Make sure your sales teams have the full profile of the buying team and their specific interests. Information about the other vendors they may be considering and recent success stories will help sales make the most out of the opportunity.

10 Maximizing the impact of content marketing and sales strategies across sia-pacific Technology buying trends in PC are in line with North merica and EME The issues that technology buyers face, as well as the need to conduct research and evaluate vendors through content that is readily available online, is a global trend. IT organizations in PC, Latin merica, North merica, and Europe all rely on the relevant content that is available to them through various online information sources to make a well-informed technology purchase decision. Produce content for all members of large, geographically-dispersed buying teams cross all regions of PC, technology purchase decisions are being made by multiple members of the IT organization. In SEN and India, teams involved in the process of identifying the right vendor to meet their technology needs can exceed 10 members. While buying teams in Japan most often reside in their own country, the majority of PC buying teams include members located in different geographies. ecause of this, marketers must evaluate their prospecting and nurturing strategies to ensure they are influencing the decisions of all members involved in the decisionmaking process and identifying those members that may be conducting research in other territories. uy cycles in PC have caught up to those in North merica and EME For buyers in NZ, SEN, China and India, the amount of time for technology buying teams require to fully understand the nature of their technology problem, research possible solutions and vendors and build their vendor short-lists is 6 months or less. Now PC buying teams are accelerating through the buy cycle at the same rate of the more established markets. Marketers need to ensure they are continuously influencing these decisions through the use of content as guide for buying teams during the process. Content quality is more important than source or media format for PC buyers Constantly seeking relevant content to make wellinformed decisions, PC buyers are not concerned with the source of the content and the media format in which it is presented. uyers will consume content that is produced by both third-parties and technology vendors as long as the information it provides is relevant and helpful in the. PC buyers are also willing consume a variety of media, from detailed white papers to casual blogs and videos, so marketers must leverage all media types to ensure their message is constantly presented to all buyers as they move through the buy cycle. are effective information sources for PC buyers, but the stage varies There continues to be a need to attend face-toface that are contextually-relevant for buyers across PC in different stages of the buy cycle. For marketers, be sure to leverage these as a way to get in front of buyers across the PC region. In different regions across PC, attending a face-to-face event gives a different indication in which stage of the buy cycle they are in and what the appropriate followup strategy should be. Identify when prospects are ready to engage and what the focus of the discussion should be With much of their research conducted independently and without many conversations directly with vendors, buyers expect their first whether it s by phone, , or face-to-face to be as productive as possible. Your sales reps need to research each prospect thoroughly and understand the implementation and adoption methods that they would need to consider if selecting your solution as well as who are the other vendors they are considering to have an effective, successful.

11 Contact Us bout TechTarget Resources for marketers We did not include every question and response from our study in this report. For the purposes of this report, we have focused on the most important takeaways. However, we can share the full report data upon request. To read the global report, click here or visit For more information about this study and to receive a copy of the full report data, please contact The Market Research Team. TechTarget is the online intersection of serious technology buyers, targeted technical content and technology providers worldwide. Our extensive network of online and social media, powered by TechTarget s ctivity Intelligence platform, redefines how technology marketers view and engage technology buyers based on their active projects, specific technical priorities and business needs. With more than 100 technology-specific websites and a wide selection of custom advertising, branding, and lead generation solutions, TechTarget delivers unparalleled reach and innovative opportunities to drive technology marketing success around the world. TechTarget is based in oston and has locations in tlanta, eijing, Cincinnati, London, Munich, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, and Sydney. For more information, please visit: compilation of best practices and white papers, market research reports and ROI driven case studies, TechTarget s Resources for Marketers provides technology marketers the information and insight they need to enhance their strategies: Understand international IT buyers and how to enter global markets effectively Uncover where IT budgets are being allocated year by year Discover the latest strategies your marketing peers have leveraged to deliver higher-quality leads nd much more Visit and understand the IT buying market and how to appropriately engage with IT audiences worldwide for optimal ROI.