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This executive brief summarizes a recent online panel discussion, The State of Demand Generation 2012: Trends and Guidance, presented by Bulldog Solutions, with guest panelists from Demandbase and The Annuitas Group. The panel discussion provides insights from a recent DemandGen Report publication, The State of Demand Generation 2012. In the discussion, revenue performance experts share the trends that are reshaping marketing as we know it, and offer guidance about how BtoB marketers can position their organizations to grow revenue for successful transformation. You can view the webinar in its entirety at http://www.bulldogsolutions.com/node/762.
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
Executive Summary
The state of demand generation is not static; its changing rapidly by necessity. While BtoB buyers are shifting their behaviors, doing more research and looking for even more control over the purchasing process, the way marketers are talking to their prospects must also shift. At the same time, marketers are tasked with increased accountability to prove ROI on their activities. This dynamic environment heralds in a new generation of marketing leadership. The role of the CMO is evolving from a functional department head to that of a strategic business leader. CMOs are now positioning themselves as change agents in their organization, at the center of the process of transforming their business.
Source: DemandGen Reports 2011: Inside the Mind of the B2B Buyer survey Page 2
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
TREND #2
Marketing is charged with increased responsibility and accountability to deliverand proveROI. What marketers are waking up to is that in order to prove ROI on their marketing activities, their prospects need engagement at every stage of the buyers journey. As mentioned in Trend #1, because there are more decision makers to reach in any one BtoB transaction, creating buyer personas is increasingly critical, as is the relevant content required to communicate with each persona at each stage of the buying cycle. Technologies such as marketing automation and CRM systems are allowing marketers to operationalize and automate these conversations and then measure their efficacy much more easily than ever before.
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EXECUTIVE BRIEF
TREND #3
As the BtoB buyer becomes more empowered, the relationship between Sales and Marketing is changing by necessity. In the past, Marketing was responsible for generating leads and passing those leads over the wall to Sales; now, Marketing is increasingly held accountable for Marketinginitiated revenue and in some cases, must account for up to 40% of net new revenue. One of the ways Marketing has responded to this increased accountability is by starting their analysis of the buyers journey with the following questions: Where is our revenue currently coming from? How can we drive revenue quickly, measurably, with improved efficiencies and close rates? These questions have resulted in marketers shifting their focus in many instances to the bottom of the funnel, traditionally under the purview of Sales. Marketing and Sales must now look at the entire funnel togetherand the data gleaned from MAP and CRMhoning the tools and programs to ensure all touch points, messages and handoffs between the top of funnel and lower funnel are closed. This requires a significant cultural shift.
TREND #4
As technology and related processes increase in complexity, Marketing is experiencing an ever-widening skills gap that inhibits them from maximizing their program potential. SiriusDecisions predicts the adoption of marketing automation technology to increase by 50% over the next three years. While technologies, and the ensuing processes required in order to implement them effectively, can facilitate marketers ability to prove ROI on their activities, they also introduce new obstacles. Increasingly, theres a gap between marketing capabilities and the skillsets needed to impact the bottom line in a measurable way. Focusing on pinpointing the areas where the gaps need to be filledmost often, content marketing, social media, analytics and of course, technologyand then investing in the training required to master those disciplines, can mean all the difference in marketing automations ability to impact revenue significantly.
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EXECUTIVE BRIEF
To learn more about how Bulldog Solutions helps marketing organizations make a direct impact on sales, email a revenue performance consultant at revenueperformance@bulldogsolutions.com.
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