Technology-led B2B Business leaders rate online B2B brand strength as more important since Covid-19
Research that was conducted across 300 senior decision makers in the UK across the IT, manufacturing and engineering sectors shows business leaders not only think it is more important than it was 3 years ago, but 81% of IT companies and 74% of manufacturing and engineering companies also believe that visual identity has a strong influence on the cost of what they sell. This highlights the importance of a strong brand in the B2B marketing technology space is required to maximise sales value.
Interestingly, although brand importance is clearly recognised, very few organisations have utilised a professional brand company to create their brand. Only 14% of IT companies and 9% of manufacturing / engineering companies have used a professional brand company to develop their brand, with 43% and 48% having been created by a non-creative focused person in an organisation, or the brand being labelled a “family heirloom”.
Another important note was that fewer than a third of correspondents felt their brand gave them a competitive advantage, the remaining 69% believing the brand to be less competitive or equal, yet in an age where a digital brand can be changed relatively quickly and cost-effectively this could be a missed opportunity.
Matt Jupp, Senior Marketing Consultant at technology specialists Motion Marketing said
“One of our main reasons for doing the survey was to qualify what we were seeing across the industries. Clearly, Covid-19 changed the shape of sales and marketing, the target audience was forced to change how they research and engage in finding a solution. Online content has become more important as new habits have been created, and the digital brand is vital in correctly getting that content across. We are seeing more clients recognising this fact and actively taking their brand forwards. In a digital age, it is a cost-effective way of reducing barriers to sales, gaining competitive advantage, increasing sales value, and opening more doors to opportunities”.
The research study also shows how important working with an industry niched agency is to obtain the best results, highlighting that companies utilising industry-skilled marketing agencies are obtaining more regular leads and are rated higher at understanding technology solutions and messaging.
A new independent research study was completed by Sapio Research for Motion Marketing. 150 respondents working in the IT sector and 150 in Manufacturing and Engineering businesses in the UK.
Surveys completed by: Owners, CxOs, Sales Directors, Marketing Directors, and other heads of department. Companies ranged in size from SMEs to businesses with up to 750 employees and £500m+ in annual turnover.
About Motion Marketing
Motion Marketing is a niche marketing agency that has 50% clients with IT and 50% clients within manufacturing and engineering. Many of our team come with a technical education and background, we live and breathe tech, from strategy to creative to content creation. Our clients are involved with cyber security, digital transformation, AI, IoT, IIoT, Industry 4.0, data science, connectivity and more. We deliver a full marketing service, from brand to website to focused campaigns. Inbound, outbound and account-based marketing. The marketing mix is different for every client, but a mix is always needed for success.