ANA survey says B2B marketers must step up their game to get seat at boardroom table

Chicago—For the past few years, many have predicted that B2B marketers will become much more influential as their companies become more customer-centric. But is that really happening? Not so much, according to a study released last week by the Association of National Advertisers during the ANA/BMA16: Masters of B2B Marketing Conference.

“Our study shows that B2B marketers have much to offer, but that message is not getting through to the right people within their own organizations,” said Bob Liodice, president-CEO of the ANA. “These marketers need to implement growth leadership initiatives, put forth a clear vision of their brands, and develop strategies to remove barriers.”

The study, which polled 237 B2B marketers in conjunction with research firm GfK in March, found that 39 percent of B2B marketers surveyed believe their roles are to ensure that the voice of the customer shapes the business strategy and to bring expert marketing competencies to the table. However, many also indicated that they are struggling to be considered as vital, strategic assets, and are viewed as little more than an extension of their companies’ sales divisions.

For example, just 42 percent said they even have a seat at the top management table, and only 37 percent said they enjoy strong endorsement from senior management. To make matters more challenging, 35 percent of respondents said senior leadership is still focused on the product and price and not on insights into the customer.

To encourage leadership to view them as essential strategic partners, the ANA advised that B2B marketers “combine strong leadership skills with deep marketing experience to clearly establish their companies’ competitive advantage, which will allow them to increase their influence and play key roles in driving sales, boosting brand awareness, and increasing customer loyalty.”

The organization also provided the following recommendations to help B2B marketers achieve their goals and overcome obstacles:

• Partner with sales to drive business growth. Business marketers’ should work as a strategic partner with sales to drive revenue growth, boost brand awareness, and increase customer loyalty and retention.
   
• Inspire the entire organization to build business growth. Marketing managers in companies with higher revenue relative to their competition are more likely to agree that researchers, sales teams and IT are receptive to their marketing efforts.
   
• Shift the focus of strategy from product to consumer. B2B companies that achieve higher revenue relative to their competition focus marketing efforts on driving a consistent brand identity across buyer touch points, strengthening strategic brand imagery and boosting brand awareness.
   
• Prove ROI to ensure marketing is perceived as a competitive advantage. Measuring campaign results elevates marketing’s contribution to business growth and enables it to be perceived as a competitive advantage.
   
• Acquire the tools and digital skill sets needed to compete today. When asked where B2B marketing will be in the next three to five years, 71 percent of respondents said that digital marketing and technological skill sets will be required of them. However, only 7 percent reported having effective processes in place for capturing data on buyer behavior, attitudes and engagement.