Anteriad, the marketing solutions provider to the world’s leading B2B brands, today announced the results of its study The 2022 Outlook on Data and Technology: A Year of Herding Cats and Black Holes, fielded by Ascend2, which shows the direct link between the effective use of data in B2B marketing and improved company performance. The study found that two-thirds of B2B marketers report their organizations do not have a comprehensive data strategy in place to inform marketing, but those who do are 3.6 times more likely to report excellence in deriving actionable insight from data compared to those that do not. Marketers who rate their ability to derive actionable insights from the data they collect as “excellent” or “very good” are nearly three times more likely to have increased revenue last year than other marketers.
“Having a comprehensive data strategy in marketing is a critical driver of company success. In this study, essential data capabilities such as data integration across systems, the use of intent data, and deriving actionable insights from data contribute directly to reaching company goals and increased revenue,” said Todd Lebo, CEO at Ascend2.
The survey of 370 marketing professionals from across the United States and the United Kingdom revealed how B2B companies are adjusting to a shifting technology and data landscape to drive results in their go-to-market strategies and tactics. Most importantly, the minority of B2B marketers that have made data a priority are faring better than those that have not:
66% of B2B marketers don’t have a comprehensive data strategy that drives their marketing efforts.
- 54% of B2B marketers with a comprehensive data strategy report that they can drive actionable insights from data compared to only 15% of other advertisers.
- Only 23% of B2B marketers have fully integrated data that flows from one system to another without manual input.
- 72% of companies with fully integrated data saw more revenue growth last year, compared to 53% of those who are not fully integrated.
A data-driven approach directly connects to the ability to execute marketing campaigns and ultimately drive business success. The study found, for example, that 59% of those with comprehensive strategies report that their campaigns are extremely successful at achieving goals. Compare this to the finding that 14% of those without comprehensive strategies report that their campaigns are extremely successful at achieving goals.
The study reveals that in addition to technical data capabilities and data analytics, internal management is not always aligned. Nearly 40% of directors and managers identify data normalization as an issue; for vice presidents and above, the number is less than 30%. Data is a complex element of marketing, and often the marketers working with data on a daily basis are better attuned to the areas of the organization that need improvement. Business leaders have an opportunity to improve their data use by collaborating with operational staff.
“Data is a foundational element of successful B2B marketing. Our research with Ascend2 not only reveals the specific data-driven approaches that yield the best results for marketers, it also exposes the opportunities that marketers have in front of them to capture the true value of data and insights,” said Lynn Tornabene, CMO at Anteriad.
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