2018 audience & demand planning benchmark...

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2018 Audience & Demand Planning Benchmark SurveyCurrent State of Marketer’s Challenges, Priorities, and Goals Around Total Audience Measurement and Demand Planning

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Marketing’s ability to be effective and efficient is directly related to how much a company

knows about its customers and total audience. Having the right total audience metrics

— insights that go a step beyond the traditional total addressable market assessment

— is necessary for key marketing tasks, such as persona modeling, potential customer

identification, buyer journey creation, account-based marketing (ABM) program

planning, demand planning and customer-centric personalization.

Introduction

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU HAVE DATA COVERAGE ON YOUR TOTAL TARGET AUDIENCE IN TERMS OF FRESH, ACCURATE CONTACT AND ACCOUNT DATA?

2018 Audience & Demand Planning Benchmark Survey2

Extremely confident

Mostly confident

Somewhat confident

Not very confident

Not at all confident

10%

30%

33%

17%

8%

New research from Demand Gen Report shows that, to promote business growth, B2B

marketers must prioritize initiatives, which gather total audience metrics, to gain deeper

insights on their audience coverage. This ultimately positions B2B companies to better

plan demand generation campaigns and drive results.

The 2018 Audience & Demand Planning Benchmark Survey shows that most companies

realize the importance of having good data about their total target audience and see it

as a key to important business initiatives. Specifically:

• 82% of survey respondents said it is a priority or major priority to know their target audiences in terms of data coverage and data quality;

• 56% said that starting or scaling ABM efforts drove a high priority to expand

data coverage for target accounts and contacts. An overlapping 56% pointed to a

need for more accurate, current and deeper contact information for segmented

campaigns; and

• 68% expect that improved audience coverage will help them achieve better

conversion rates through better buyer targeting and more personalized campaigns.

The ultimate result would be improved conversion rates and greater revenue.

Despite the importance of knowing your total audience, relatively few companies

have excelled in their efforts. Close to two-thirds (60%) of respondents said they lack

confidence in the data coverage of their total target audience — the targets in their

CRM or MAP systems. Only 45% said they currently invest in processes or solutions to

improve their coverage.

Other findings show that:

• Few used useful data like technographics (17%) or intent (35%);

• Less than a third (30%) undertake demand planning on a quarterly basis; and

• Only 20% use third parties to help improve data.

The following report will break down the survey results to examine:

f The contrast between prioritizing the total target audience and a lack of confidence

in how fresh and accurate their account and contact data are;

f Business initiatives that drive priorities and solution investments;

f Expected investment payoffs;

f The current state of demand planning; and

f What drives demand planning and what parts of the business will benefit.


https://ctt.ac/f7FYd

Audience Data Is A Priority, But Most Marketers Lack Confidence In Its Quality

The survey shows that respondents realize the importance of both data coverage of

their total audiences and data quality. About 82% of the respondents said coverage, as

well as better insight and analysis of data quality, were either a priority or major priority.

Another 14% said they are paying attention to the issue of data coverage and quality,

but didn’t yet consider it a priority.

However, the survey shows that priorities don’t necessarily translate into successful

efforts for most respondents. When asked how confident they were in their data

coverage on their total target audience in terms of fresh, accurate contact and account

data, 60% had a significant or complete lack of confidence in their data coverage, based

on its quality. Only 40% were extremely or mostly confident about their data coverage.

Without accurate, high-quality data, a company’s data coverage is worthless. This can

ultimately lead to poor marketing decisions and wasted company resources.

The survey results also illuminate a gap between where many companies wish

to be regarding contact and account data, and where they currently are. The gap

suggests that a significant majority of companies cannot depend on the quality of

their target audience data. The implication is that they can’t tell whether marketing

campaigns and strategies are working or if shortcomings are due to poor data.


https://ctt.ac/1Q82t

33%

49%

14%

2%

1%

1%

It’s a major priority

It’s a priority

It’s on our radar, but not a priority

It’s not on our radar and we don’t plan to pursue it

We’re comfortable with our current level of analysis/coverage

Not sure

HOW BIG OF A PRIORITY IS IT TO KNOW YOUR DATA COVERAGE AND GAIN BETTER INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS OF YOUR DATA QUALITY FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES?


ABM, Segmentation And Other Growth Initiatives Drive Audience Coverage Prioritization

The study found that there are three types of initiatives that are driving better coverage

and insights: growth strategy, greater effectiveness and efficiency of marketing, and a

way to help feed demand planning.

For growth, 48% sought new markets. More than half (56%) wanted information to

support segmented marketing. In addition, 27% sought deeper information on contacts

as part of efficiency and effectiveness. Starting or scaling ABM efforts (56%), deeper

reach into audiences (54%) and information for segmented campaigns (56%) can benefit

both business growth and efficiency.

Surprisingly, the study shows that most are currently not investing in the processes and

solutions necessary to achieve these goals. Only 45% currently invest in processes and

solutions to better measure and understand current coverage of total target audience.

Close to one-quarter (23%) do not invest at all now and another 24% said they plan

to invest within the next year. Although there is no explicit correlation, it is curious

that that answers roughly mirrored respondents’ confidence in their efforts. Without

investment, companies are less likely to overcome limitations and achieve their goals,

especially in growth.

Only 45% currently invest in processes and solutions to better measure and

understand current coverage of their total target audience.


https://ctt.ac/17T4d

56%

56%

53%

48%

38%

27%

Starting/scaling ABM efforts

Looking for more accurate, current and deeper contact information to support segmented campaigns

Sales team looking for deeper reach into audiences

Looking for new markets to target as part of growth strategy

Providing intelligence/validation for our demand planning initiatives

Need for deeper information on contacts identified through intent, AI tools

WHAT CURRENT BUSINESS INITIATIVES MAKE EXPANDED COVERAGE OF ALL POTENTIAL TARGET ACCOUNTS AND CONTACTS A BIGGER PRIORITY FOR YOUR COMPANY?


Increased Engagement, Conversion Rates Expected Payoffs Of Better Audience Coverage

The companies that are currently investing or planning to invest are doing so with

expectations of what they will gain. There are two major desires — better efficiency and

effectiveness on one side, and growth and scaling on the other — and many companies

look to both types of payoff.

The biggest single segment (68%) wants more personalized campaigns that could

increase engagement by better targeting buyers, with a focus on how well marketing

reaches individuals. This fits with refined target messaging and criteria for higher

conversion rates (43%) and using better data to build confidence, trust and alignment

with sales (49%).

A growth focus includes identifying prospects to grow pipelines (51%) and reaching a

larger audience, and expanding total market opportunity (39%).

68% of B2B orgs expect more personalized campaigns that could increase buyer

engagement to be biggest payoff of better audience coverage.


https://ctt.ac/cd1U2

68%

51%

49%

43%

39%

More personalized campaigns to better targeted buyers are increasing engagement

We’ve identified new accounts and/or contacts that fit our buyer criteria, and used those to grow pipeline

More refined account and contact criteria, and better account and contact data are building confidence, trust and alignment with sales

We’ve refined our targeting criteria and messaging to where we’re achieving higher conversion rates on outbound marketing and sales campaigns

We’ve refined our targeting criteria to reach a larger audience and expanded our total market opportunity

IF YOU ARE INVESTING — OR PLAN TO INVEST — IN EXPANDING/IMPROVING YOUR TOTAL AUDIENCE COVERAGE, WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED PAYOFFS OF YOUR AUDIENCE ANALYSIS INVESTMENTS?


Companies Lack Holistic View Of Total Audience Across Internal Departments

Respondents addressed not only their activity in using processes and solutions to

expand or improve audience coverage, but also what departments were involved in the

ongoing efforts.

An overwhelming majority (89%) said the marketing team was involved in defining and

analyzing their company’s audience coverage, while 41% said they include the marketing

ops team in the process. Similarly, 51% of respondents included sales, while 32%

included sales ops and 28% included sales development or inside sales.

Executive leadership were included less often (39%) and demand generation only

contributed in less than a third of organizations (31%). Customer support, which can

offer critical information on both accounts and contacts, is only added by 18% of

respondents. Credit from finance and product teams were almost never added. The

pattern suggests that many companies miss important sources of insight into account

and contact data.

The involved groups had varying criteria for identifying and measuring audience coverage

and its expansion. Most companies have an internal focus, whether they identify criteria

for contacts and stakeholders in target accounts (60%) or target accounts (58%).

Interestingly, only 42% focus on individuals with the appropriate job titles or use multiple

roles and job titles that have use cases for products and services (55%). Although useful,

these are some of the more basic criteria a company could choose.



WHICH ROLES WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION ARE INVOLVED IN DEFINING AND ANALYZING YOUR AUDIENCE COVERAGE?

Marketing

Sales

Marketing Ops

Executive leadership

Demand Gen

Sales Ops

Sales Development/SDR/ Inside Sales

Customer support/success

89%

51%

41%

39%

32%

30%

28%

18%

WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU FOLLOW WHEN IDENTIFYING AND MEASURING YOUR AUDIENCE COVERAGE?

What stood out was that only 20% of companies either measure the contacts or accounts they have in CRM or MAP systems and compare that to the total audiences that fit persona or account criteria.

Without such a comparison, it becomes difficult for a company to use what it has learned

to achieve growth, which is one of the major strategies that companies want to achieve.

12

We identify persona criteria for the contacts/stakeholders in our target accounts

We identify target account criteria

We identify multiple roles/job titles that have use cases for our products/services

We focus specifically on individuals with the appropriate job titles

We measure how many accounts we have in our CRM/MAP system, and compare that to the total available audience of accounts that fit our criteria

We measure how many contacts we have in our CRM/MAP system, and compare that to the total available audience of contacts that fit our persona criteria

60%

58%

54%

42%

20%

20%

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Major Shortcomings In Data Types Used To Assess Audience Coverage

A deeper examination of the types of data companies use to identify and measure

audience coverage shows some major shortcomings that are also opportunities for

improvement.

Contact data is the most broadly used type of data — 87% of respondents said they

use this type of data to identify and measure coverage. Only 45% use account and

firmographic data to broaden the view of their total target audience.

Other types of data used include:

• Product usage data (40%);

• Intent data (35%); and

• Technographic data (17%).

While 87% of respondents use contact data to identify and measure total audience,

surprisingly, only 45% said they use account and firmographic data.


https://ctt.ac/czCBa

87%

45%

40%

35%

17%

3%

Contact data and related contact information (email, phone, address)

Account data and related Firmographic data

Product usage data

Intent data

Technographic data

Other

WHAT TYPES OF DATA DO YOU USE IN IDENTIFYING AND MEASURING YOUR AUDIENCE COVERAGE?


Demand Planning Efforts Are Falling Flat

Survey respondents were also assessed on their demand planning efforts, which

highlighted that more than half (51%) do not conduct formal demand planning sessions.

Of those respondents, only 19% plan to begin conducting demand planning sessions

within the business in the next year.

Close to one-third (31%) of companies do demand planning on a quarterly basis to

track the changing needs and directions of customers. An additional 19% perform such

planning only once a year, making a total of only about half of companies that do so at

all. Close to one out of every four respondents (23%) have no expectations of adding

demand planning practices to their company’s processes.

For those that do perform demand planning, the primary activities incorporated into

their initiatives focus on sales pipeline analysis and budgeting (79%). Roughly two-thirds

(63%) focusing on sales and marketing alignment.

Other activities incorporated into demand planning initiatives include:

• Account and contact quality/quantity assessment (54%);

• Account and contact selection (37%); and

• Tool selection (35%).

More than half (51%) of B2B organizations do not conduct formal demand

planning sessions.


https://ctt.ac/hfe44


DO YOU CURRENTLY CONDUCT FORMAL DEMAND PLANNING SESSIONS WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS?

19%

30%

19%

23%

9%

Yes, on a yearly basis

Yes, on a quarterly basis

Not yet, but we plan to start within the next 12 months

No, and no plans for formal demand planning

Not sure

Executive Leadership Playing Major Role In Demand Planning Efforts

Survey respondents noted that the departments involved in demand planning are most

often marketing (93%) and executive leadership (79%).

Sales is involved in only 62% of companies, although it is sales that ultimately closes the

business. Again, customer support would have important insights, but only take place in

23% of cases.

79% of B2B organizations said that executive leadership is involved in demand

planning processes.


https://ctt.ac/fMvFf

Marketing Executive leadership

Sales Customer support/success

Other

WHO IS INVOLVED IN YOUR COMPANY’S DEMAND PLANNING PROCESS?


92%

79%

62%

23%

8%

Fueling Sales Pipeline, ABM Key Demand Planning Drivers

The drivers of demand planning among respondents showed another significant

contradiction between need and implementation, in particular the regularity with which

companies undertook demand planning.

Three-quarters of companies feel an ongoing need to fuel sales pipelines, which should

mean regular demand planning. Account-based marketing (52%) would also seem to

need regular planning. Annual budgeting (56%), sales kickoffs (42%) and new product

and service releases (46%) would be either explicitly annual in nature or more ad hoc.

Again, corporate needs seem out of sync with practices.

Perhaps the issue is the perception of who benefits from demand planning. When asked

what parts of the business benefit from their demand planning efforts, respondents said:

• The marketing department (85%);

• The sales department (85%); and

• The business/sales development team (71%).

The critical reason marketers conduct demand planning is the ongoing need to help

fuel sales pipeline (75%).


https://ctt.ac/jHs03

Ongoing need to help fuel

sales pipeline

Annual budgeting process

Account-based marketing

Releasing new products and

services

Sales kick-off / Sales initiatives

WHAT ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS FOR YOUR DEMAND PLANNING EFFORTS?


75%

56%52%

46%42%

Although companies largely see better and more extensive target audience data as

a priority, a significant majority are uncertain about their current efforts. They want

to improve data quality, expand ABM initiatives, and undertake more personalized

campaigns. But at the same time, a majority lack confidence in their ability to do so.

Most companies miss important types of data, don’t invest in necessary processes

and systems, fail to undertake demand planning on a regular basis, and don’t make

use of third-party vendors that could help improve their results and take pressure off

internal resources. Investing in these initiatives to maintain data accuracy, coverage

and TAM analytics can resolve many of the concerns marketers have with their CRM

and MAP Systems.

Marketing teams are far more likely to achieve their goals for company growth, go-to-

market efficiency and demand generation, including ABM, if they spend adequate time

and budget on the following:

• Improving their data coverage and quality;

• Aligning with sales and other internal teams on their target buyer personas and

ideal customer profile; and

• Measuring their total audience coverage with a TAM analysis and meeting regularly

for formal demand planning.

Conclusion


Demand Gen Report surveyed 105 marketing executives from B2B companies; 86%

of respondents were from U.S. companies and represented numerous industries,

including business services; software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS),

and infrastructure as a service (IaaS); telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing,

media, and marketing; advertising agencies; financial services; consulting; real estate;

logistics; and higher education.

When it comes to company size:

• 36% fell under the SMB category (defined as <100 employees);

• 27% fell under the Mid-market category (defined as 25-500 employees); and

• 36% fell under the Enterprise category (defined as 501+ employees).

When assessing the size of their sales teams, respondents said they have:

• 1-10 reps on the sales team (42%);

• 11-50 reps on the sales team (20%);

• 51-250 reps on the sales team (16%); and

• 250+ reps on the sales team (23%).

About The Survey

DealSignal helps B2B marketing and sales teams maximize growth and conversions

by providing the freshest, most relevant and accurate contact and account data, on

demand. We strive for 100% data perfection, unparalleled email deliverability and

direct dial phones, and back it up with a 100% guarantee. The DealSignal Dynamic Data

Platform can accurately measure your total audience (TAM), deliver you those contacts

and accounts, and enrich your current CRM and marketing automation system with

complete and up-to-date data to power your ABM and outbound marketing. Learn more

at www.dealsignal.com.

Demand Gen Report is a targeted online publication that uncovers the strategies and

solutions that help companies better align their sales and marketing organizations, and

ultimately, drive growth. A key component of the publication’s editorial coverage focuses

on the sales and marketing automation tools that enable companies to better measure

and manage their multi-channel demand generation efforts.

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2018 audience & demand planning benchmark...

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