Manufacturers’ Destiny Will Be Driven by Digital Marketing Innovation, According to Research Published by MAPI and BusinessOnline
ARLINGTON, Virginia & SAN DIEGO, California (PRWEB) December 04, 2015 -- The next big breakthrough for innovative manufacturing companies is digital marketing, according to research released today by MAPI (Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation) and BusinessOnline. The study shows that while business-to-business (B2B) buyers now conduct over 90% of their purchasing research anonymously online, manufacturers’ adoption of digital marketing is still in its infancy.
In the study, “Invent to Survive: How Digital Marketing Will Drive Manufacturers’ Destiny,” over 100 manufacturing marketers were surveyed to gather insights. In-depth perspectives were culled from leading manufacturing marketers from companies including General Electric, Caterpillar, Siemens, Emerson Electric, Lincoln Electric and Kennametal.
Notably, 65% of manufacturers said their digital marketing programs are in the new or experimental stage; this represents a significant opportunity. “We’re excited about what this study reveals for manufacturing innovators,” shared Cam Mackey, MAPI’s SVP of operations and partnerships. “Manufacturers are recognizing the need to leverage digital marketing and develop tools to do so. My hope is that the peer-based insights in this guide help lead the way in showing the potential of digital marketing in our industry.”
The leading barriers to digital marketing adoption in manufacturing are a lack of funding and management support, according to 64% of the respondents. “Manufacturers can gain competitive advantage from this research and help move digital marketing – and the amazing depth and breadth of customer engagement it can deliver – to the forefront of management thinking,” said Kathy Button Bell, CMO of Emerson.
Integration of digital marketing tactics that mirror the buyer’s journey is the linchpin of sustainable engagement and revenue generation. According to this research, manufacturing marketers – while not yet integrating tactics – acknowledge this shift and are beginning to make the internal case for change. “Manufacturing marketers can no longer afford to focus on traditional offline marketing, reactive tactics and one-off digital tactics that do not connect to the buyer’s journey,” stated Thad Kahlow, CEO of BusinessOnline. “This guide provides real-world examples of how to optimize digital marketing approaches.”
Key findings from the study include:
• Digital marketing adoption for manufacturers is in its infancy: 65% of manufacturing marketers are just starting out with digital marketing
• Funding and management support are key barriers to adoption: 64% don’t have sufficient funding or management support for digital marketing
• Few are embracing an integrated digital approach: Most respondents are using one-off, individual channel-based tactics, such as X or Y. Only 32% are unifying those channels and the customer experience through integration and marketing automation
To download this report, visit http://b2bsolutionguide.com/#form.
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About MAPI (Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation)
The Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) is a member organization focused on building strong leadership within manufacturing and driving the growth, profitability and stature of global manufacturers. As a professional society for manufacturing’s leaders, we operate executive networks aligned around critical functions such as finance, marketing, HR and operations. We also produce market forecasts, economic analyses and business management analyses that support critical decisions made by the global manufacturing community.
For more information, visit http://www.mapi.net.
Contact: Jim Engelhardt, Jengelhardt(at)mapi(dot)net
About BusinessOnline
BusinessOnline is an award-winning, performance-driven digital marketing agency that elevates and measures the value of marketing. Customers include mid-market and enterprise B2B companies such as Workday, DirecTV for Business, HP, Teradata, Lincoln Electric and Siemens. Our hallmark is creating integrated, customer-centered, data-driven digital marketing campaigns that close the sales–marketing loop. Services include digital marketing strategy and planning, world-class data analytics, comprehensive inbound (SEO, Content Marketing, Social) and outbound (PPC, Display, Retargeting, Marketing Automation) demand generation and lead nurturing.
Data Weld, a sister company of BusinessOnline, provides outsourced marketing analysis and insights proving and improving marketing’s impact on the business.
Accolades: 2015 BMA Agency of year, 2015 Ad Age top 50 Agencies to work for, 2014 Fortune top 10 advertising and tech companies and B2B Magazine Interactive Agency of the year.
For more information, visit http://www.businessol.com.
Contact: marketing(at)businessol(dot)com
Michael Friedmann, BusinessOnline, http://www.businessol.com/, +1 619.719.5235, [email protected]
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