Study Shows How buyers Use Business Media

Source: BtoBonline.com

New York—Nearly six in 10 executives surveyed say an advertisement in a b-to-b magazine prompted them to purchase or recommend the purchase of a product or service, according to new research released Wednesday by American Business Media.

ABM commissioned Harris Interactive to research how media “end-users” (readers, event attendees and online participants) use business media in their decision-making. Harris conducted phone surveys from February to April. The study garnered 588 responses from executives in the 21 advertising categories tracked by the Business Information Network, including banking, financial and insurance, computing, software and telecommunications, business advertising and marketing, and health care.

According to the study, b-to-b trade shows play a prominent role in driving executives to seek additional information either on a company’s Web site (77%), by talking to a sales rep (73%) or calling a toll-free number (40%).

Perhaps more important, 70% of respondents said they purchased or recommended the purchase of a product or service directly as a result of advertising/promotion at a trade show. Fifty-two percent of respondents said b-to-b media should be an important part of an integrated sales initiative, while 36% said it should be somewhat important.

ABM President-CEO Gordon Hughes II said in a news release that the study “speaks to the fact that print, digital platforms and face-to-face events complement each other when it comes to brand image and lead generation.”

The findings were released at a news conference at Bloomberg headquarters in New York.