Ian Bruce

In times of extraordinary political and social instability, consumers turn to brands they trust. Get a data-driven look at why that is and how to make the most of it.

A recent survey of B2B organizations shed light on what they have been willing to do in response to the war and what has driven those decisions.

One of the most consequential and long-lasting decisions a marketing leader can make is to change the organization’s brand. A brand’s messaging, positioning, and visual identity permeate all aspects of the company’s go-to-market activities and usually endure for many years. We frequently engage with clients on rebrands, helping them sort through the business justification and […]

New Forrester research illustrates how complex B2B buyers' decision-making processes are and the value of building trust with buyers.

Biased. Lacking substance. Dull. When we asked B2B buyers what they think about the content they receive from vendors, over 60% of respondents to Forrester’s 2021 Content Preferences Survey gave these unflattering opinions. Buyers are drowning in a sea of sameness. They fail to find any value in the content they receive, because much of […]

Buyers' motivations are often complex. Digging into our data yields clues about those who make decisions early in the buying process.

Trust is the single most important brand attribute for B2B buyers. It's time for B2B companies to close the gap between how trustworthy they believe they are and how buyers actually see them.

Storytelling is an essential skill that inherently engages audiences and makes content distinctive and memorable. Yet, B2B marketing professionals often struggle to create compelling stories.

• At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, GE Healthcare became the focus of intense media coverage
• Using elements of storytelling and brand journalism, the organization created a video series that showed how GE and frontline workers were responding to the crisis
• With 42 videos produced over 42 days, the campaign was one of the most successful in the company’s history

• August 18, 2020, marks the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which gave women in all states the right to vote
• Over the last 100 years, the percentage of women in the overall workforce has increased to 47% —consistent with many other western countries
• However, data from numerous sources shows that female representation in executive positions at B2B companies is still shockingly low considering these workforce changes

• America and the world have been shaken by protests against systemic racism and bias after the killing of George Floyd Jr. by police
• B2B corporate leaders have expressed support and solidarity with protesters and recognize the need for change
• Data gathered from numerous sources on levels of diversity and inclusion show that B2B companies need to take far more action on these issues

• Only 22% of B2B companies have fully integrated their brand and demand marketing functions
  
• Most organizations struggle to connect brand building to the revenue engine
  
• Demand teams frequently ignore the impact of brand on Demand Waterfall^® performance

• Engaging with customers and other stakeholders during a crisis is often a struggle for B2B companies
  
• Actions is a crisis should be guided by your firmly held brand values and brand purpose
  
• Some B2B companies are showing the right approach and providing an example of how to build trust and loyalty

• Sir Martin Sorrell is a legend in the agency business who built WPP into the biggest global advertising and PR agency
• In an exclusive interview with Forrester SiriusDecisions, Sir Martin discusses how the changing economics of the agency business are impacting how B2B clients engage
• Sir Martin suggests clients should do as Aretha Franklin says, and treat agencies with a little more respect

• B2B organizations often build their digital advertising ROI using faulty assumptions
  
• New research strongly suggests that most digital advertising investments are wasted
  
• Organizations can learn a lot about the real benefits of advertising from studying Super Bowl ads
  

• Content marketing, brand and communications teams are all deeply invested in building the most engaging content for the organization
  
• SiriusDecisions data has long shown that buyers and executives rate third-party content much higher than branded or owned content
  
• Earned media, analyst reports and influencer endorsements are examples of content that matters to buyers

• LinkedIn commissioned a research report into the factors that drive growth in B2B marketing
• The report suggests that B2B organizations need to strike a balance between short-term demand building, and longer-term brand building
• The data makes a strong case that for high-performing companies, brand matters 

• Brand building hinges on understanding and respecting your audience
• Too often, marketing leaders inundate audiences with a barrage of messages — many irrelevant or just plain annoying
• New research suggests this causes unintended negative consequences