BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
‘The Essential Medium: decision-makers’ usage of B2B magazines’ was launched at Magazines 2002, a PPA conference staged in London earlier this week.
B2B magazines dominate, by wide margins, all other media in terms of usefulness, says the report. They keep their readers up to date with what is going on in their industry and are seen as a medium that stimulates ideas that readers can apply in their own work, that speaks with authority and independence and whose advertising is useful.
The study reveals that 73 per cent of more than 500 decision makers find that B2B magazines contain advertising that is useful to their jobs.
80 per cent of respondents say business magazines were the source normally used when looking for good quality job advertisements.
Print mags remain dominant but B2B websites are increasing in importance. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents agreed that the internet and business publications complement each other.
The study interviewed 500+ business decision makers from the 20 largest industry sectors according to advertising expenditure.
"Manufacturers ignore the business press at their peril," said Andrew Marsden of drinks giant Britvic. B2B magazines can be seen by advertisers as a last minute add-on to a marketing plan, said Marsden, but for Britvic, B2B advertising is crucial.
"The educative role of B2B magazines is more important now than it has ever been. B2B ads need to be taken just as seriously as ads in the consumer sector. They need the same degree of thought and careful planning.
B2B advertising needs to be less emotional, objective, impartial with business orientated language – and still creative."
