From Insight to Impact: How the New ANA B2B Data and Analytics Playbook Powers Smarter Marketing

B2B marketing is entering a new era At the upcoming Masters of B2B Marketing Conference June 24 in Naples Fla Alissa Gavrilescu Managing Director B2B Marketing at Cigna and David Fogarty Senior Vice President Data Excellence and Privacy Practice at the ANA will unpack how smarter data strategies can help marketers meet rising buyer expectations and deliver measurable valueI had the opportunity to sit down with them to talk about the new ANA B2B Data and Analytics Playbook and to get their thoughts on operationalizing data so that marketing becomes as Gavrilescu puts it amp8220the lifeblood of your audiencesamp8221BILL ZENGEL Alissa youamp8217re a marketing leader whoamp8217s overseen B2B marketing at both Cigna and Evernorth What pivotal moment in your career made you realize the critical importance of datadriven marketing strategiesALISSA GAVRILESCU There were a few moments in my career where data enabled a transformation in marketing first is attribution the second is value delivery to the business as well as our audiencesProving the value of B2B marketing on your organizationamp8217s bottom line especially when most B2B marketing doesnamp8217t directly amp8220ownamp8221 the sale can be hard to prove This is where data allows us to draw a direct line to marketing investment acceleration of pipeline and conversion to salesBut also how we democratize the intelligence weamp8217re gaining on our audienceamp8217s preferences interests and content allows our sales team to be more consultative and adds another layer of marketing value to the organizationData helps us prove marketingamp8217s value linking spending to pipeline accelerating conversion and delivering insights to sales Without a strong data and insights strategy in your B2B marketing you run the risk of interrupting rather than attracting your audience to your organizationamp8217s solutions and capabilities B2B buyers are sophisticated Our marketing needs to deliver on personalization precision and value if we want it to be effective in delivering our audience real valueZENGEL That theme of transformation through data continues in Davidamp8217s work as cocreator of the ANA B2B Data and Analytics Playbook What gaps in the market were you looking to address DAVID FOGARTY One of the largest gaps in the market I wanted to address was the potential for collaboration opportunities with marketing and sales using data As a former marketer at two B2B companies I can remember a sales leader explaining to me that they usually had two to three B2B buyers as their target audience Then we would walk into a meeting and be greeted by 10 Who were these other buyers and what are we doing to influence them before the meetingThis is where marketing can help We have thirdparty lists of all employees of firms and their titles and demographic information We can then use analytics to tell which of these employees are actually part of the decision committee and start targeting them based on their position in the firm and how they would be evaluating our products and servicesZENGEL David mentioned surprise stakeholders showing up in buying groups and using data to get ahead of that curve Alissa how do you ensure sales and marketing are aligned in acting on that intelligence GAVRILESCU Identifying the decision committee is step one An effective data strategy is contingent on an aligned sales and marketing strategy Sales and marketing must be in agreement on the ideal audience the addressable market the serviceable market and who the key decision committee members are and align on what success looks like for both sales and marketingZENGEL Whatamp8217s the biggest misconception B2B marketers have about data utilization FOGARTY That B2B data and analytics use is not as effective as B2C Research by McKinsey shows that B2B companies that invest in analytics outperform on their return on sales by up to five percentage points more that of their counterparts Moreover new ANA research demonstrates that B2B marketing campaigns yield higher ROI than both B2C and hybrid approachesZENGEL Youamp8217ll both be speaking at the upcoming ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference Whatamp8217s the one key takeaway you want conference attendees to remember long after they leave your sessionFOGARTY B2B data analytics is a powerful tool for B2B marketers and while it has some similarities with B2C analytics the fact that they are both marketing to individuals it is not a copy and paste of B2C It is different from several aspects including the data meaning the use of firmographics and intent data and the way B2B marketers work in close collaboration with sales The latter is especially true in sharing data on buyer groups and in collaborating on accountbased marketing programsAs buying groups grow and attribution gets harder as digital channels and touchpoints increase now is the time to start making the case to invest in data and analyticsGAVRILESCU B2B buyers are expecting the same level of personalization meaningful engagement and curated experiences they receive in their personal lives as consumers Data and analytics allow B2B marketers to deliver on the needs and wants of todayamp8217s buyers while addressing the complex B2B buying processesZENGEL Itamp8217s clear from this conversation that B2B marketing is at an inflection point As expectations rise and buying groups grow more complex data is no longer optional itamp8217s foundational What stood out from both of you is that success in this new era requires more than tools It takes alignment intentionality and a commitment to creating value for buyersThank you David and Alissa for sharing your time and insight I know attendees at the ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference will walk away from your session with practical strategies and a clearer sense of how to turn data into a growth enginePosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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From Insight to Impact: How the New ANA B2B Data and Analytics Playbook Powers Smarter Marketing

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