Industrial Equipment News (IEN), an Industrial Media brand and a leading resource for manufacturing industry professionals, recently partnered with R.H. Blake, a B2B manufacturing marketing agency, to conduct a study on the B2B buyer's journey.
IEN interviewed more than 250 manufacturing executives and managers involved in making purchasing decisions, specifically on offerings with long sales cycles. R.H. Blake compiled the results and provided insightful analysis in a new report, "B2B Manufacturing Buyer Journey Study: Insights for Marketers in an Evolving Landscape." The report is now available for download here.
The landscape for complex, high-value B2B manufacturing purchases is undergoing a rapid transformation. More stakeholders are involved in buying decisions, which now span multiple departments and organizational levels.
At the same time, the buyer's journey is becoming more fragmented, with AI-powered tools reshaping how buyers access information while traditional channels continue to play a critical role.
All of this is happening under tighter budget constraints, with marketing teams expected to deliver greater impact using fewer resources.
Key findings from the study include:
- 85% of manufacturing executives and managers conduct preliminary research on vendor/supplier websites before making high-value purchases.
- 33% say vendors often lack sufficient technical depth and clear product differentiation.
- 64% of buyers actively seek independent, objective information.
- C-level executives heavily influence final decisions, and their top concerns are reliability, total cost of ownership, and comprehensive support.
- Trust in AI-generated information is low.
To learn more, including what marketers need to change to succeed, download "B2B Manufacturing Buyer Journey Study: Insights for Marketers in an Evolving Landscape."
