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IDG Communications Research Finds Wide Gap Between Technology Vendors Marketing and IT Buyers’ Information Needs

Research also Details What Buyers Value and When During Purchase Process

FRAMINGHAM, MA—January 28, 2008—IDG Communications, the leading IT media and events company in the US, has completed groundbreaking research into the information needs of corporate technology buyers as they move from consideration to purchase of products and services. The survey found that prospects spend approximately 24 days a year collecting information and that IT vendors are not making the best use of the limited time they have to sell to a prospect.

The online research conducted by IDC last summer, IDG’s renowned research company, involved 333 IT professionals and line of business purchasers across a range of industries and company sizes. The respondents said they rely on content that is relevant and credible based on third-party reports and peer-based material such as white papers and customer case studies. They were not as concerned as IT vendors are with the appearance of the information in print, online, or at events.

IDG Market Fusion Services Change the Buyer/Seller Relationship

IDG is changing the way sales leads are identified, cultivated, and qualified with the introduction of IDG Market Fusion services (www.idgmarketfusion.com). The research by IDC features an in-depth analysis of how IT purchasing decisions are made, identifies the buying committees, and provides a roadmap for what marketing content is best at various stages of the buying cycle. With this understanding of buyer expectations, IDG Market Fusion services target the right audience with appropriate information, analyzes their engagement behavior with a mix of vendor and independent content, and delivers additional content at the right time to accelerate the purchase process.

In addition to the buyer research, customer intelligence (CI) tools are used to track content consumption in IDG media Web sites (computerworld.com, infoworld.com, networkworld.com, cio.com, and idgconnect.com). With those tools, IDG can see what content is read by whom and at when. This behavioral profiling enables IDG to score the quality of the lead and transfer it to a vendor customer when the prospect has the greatest potential to turn into new business. A new, custom Engagement Intensity Index® (EI2) algorithm analyzes prospect interactions with content type and sophistication, the timeframe within which content was consumed, and the pathways that led to and from various informational assets. With that information, IDG Market Fusion services build a custom “curriculum” that will lead the prospect through a sequence of content interactions that result in a lead of highly actionable quality.

“The research challenges the traditional marketer assumptions about the best ways to reach qualified prospects,” said Matthew Yorke, senior vice president, sales and marketing, IDG Communications. “Despite widespread agreement that customer focus is growing in importance, the research confirms that the priorities of IT sales and marketing and the priorities of buyers are misaligned. When sellers are in better alignment with their prospects and have the right content at the right time, the vendors can significantly increase their chances of gaining new business.”

Highlights of the IDG Market Fusion Research

The research focused on four steps from consideration to purchase:

• General Education
  Buyers are most interested in reading credible, third-party information such as technical or market overviews.
• Business Case Development
  Overview material by independent authorities is again the most preferred source followed by information on a specific product including functionality and fit.
• Vendor Shortlist and Evaluations
  At this stage, technology enabled business solutions and cost considerations including ROI and total cost of ownership are in demand.
• Final Selection
  Price and terms and conditions rise to the top at this stage.

In addition, technology related media is relied upon more than any other information including peers throughout the purchase cycle. Buyers content and format preferences vary from print, online, and search in the awareness phase to white papers, webcasts or podcasts during consideration, followed by analytical tools and face-to-face meetings as a vendor is selected.

Research Methodology

The IDC Enterprise Panel represents IT and line of business professionals from US and international companies drawn from IDG media sites such as Computerworld, Network World, InfoWorld, and CIO. In addition, IDG Connect provides professionals from its database of several million readers and show attendees. The web-based IDG Market Fusion survey last June attracted 333 respondents representing a cross-section of titles, industries, and company sizes. The participants handled on average 15 IT contracts in 12 months.

IDC will conduct the survey twice a year to update the findings on IT buyers’ behaviors and preferences that will be applied to the IDG Market Fusion marketing services on an ongoing basis.

About International Data Group

International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG’s online network includes more than 450 web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and video games worldwide. IDG also publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries. IDG's media brands include CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG’s lead-generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers.

IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Entertainment for All Expo (E for All), DEMO, Storage Networking World, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 900 IDC analysts in more than 90 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends.

Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.

Contact: Howard Sholkin: (617) 239-7882, howard_sholkin@idg.com

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