Customer engagement is changing: As the technology solutions business shifts from on-premise to as-a-service, marketers need to prioritize customer experience and success, not just pre-sales awareness and interest. The good news is that customers are constantly looking for new ideas and are interested in solution provider insight and experience. But the bar keeps rising for content and communication that truly connects. To reach today’s buyers, marketers need to focus on the new 4Ps: Personalized Proactive Peer influenced Proven ITSMA’s 2016 How Buyers Consume Information Study digs deep into buyer preferences for useful content and the ways that marketers can optimize their efforts with content and communication. Based on an extensive survey with more than 400 buyers of high value solutions, this report provides essential data, insight, and recommendations on such issues as: The importance and value of online and offline communication Top information needs and sources at different stages of the buying process The importance of thought leadership and subject matter experts How social media are used during the purchase process The most helpful types of information and activities after the sale Read the report to find out more about how marketing can improve content strategy and engagement by focusing on the new 4Ps every stage of the customer relationship. Study Methodology In Fall 2016, ITSMA conducted a web survey of 402 business and IT executives from companies that purchase technology or consulting solutions for individual contracts over $500,000. These respondents represented larger enterprises, with 58% having $1 billion or more in annual revenue from seven different countries: US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, India, and Brazil. Respondents were interviewed in the following vertical markets: Financial Services Manufacturing Communications Government/Non-Profit/Public Sector Healthcare Energy/Utilities/Oil/Mining/Gas Retail/Wholesale Business Services Other

1. The Changing Landscape
for Customer Engagement
How Buyers Consume Information 2016
Julie Schwartz SeniorVice President,Research andThoughtLeadership,ITSMA
ABBREVIATED SUMMARY
ITSMAHBCI | November 2016
This abbreviated summary highlights some of the most significant
findings of ITSMA’s How Buyers Consume Information,2016.
A more in-depth analysis can be found in the full report
http://www.itsma.com/research/changing-landscape-customer-
engagement-buyers-consume-information-2016/

2. Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016
2How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Customer engagement is
changing: as the technology
solutions business shifts
from on premise to as-a
service,we in marketing
need to prioritize customer
experience and success
The good news is that customers are constantly looking for new ideas and are
interested in solution provider insight and experience.Butthe bar keeps rising
for content and communicationthat truly connects.
To better manage the total customer experience,marketers today need to
focus on the new 4Ps:
Customer
acquisition
The total
customer
experience
Adoption
Retention
Expansion
Personalized Proactive
ProvenPeer influenced
ITSMA’s 2016 How Buyers Consume Information Study digs deep into buyer
preferences for useful content and the ways that marketers can optimize their
efforts with content and communication.
Based on an extensive survey with more than 400 buyers of high value
solutions,this report provides essential data,insight,and recommendations
on the challenges and opportunities that B2B marketers face with content
and communicationfor customer experience and success.

3. 3How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Buyers today are comfortable with sharing
personal information and view personalized
content as a valuable service
%of buyers perceive personalization
as valuable or very valuable
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016, % of Respondents (N=402)
%fail to see value or find it annoying
Personalized

4. 4How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Content,especially thought leadership,is essential
during the initial phase of the buying process
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016, % of respondents (N=402)
%of buyers view content, especially thought leadership,
as critical or important during the early stage of the buying process
Proactive

5. 5How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
In the early stages of the buying process,buyers
spend nearly as much time offline as they do online
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016
When you are keeping
up with your industry
and/or technology
trends, approximately
how much time do you
spend online vs. offline?
Mean % of time (N=402) 54%46%
Offline
(Print publications,
in-person events,
meetings,phone calls
with peers/
colleagues)
Online
(Internet/social
media/mobile)
Peer influenced

6. 6How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Post sale,customers want tools,templates,
and benchmarks to show value delivered
Following the purchase,
what types of
information are most
helpful from your
solution provider to
ensure that you receive
maximum value from
your solution?
% of respondents
(N=402)
Note: Multiple responses allowed.
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers
Consume Information Survey, 2016
58
57
51
47
44
40
31
Tools and templates to monitor return on our investment
Tools and templates to monitor usage
KPI benchmarks
Best practice examples and case studies from other companies
Educational content to help users quickly adopt
and use the new solution
Information about trends and research in my industry related
to the service or solution
Mobile app/information pushed to my mobile device
(e.g., SLAs, escalation alerts, availability of updates/upgrades)
Proven

7. 7How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Some of the best examples
of personalized marketing
come from account-based
marketing (ABM), such as
KPMG’s Compliance by
Design campaign
Results
• Changedthe perceptionofKPMG
as an innovator
• Secured 20in-person meetings
• Drove over100visitstothe
microsite
• Virtualrealityappwent“viral”
withinthe clientaccount
• Won newcomplianceconsulting
business; positivecampaignROI
Deloitte is being proactive
by creating engaging
content that is genuinely
helpful with a 3.5 hour
MOOC about additive
manufacturing
Results
• 12,000peoplefrom 73countries
have signed uptotakethe course
• The US DepartmentofDefensehas
licensedthe MOOCand requires its
procurementprofessionalswho
procure additive manufacturing
technologyand/or servicesto
completethe course
• Signed an agreementwitha major
manufacturingcompanytobe its
partnerofchoiceforadditive
manufacturing
HCL is leveraging peer
influence by having
Manchester United tell
the HCL digital
transformation story
Results
• 200+interactionswithcustomers
and influencers
• Influencedmultibilliondollarsin
HCLpipeline
Symantec launched a new
customer success service
offering with emphasis on
maximizing and proving
value delivered
Results
• Increased customersatisfactionand
higherretentionrates
• 6%increase bookings 2 consecutive
quarters
• 13%increase average deal size

8. 8How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Relevant to my specific business problems
and opportunities
Unbiased (vendor/solution provider agnostic)
Informative, not a sales pitch
Directly addresses issues that impact my industry
Backed up by primary research
Contains subject matter expert (SME) contact
information so I can contact them directly
Expresses a clear opinion and points of view
“Bite-sized,” quick read or view
Multimedia (video, podcasts, web copy, webinars,
and so forth)
Provocative
Additional research
highlights: When looking specifically at
solution provider content, which
of the following content
characteristics are most helpful
to determine if reading/viewing
the solution provider content will
be a good use of your time?
% of respondents
(N=402)
Note: Multiple responses allowed.
Most helpful content
characteristics
During your most recent
purchase process for your most
recent solution, how useful
were social media channels and
networks for helping you stay
informed and make decisions?
Mean rating (N=402)
Usefulness of specific
social media channels
during the purchase
process
Respondingto solution providers’
outbound marketing
When you are actively thinking about a business
problem that requires a technology solution, how
likely are you to respond to each of the following
from a solution provider? Mean rating (N=402)
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016
3.7
3.7
3.4
3.0
A phone call from
a solution provider
An email from a
solution provider
An online ad from
a solution provider
A solution
provider’s social
media posts
Not at all
likely
Mean
rating
Very
likely
3.1
3.1
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.9
Not at all
useful
Mean
rating
Very
useful
47
44
43
42
39
37
30
27
22
17

9. Approximately,what is your company’s annual revenue
(or operating budget if government)?
7
35 36
17
4 1
$250–499M $500–999M $1–4.9B $5–9.9B $10–20B or more Over $20B
Methodology and demographics
Web-Based Survey
September 2016
Survey respondents
402
Job title
or level
Which of the following best describes your …
Job role
9
Respondents from
seven countries:
• United States
• United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Australia
• India
• Brazil
How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
46
31
13 10
C-level/Pres./
General Manager
VP/Senior VP/
Head
Director/
Assistant VP
Manager
50%50%
IT
Business
Six types of data analysis:
By solution type, country, role, title,
company size, and industry
Which of the following types of solution purchases have you
personally been involved in?
58
54
45
41
38
37
35
34
25
Consulting
Cloud computing
Infrastructure outsourcing
Digital services, technologies, and transformation
Business process outsourcing
Systems/software implementation and/or integration
Analytics or business intelligence
Application management or modernization services
Managed services
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Survey, 2016

10. 10How Buyers Consume Information | Abbreviated Summary | November 2016 | F027A © 2016 ITSMA. All rights reserved. www.itsma.com
Buy the study
Member: $295
Non-member: $695
Want to learn more?
For more information
Here’s what is included in the full study:
Julie Schwartz
SeniorVice President
Research and ThoughtLeadership
ITSMA
jschwartz@itsma.com
+1 781 862 8500,x112
The report is available for no additional fee to current ITSMA
members and for sale at non-member prices to all others.
http://www.itsma.com/research/changing-landscape-customer-
engagement-buyers-consume-information-2016/
Slide
Executive summary 3
Methodology and respondent demographics 30
Detailed findings 38
Crosstabs 63
By solution type 63
By country 95
By job role 126
By title 158
By size of company 188
By industry 220