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Connecting Global A&D Marketers with Industry Insights

Aviation Week Network’s A&D Marketing Insights Report

With all the trends and predictions for 2018, it’s tempting to reallocate the majority of your marketing spend on content marketing via social media and video. But when it comes to a marketing strategy, one size doesn’t fit all. Your plans and goals have to align with the goals of your customer. Who are you trying the reach? This is what should dictate the medium and channel, not trends. 

Common Hurdles Today’s Marketers Face
Common Hurdles
The challenge of getting the right message, to the right audience, at the right time.
Marketing Spend and Audience Preferences
Marketing Spend & Audience Preferences
Where are marketers and media buyers spending their money?
Following the Marketing Trend
Following the Market Trend
What's really working and not working for the A&D market?
The Importance of Accountability
The Importance of Accountability
Measuring success and proving ROI

THEME 1

Common Hurdles Today’s Marketers Face

The single greatest challenge today’s marketers face — The “Big Cs”
Community, Content, and Channels

Many of these common themes fit into three categories — the “Big Cs” —Community, Content, and Channels. These “Big Cs” represent key factors that together comprise the colossal challenge of getting the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Community

Content

Channels

  • Who is my target audience?
  • My content is good, so why is no one engaging?
  • Am I producing enough content? Is the content that I do produce engaging?
  • How can I prove its direct link to sales returns?

Many of these common themes fit into three categories — the “Big Cs” —Community, Content, and Channels. These “Big Cs” represent key factors that together comprise the colossal challenge of getting the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Community

Content

Channels

  • Who is my target audience?
  • My content is good, so why is no one engaging?
  • Am I producing enough content? Is the content that I do produce engaging?
  • How can I prove its direct link to sales returns?

The average enterprise buyer’s journey is 70% complete without human intervention, with most interaction happening through digital, social, and mobile. We fully recognize that our customers are now in control of the buying cycle and that what they buy, how they buy, and who they buy from has changed…. Customers no longer move in a sequential way through the marketing sales funnel, but rather create their own personalized path across any stage depending upon their interests.

Thomas Pohl, Senior Director of Marketing at SAP

THEME 2

Where are Marketers and Media Buyers Spending Their Money?

Events, social media, and content marketing won big as three of the top five leveraged marketing areas in 2017. They are also three of the biggest areas where growth is expected in 2018.

Top priorities in 2017 continue to be important in 2018

Social Media Investment
44%
Content Marketing Investment
36%
Events Investment
42%

Events, social media, and content marketing won big as three of the top five leveraged marketing areas in 2017. They are also three of the biggest areas where growth is expected in 2018.

Top priorities in 2017 continue to be important in 2018

Social Media Investment
44%
Content Marketing Investment
36%
Events Investment
42%

Print is also still in the mix with marketers rating it among the most important media channel for business professionals. *

*Source: Aviation Week Network Engine Manufacturer Survey

79%

Rely on industry magazine

57%

Rely on industry newsletters

Print is also still in the mix with marketers rating it among the most important media channel for business professionals. *

*Source: Aviation Week Network Engine Manufacturer Survey

79%

Rely on industry magazine

57%

Rely on industry newsletters

A Key Growth Challenge For 2018 — Content Marketing

Content marketing is a high-growth area for 2018, with midsize and enterprise companies leveraging it against more traditional disruptive methods

Top content marketing concerns in 2018

Measuring success/determining ROI
53%
Producing adequate volume of content
38%
Driving traffic to content
35%
Accessing the best audience
32%
Producing engaging content
32%

Content marketing is a high-growth area for 2018, with midsize and enterprise companies leveraging it against more traditional disruptive methods

Top content marketing concerns in 2018

Measuring success/determining ROI
53%
Producing adequate volume of content
38%
Driving traffic to content
35%
Accessing the best audience
32%
Producing engaging content
32%

THEME 3

Reaching Your Target Audience with the Right “Trend”

With all the trends and predictions for 2018, it’s tempting to reallocate the majority of your marketing spend on content marketing via social media and video. But when it comes to a marketing strategy, one size doesn’t fit all. Your plans and goals have to align with the goals of your customer. Who are you trying the reach? This is what should dictate the medium and channel, not trends. 

Effective Audience Reach

With 63% of marketers looking for a media partner who has an effective audience reach, * agencies like Aviation Week Network can help you subsidize research, and give you access to consumer information and audiences that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

63%

Competitive Pricing

54%

Audience Insights/Analytics

49%

Publishers have Behavioral Data and Declared Data to help marketers get very deep and focused. Some third party data feels too general, but publisher’s data allows you to segment your audience, offering an authoritative position.

Scott Harris, Vice President of Sales Enablement at Informa Engage

THEME 4

The Importance of Accountability.
Do You Have the Results to Prove It?

Key Performance Indicator is a term that most markets are familiar with, but may feel its place is secondary in a world where click-to-open rates, page views, and post shares rule the kingdom.

How Marketers Measure Campaign Success

Number of sales leads
46%
Increased gross revenue/sales
39%
Conversions to sales
37%
Increased website traffic
37%
Click through rates, cost/click
36%

Key Performance Indicator is a term that most markets are familiar with, but may feel its place is secondary in a world where click-to-open rates, page views, and post shares rule the kingdom.

How Marketers Measure Campaign Success

Number of sales leads
46%
Increased gross revenue/sales
39%
Conversions to sales
37%
Increased website traffic
37%
Click through rates, cost/click
36%

The Power of a Balanced Marketing Program

Companies that utilize a well-balanced marketing plan are perceived more valuable, engage more, and perform better.  Successful marketers put marketing dollars where audiences live, embracing a multi-channel marketing mix to increase actionable data and prove success.

The multi-channel trend is growing daily

Newsletter open rates
59%
Smartphone usage
17%
Web traffic driven from newsletters
37%

Companies that utilize a well-balanced marketing plan are perceived more valuable, engage more, and perform better.  Successful marketers put marketing dollars where audiences live, embracing a multi-channel marketing mix to increase actionable data and prove success.

The multi-channel trend is growing daily

Newsletter open rates
59%
Smartphone usage
17%
Web traffic driven from newsletters
37%

Our View of the Marketing Landscape Defines Our Vision of the Future

The media realm has undergone a lot of change in the past two decades. Digital has grown more sophisticated, as social media, content marketing, and metrics clamor for more attention. But one thing hasn’t changed; print is still alive and well. External market data* states that B2B print magazines who cover their industries effectively are still rated among the most important media channels for business professionals today.

Our View of the Marketing Landscape Defines Our Vision of the Future

The media realm has undergone a lot of change in the past two decades. Digital has grown more sophisticated, as social media, content marketing, and metrics clamor for more attention. But one thing hasn’t changed; print is still alive and well. External market data* states that B2B print magazines who cover their industries effectively are still rated among the most important media channels for business professionals today.

Copyright 2018 | Informa Engage