In its latest B2B decision-maker analysis, the Association of the German Trade Press surveyed what influence trade media actually have on the buying process of B2B decision-makers. We'll tell you right away: You'll be amazed at these figures.
Let's be honest: when was the last time you heard about the increasing use of printed media in public discussion, in the media, in conversations with colleagues? We think: that was probably a long time ago. And thus an indication that perception and reality are not always a harmonious pair of concepts.
The latest decision-maker analysis of the German Trade Press Association shows quite clearly that the print editions of trade media are used more than they were a few years ago: In the association's last decision-maker analysis in 2015, the average reading time in trade media was still 125 minutes per week, in 2017 it is 134 minutes. 45 percent of the respondents stated that they would read more than two hours in printed trade media per week.
According to the trade press survey, reading also leads to actual purchasing decisions among B2B decision-makers: 75 per cent of respondents have taken the reading of trade media as an opportunity to obtain further information on the website of a supplier mentioned, 62 per cent have then even made personal contact.
Print and digital are both important for the majority of decision-makers as a source of information for concrete procurement needs: 56 percent of the survey participants stated that the print editions of trade media are an important source of information for such procurement needs, 52 percent said the same about digital editions. By comparison, direct mail sent by companies is considered an important source of information by only 32 percent.
And: while advertising in other media is often perceived as annoying, it leaves a different impression in trade media: 76 percent of decision-makers at least believe that companies that regularly advertise in trade media show that they are "important providers in the market". 78 percent of trade media readers, in turn, agree with the statement that advertising is a "useful component in trade media".
By the way, channel neutrality is also gaining more and more acceptance among trade media readers. They apparently increasingly take well-developed digital offerings for granted. 69 per cent of those surveyed use trade media in both print and digital. Only 13 of the percent of survey participants, on the other hand, exclusively use the print editions. Print and digital are perhaps a truly harmonious pair of terms.
You can download the entire Decision Maker Analysis 2017 free of charge here.
Decision-makers associate reading trade media primarily with information security: the content is considered credible and neutral.
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