Observed Signal · Aug 16, 2022 · Research / Analysis · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
B2B Marketers Urged to Adopt Lift-Based Performance Metrics
B2B marketers struggle to demonstrate value across long, multi-stakeholder buying journeys. Forrester research, led by VP and Principal Analyst Ross Graber, urges a shift away from marketing-sourced pipeline as the primary performance indicator toward lift-based metrics, which measure how marketing engagement improves win rates and deal sizes. Survey data from Demand Gen and MarketingProfs shows widespread frustration with current measurement capabilities. Graber provides an example where eight marketing interactions lifted win rates from 20% to 25% and deal sizes from $50,000 to $60,000. Proponents include SAP Concur's Stephen Measelle, who plans to apply lift analysis in campaigns, while consultant Aaron Beashel cautions that the approach suits complex, high-value sales rather than typical SMB-focused businesses.
Provides industry guidance on shifting B2B marketing measurement from sourcing to lift-based metrics, influencing how marketing effectiveness is evaluated, but lacks a specific event or transaction.
Track Forrester Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Forrester predicts only one in seven B2B businesses will use sourcing as a primary marketing performance indicator by 2025.
- 62% of B2B marketers cite a need to show marketing's impact on pipeline and revenue.
- Ross Graber of Forrester recommends lift-based metrics to demonstrate marketing's contribution across the entire buyer journey.
- In one example, eight marketing interactions lift win rates from 20% to 25% and deal sizes from $50,000 to $60,000.
- SAP Concur's Stephen Measelle plans to incorporate lift analysis in an integrated digital campaign.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Forrester said, "historically in most B2B companies, sales, engineering or product is the corporate hero"...”
“a specific audience of people who have visited the Concur page on G2Crowd...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
AI Visibility Requires English-Language Footprint for European Startups
This article discusses how the rise of generative AI and conversational search is changing B2B buying behavior, particularly for European startups targeting international markets. It highlights that with ChatGPT surpassing 900 million weekly users and 94% of B2B buyers using generative AI in purchase decisions, visibility in AI-generated answers is becoming critical. Traditional SEO is giving way to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which relies on a company's footprint across credible English-language sources. The article notes that most AI assistants evaluate live sources, favoring English content, and that smaller European languages constitute less than 0.6% of web content. It advises startups to build an international ecosystem of mentions, structure content for AI extraction, and maintain an equally strong English footprint. The piece underscores the importance of tracking share of voice in AI models.
Forrester’s 2027 European Predictions: Despite A Strong Desire To Regain Its Digital Sovereignty, Europe Will Selectively Reset, Not Sever, Key Technology Relationships
New AI sovereignty and platform governance rules will signal strategic intent but deliver limited near-term impact According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2027 European predictions, unveiled today at Forrester’s Technology & Innovation Forum EMEA, Europe will enter 2027 determined to recover its digital autonomy, but the gap between its ambition and control will widen.
CMO Tenure Drops 35% Since 2010, Study Finds
A study of 13,000 U.S. marketing professionals reveals that median CMO tenure has declined by 35% since 2010, from four years to 2.6 years for those starting after 2022. The survey, conducted by Findem and CMO Huddles, highlights that only 36% of Fortune 500 companies now use the CMO title, a significant drop from 55% in 2024. CMOs often report to someone other than the CEO, and marketing spend as a share of sales has fallen to 7.8% from 11.2% in 2018. Short tenures lead to inconsistent direction and frequent agency pitches, with agency-client relationships averaging just 3.7 years. Experts attribute the trend to misaligned expectations and reduced CMO influence in the boardroom.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.