What return do marketers in the consultancy sector generate? How much do they contribute to the business as the economy picks up and what do their peers within their business think of them?
Over 100 senior marketing professionals from UK consultancy firms were recently surveyed to help identify a marketing benchmark for the consultancy industry. Results of the survey, undertaken by CHA and Illuma Research, have revealed some interesting findings around marketing investment and ROI, board level attitudes to marketing and the quantity and quality of leads that it generates.
- Over a third of respondents said their marketing budget delivered an ROI of 30% plus.
- However, only a quarter of boards are keen to invest more in marketing, according to marketing directors/managers.
- Two thirds say there has been an increase in leads over the last 12 months (and 45% say the quality is increasing).
- More than a third say it takes 4 to 6 leads to generate one piece of new business.
- Case studies, blogs/web articles and events are the best content to generate both volume and quality of leads. However, the majority only produce this content on a monthly basis.
- Blog/web articles were identified as the content that generated the most brand awareness.
- As for communications channels, company sponsored events, cold calling and websites are the best channels for generating the highest number of leads.
- Most firms send e-newsletters, hold their own events and attend trade events on monthly basis. Both PR and Social Media are used on a weekly basis.
Life is not without its challenges for marketing professionals in the consultancy sector. 48% of marketeers believe they are under more pressure and only 24% describe their campaigns as highly creative.
These results were presented this week to the MCA Comms Network as the first stage of defining a marketing benchmark for the consultancy industry. The benchmark will be developed over the coming months.
Any MCA member firms can be involved in the consultancy marketing benchmarking project, for further information please contact kevin.kear@mca.org.uk.
CHA is a content and communications agency specialising in the consultancy market. www.chapr.co.uk