There’s an old advertising joke that goes something like this: A child says, “When I grow up, I want to be in advertising.” An adult replies, “You can’t do both.”

For B2B organizations, advertising maturity isn’t a joke or an oxymoron: It’s a competitive advantage — and even more so for innovative organizations. Forrester’s research shows that B2B companies that score in the advanced category in Forrester’s marketing innovation maturity assessment say their paid media is more successful across all stages of the buyer’s journey compared with less mature B2B companies.

And now, Forrester clients can take advantage of a new B2B Advertising Maturity Assessment. The assessment helps B2B organizations specifically gauge their paid media maturity across six key competencies.

The Bar Is High In Six Areas Of B2B Advertising Maturity

Advertising to B2B buyers and buying groups is different from advertising to consumers. It must be done with special consideration for the nuances of business audiences, professional contexts, and B2B buying motions. It’s highly sophisticated and challenging work, and the bar is getting higher every year.

Whether your company is focused on B2B, B2B2C, B2SMB, B2B e-commerce, or an array of B2B go-to-market motions, it’s important to evaluate your paid media maturity across six key competencies:

  • Advertising strategy. You need a competitive, B2B focused approach.
  • Talent and technology. You need the right mix of B2B minds and machines.
  • Audience savvy. You need to know how to target and reach B2B buyers in B2B media channels.
  • Brand/demand interlock. Your media mix needs rules for focusing on B2B brand or demand.
  • Measurement and testing. Your reporting needs to account for unique B2B buying journeys.
  • Creative excellence. You need engaging creative concepts that resonate with B2B audiences.

How Mature Is Your B2B Advertising?

Based on best practices and our ongoing work with B2B clients, we have developed 20 questions to quickly assess your company’s relative maturity in B2B advertising. This assessment will gauge how well your company plans and executes B2B paid media and highlight relevant strengths to help you prioritize improvements to your company’s B2B advertising capabilities.

The assessment takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is available to Forrester clients with access. Read more about the new assessment, and follow the assessment link in the overview report to complete the questionnaire and see your assessment results instantly. Then, schedule a guidance session or an advisory day with your marketing team to accelerate your journey to B2B advertising maturity and sustainable success.