Rethinking ABM for the Next Opportunity

Amid the tremendous disruptions of 2020, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) continued to gain traction as a core B2B marketing strategy and deliver substantial business results. Rethinking ABM for the Next Opportunity, the fourth annual ABM benchmark study from ITSMA and the ABM Leadership Alliance, highlights ABM’s ongoing success during a time of unprecedented challenge and change.

As B2B firms continue to reset marketing strategy and plans for the next normal, this essential study provides critical insight into the current state of ABM and the best-practice approaches required for continued success.

This report, based on both survey data and qualitative interviews with ABM leaders, documents the continued evolution of ABM through the extreme pressures of 2020. It provides critical data and commentary on ABM program objectives, maturity, budgets, tools, tactics, challenges, metrics, and business results.

The report also notes the different approaches that companies are taking with the distinct types of ABM that have emerged in recent years—One-to-One ABM, One-to-Few ABM, and One-to-Many ABM—and the degree to which companies are adopting blended strategies with more than one type.

Further, the report documents the changes that companies made in their programs through the disruptions of 2020 and highlights the new opportunities for ABM as B2B buyers accelerate business transformation in the wake of COVID-19.

Most important, the report showcases the distinguishing characteristics of the most effective ABM programs as they point the way toward greater business impact.

Looking toward 2021, the report identifies five strategic guidelines for ABM-ers to accelerate success next year and beyond:

• Accelerate agile
• Deepen account insight
• Strengthen sales collaboration
• Build a blended strategy
• Invest in metrics