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Feb 20
2014 |
Revenues for business-to-business (B2B) marketing automation systems will grow 60% to reach $1.2 billion in 2014, according to Raab Associates just-released B2B Marketing Automation Vendor Selection Tool (VEST). The 60% rate is higher than the 2013 rate of 50%.
“Revenues for B2B marketing automation vendors continue to grow as adoption increases and existing customers expand their systems, ” said VEST author David M. Raab. “We also see continued extension into new industries, new features, and new vendor services.”
According to Raab, trends uncovered by the report include:
– expansion beyond email and Web channels to social, direct mail, search engine optimization, and paid search advertising.
– greater integration with external systems through Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and pre-built integrations sold on vendor marketplaces.
– marketing services to help users, offered directly by the vendors and through agency partners.
– support for marketing through channel partners by distributing leads, inserting partner information into corporate marketing materials, and providing partners with marketing automation capabilities.
“The continued growth of the industry has uncovered pockets of opportunity where specialized vendors can compete successfully with established general-purpose systems,” said Raab. “We’re seeing a new generation of products emerge to claim these niches.”
Systems covered in the VEST report are used by all sizes of companies. The report defines four market sectors, each with different needs. Some B2B marketing automation systems are used across all sectors but most vendors specialize in a particular type of client.
About the VEST report
The VEST helps marketers purchase a marketing automation system that matches their needs. It provides more than 200 data points about each product, narrative descriptions of vendor strengths and weaknesses, and fitness ratings for small, mid-size and large marketing departments. Products in the report include: Act-On Software, Adobe Campaign (formerly Neolane), CallidusCloud LeadFormix, eTrigue, HubSpot, Infusionsoft, LeadLife, MakesBridge, Marketo, Microsoft MarketingPilot, MindFire Studio, MindMatrix, Net-Results, Ontraport (formerly OfficeAutoPilot), Oracle Eloqua, Redpoint Global, Right-On Interactive, RightWave, Salesforce.com Pardot, SalesFUSION, SharpSpring, Silverpop, SimplyCast, Teradata Applications, TreeHouse Interactive, and Venntive.
The VEST also includes interactive quadrants showing leaders and challengers for the three industry segments. Readers can adjust the weights assigned to different product and vendor attributes and immediately see the change in vendor positions.
Other report sections provide background information on the marketing automation industry, explanation of marketing automation features and benefits, and advice on managing a successful vendor selection.
The report is provided as an Adobe Flash file, enabling full interactivity and easy access to all materials.
Information in the VEST was gathered in December 2013 and January 2014. The report is published by Raab Associates Inc., an independent consulting firm specializing in marketing technology and analytics. Price is $795. For more information, visit www.raabguide.com/vest.
About Raab Associates Inc.
Raab Associates Inc. specializes in helping marketers to select and deploy marketing automation systems. Typical projects include needs definition, vendor selection, and performance measurement. The firm also offers industry vendors assistance in understanding customer needs and establishing thought leadership through white papers, surveys and presentations.
