A3 Communications’ survey shows IT vendors potential for end user-related PR

A3 Communications has announced the results of a recent survey carried out by market research company Vanson Bourne, aimed at uncovering IT end users’ stance on joint press activity with vendors. The study asked 100 UK IT decision makers what makes them agree or disagree to working on a press release about their project with a vendor. The findings are overall encouraging, with 57% of respondents saying that they would take part. Different levels of enthusiasm and commitment are evident however:

· Up to 28% of end users said they would be happy to be included in an announcement yet have never been asked. This is highly surprising since most IT vendors are usually very keen to publicise as many success stories as they can;
· 21% of respondents said that they would participate in joint communications activities with IT vendors if there was a material or financial incentive. This suggests that some end users are unaware that positive media coverage would in itself carry significant value, with an advertising spend equivalent likely to be far higher; this is even before the credibility of editorial vs. paid-for space is considered. Interestingly, this figure drops to 16% in financial services but rises to 28% among respondents in the manufacturing sector;
· Overall, organisations in the manufacturing industry are also the most likely not to participate in joint announcements with their IT suppliers (32%). End users in the retail, distribution and transport markets however only have a ‘no go’ company policy around joint press releases with IT vendors in 20% of the cases;
· And lastly, lack of relevant experience around this PR process is the other reason cited for turning down vendors’ requests to announce deals, although its occurrence is rather low with just 10% of respondents revealing that they would not know who in their organisation they should ask for permission or approval.

“Technology can help organisations address productivity issues, improve processes and increase customer satisfaction to ultimately gain competitive value,” said Chris Evans, co-founder and director of IT consultancy Langton Blue and successful blogger. “In addition, when done right, showcasing innovation and successful projects can support a company’s IT leadership and position it with customers in a positive light.”

Customer win announcements have been a key tool in the PR kit for a long time because they can be beneficial to both the end user and the vendor. For the former, positive publicity around an IT investment that has improved the business in some way reassures the end user’s own customers and stakeholders that the company is remaining competitive. For IT vendors, customer success stories strengthen the message that their products and services are in demand and that there are concrete benefits to be gained from their deployment.

Steve Mackey, VP of international at data protection and backup solutions vendor Spectra Logic, said “There is no substitute for a customer willing to openly share their positive experience with your products; the value of such an endorsement is far greater than anything a vendor can claim directly.”
Federica Monsone, founder and managing director at A3 Communications, has worked in the communications industry for over 15 years. She said: “From experience I know that vendor sales contacts are often protective of their customers but if done well, by experts who know how to deal with each party and who know how to present the process, customer win publicity is a tremendous aid to sales.”

Third-party endorsements can be very effective tools in the quest to position a brand and increase its awareness, especially with today’s proliferation of social media, which makes the opportunities to exploit such assets real, instant, and significant. There are serious benefits to be derived from customer case study activity if it is carried out with the right messaging, audiences and media diffusion channels in mind.