Field marketing in the Asia Pacific has driven significant revenue growth. However, to fully unlock its potential, organizations must confront and overcome a multitude of operational challenges. In the recent report, The State Of Field Marketing In Asia Pacific, I dive into Forrester’s 2023 State Of B2B Field Marketing Survey to shed light on the weaknesses and missed opportunities within APAC’s field marketing landscape.
Without giving to much away, let’s explore some of the untapped potential that awaits:
- APAC Field Marketing Focuses on Pipeline, But Neglects Brand Awareness: Field marketers in APAC seem to be fixated on lead generation, with a staggering 95% of respondents indicating it as their top activity. This obsession with filling the pipeline comes at the cost of neglecting an equally critical aspect – brand awareness. With the region’s diverse languages, cultures, and economic statuses, it’s no wonder that in-country brand awareness and perception suffer. APAC field marketers must wake up to the reality that a narrow focus on lead generation is hindering their true potential.
- Data-Driven Approach Falls Short in Customer Satisfaction: While APAC field marketers boast a data-driven approach, their obsession with metrics like revenue-influenced pipeline, number of leads delivered, and lead conversion overlooks a crucial opportunity – customer satisfaction and retention. Despite being responsible for customer marketing and advocacy programs, a shockingly low percentage of APAC respondents (10-15%) measure success in terms of customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty. This negligence towards customer satisfaction could be the Achilles’ heel preventing APAC field marketers from achieving higher growth.
- APAC Field Marketing Struggles with Global Support and Technology: Improving APAC field marketing performance requires better aligning central support services and technology with regional priorities. A significant 31% of respondents cite technology as a challenge, surpassing their counterparts in the Americas and EMEA. Furthermore, central support teams fail to adequately assist in critical areas such as event marketing, brand and creative, and channel marketing. This lack of support hampers APAC field marketers’ ability to leverage global campaigns and capitalize on local market nuances. It’s time for APAC field marketers to demand the support they deserve.
- Channel Recruitment and Support: A Missed Opportunity: Channel recruitment and support play a pivotal role in achieving sales targets for many. But with a shocking 28% citing channel management as one of their greatest obstacles to achieving goals, it is falling short of the attention it deserves. Field Marketings failure to prioritize channel activities coupled with limited central support hampers their ability to maximize revenue. It’s high time they realigned their priorities and invested in the channel for sustainable growth.
The field marketing landscape in APAC holds immense untapped potential, but it’s time to address the elephant in the room. APAC field marketers must break free from their obsession with lead generation and start focusing on building brand awareness and neglected customer satisfaction. APAC field marketers must demand better support from central teams and prioritize channel recruitment and support. It’s time to step out of the comfort zone to unlock the true potential of field marketing in the Asia Pacific region. Are you ready to challenge the status quo and unleash the growth that awaits??
Clients can access the full report here and can request an inquiry, by submitting a guidance session request.
