But despite digital’s dominance across social media, OTT, and other ecosystems, B2B email advertising is still a key cog in many marketers’ engines. 

According to MediaRadar’s data sample, nearly 6.3k companies spent over $287mm on B2B email advertising in the first half of 2023 across more than 400 B2B media outlets, including FiercePharma, Healio, and Travel Weekly. 

Here are 3 hot B2B email advertising trends to keep on your radar for the rest of the year. 

1. B2B Email Advertising Has Widespread Appeal

Through the first half of 2023, advertisers in five categories—technology, professional services, B2B industrial, medical & pharma, and finance—collectively spent nearly $194mm on B2B email advertising (67% of the investment). 

Technology advertisers, for example, allocated $56.8mm to B2B email ads to promote their products and services, with software and information technology (IT) advertisers contributing 70% of the investment. 

At the same time, B2B industrial advertisers spent more than $37mm on B2B email ads, with the top advertisers promoting industrial machinery (18%), manufacturing (9%), and food (9%). 

For advertisers in the industrial sector, the sizable investment in B2B email comes in the wake of an overall reduction in ad spending during the uncertain economy. For instance, advertisers for industrial companies decreased spending by 33% YoY to $169mm through April 2023, while those promoting industrial machinery reduced it by 48% MoM (March to April). 

The overall reduction comes following a fairly strong year for B2B industrial advertisers. In 2022, nearly 25k companies across agriculture, energy, and industrial machinery spent $1.9b on digital and traditional ads, up by 4% YoY. 

Finally, advertisers for medical & pharmaceutical companies spent almost $33mm on B2B email advertising in H1. Unsurprisingly, pharma advertisers were responsible for 64% of the spending ($20.8mm) as they maintained their fondness for traditional advertising, highlighted by a $2b investment (from 190 medical & pharmaceutical companies) on broadcast and cable TV in Q1 2023.  

That said, this doesn’t mean healthcare advertisers are abandoning their slow-but-steady embrace of digital advertising—far from it. 

In 2022, advertisers for 572 pharma brands spent about $1.5b on video ads, while also opening their eyes to the benefits of influencers (also known as key opinion leaders) and their sway over younger generations who turn to social media for health-related advice. 

2. Email Is a Key Piece of a Holistic Advertising Strategy 

B2B email advertising may be gaining traction in an increasingly digital world, but it’s not taking advertisers’ attention away from the fact that buyers aren’t mindlessly scrolling through their inboxes all day.

Despite 18% (1.1k) of advertisers opting for an email-only strategy, the majority of them spread their budget across formats, including display, events, native, and magazines. 

For example, 1.1k advertisers paired B2B email advertising with one additional format. Of these, 35%, including RiXtrema (financial software), PRTalent (creative staffing), and Regenxbio (stem cell technology), went with B2B print publications (magazines/newspapers), illustrating that, for better or worse, there are still fully committed to traditional formats.

Meanwhile, 29% of companies adopted a healthy mix of email and digital display ads, including Omega World Travel, Taycon Risk, and Datassential, while 22% tapped into email and events to woo buyers in their favor. The remaining 15% of advertisers mixed and matched B2B email ads with native ads, webinars/white papers, etc. 

The mixing and matching of ad formats not only highlights the power of email advertising in 2023, but also the need for advertisers to diversify their media mixes and reach B2B buyers across an ever-growing and increasingly complex journey. 

In fact, according to Gartner, 77% of B2B buyers stated their most recent purchase was very complex or difficult. 

3. B2B Email Advertising Is Set to Soar

It’s been more than three decades since email went mainstream, and over that time, it’s given ground to other means of communication. At the same time, email advertising has made room for programmatic advertising technology. 

But email advertising, B2B and B2C included, is on the rise, and all signs point to its ascent continuing, especially as third-party cookies fall by the wayside, iOS 14 continues to make advertising on iPhones challenging, and the cost of digital advertising rises.

And we’re already seeing the oh-so-slow shift away from digital formats. 

According to a recent survey, annual spending on non-digital advertising is expected to amount to $306.8b by the end of 2023. While that would represent an increase of less than 1%, that amount is expected to rise by 2.5% over the next few years. 

So far, consumer-facing companies are leading the shift back to traditional ads, with B2C service and product companies expected to dive into traditional advertising more than others. Ironically, the 28th Edition of The CMO Survey found that companies earning 100% of their sales online are making moves, too, predicting an 11.7% increase in traditional ad spending over the next 12 months (April 2022-April 2023).

Still, it’s not hard to imagine B2B advertisers following their lead and including more traditional formats into their overall strategy, digital included. 

An article by Christine Moorman, Megan Ryan, and Nader Tavassoli summed up the shift well: “Pundits have long predicted the demise of traditional advertising. However, it is alive and well and headed for growth for the first time in a decade. When used together, traditional and digital marketing can reach more audiences, build and keep trust, and motivate buying from consumers who otherwise might tune out marketing messages.”

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

At the same time, native video advertising was expected to account for around 84% of all video ad spending in the US. To put that into perspective, digital video advertising spending reached $47.1b in 2022, meaning that close to $40b of that went to native video ads. 

There’s no longer an argument that the less ads look like ads the better—and here’s proof. More than half of people prefer native ads over banner ads, while native ads are 18% more likely to lead to purchase intent.

B2B advertisers are responding as you’d expect. According to MediaRadar’s data sample during H1 2023, 7.9k companies promoted 11.8k brands via native B2B advertising digital outlets, collectively spending almost $171mm. On a more granular level, the average monthly investment in B2B native ads fell at around $28.5mm, with peak spending coming in April.

So, what’s next for native advertising in B2B media? Here are three trends to keep an eye on this year.

Advertisers Mix and Match with B2B Native Ads

Native ads warrant significant dollars from advertisers across B2B media outlets, but advertisers aren’t betting on a single horse. Instead, they’re diversifying their media mixes, catering to different audiences, and investing in other channels and formats to figure out how to maximize their budgets.  

Pro Tip: Understand advertisers’ messaging by tapping into MediaRadar to see their most recent ad creative, when and where it ran on the page, as well as the editorial content surrounding them.

Although a fair share of advertisers in our sample spent exclusively on native ads (1.4k or 18%), including FinanceBuzz and Dudley Resources, most advertisers spread their wealth across multiple formats, including display and events.  

For example, of the nearly 1.6k advertisers who opted for native and one other format, 55% (872) slotted in digital display ads, while 18% (277) went with events. 

Interestingly, almost 1.4k advertisers added at least five additional formats to their investment in B2B native ads, which not only speaks to the myriad of available inventory available but advertiser’s desire to get in front of buyers in as many ways as possible. 

This illustration from Gartner charts the complexity of the B2B buying journey and, more importantly, the multitude of touchpoints B2B advertisers need to address. Mixing and matching native B2B ads with other formats is the only realistic way advertisers can stay in front of buyers throughout this journey—a journey that can take months and include input from up to ten decision-makers. 

A Handful of Industries Buoy B2B Native Advertising 

Despite native advertising’s prominence and proven prowess as people crave more natural ad experiences—68% of consumers trust native ads in an editorial context—advertisers in just five categories accounted for the bulk of spending in H1. 

Through June, advertisers in the Technology, Finance, B2B Industrial, Media & Entertainment, and Professional Services industries spent nearly $135mm on B2B native ads or 79% of the investment. 

For example, advertisers for 1.9k technology companies spent nearly $35mm on B2B native ads through June, with software advertisers, including those from RELX Group, SAS Institute, and Chaikin Analytics, accounting for 58% of that investment. 

For these technology advertisers, the strong spending in H1 comes after an equally strong 2022. Through October 2022, more than 21.2k technology advertisers spent nearly $12b on digital, print and TV ads, representing a 27% YoY increase from 2021. Overall, their average monthly investment increased by more than 95% YoY ($930mm in 2021 vs. $1.8b in 2022), with the biggest spike coming in September in preparation for the holiday season. 

Also in H1, advertisers for nearly 600 finance companies spent $30.4mm on B2B native ads, including those at State Street Corporation, Pictet Group, and Direxion, who combined to spend $10.8mm or 35% of the finance spending. Overall, financial institutions and services accounted for 72% of the category’s investment. 

For these finance advertisers investing in B2B native ads, spending comes at a turbulent time. Not only did the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank throw a wrench into their advertising strategies at the beginning of the year, but ongoing economic hardships continue to reduce the demand for some of their products and services. 

For example, as mortgage interest rates rise, spending from real estate advertisers has declined. In 2022, 11.9k real estate advertisers spent more than $2.3b on ads, representing 15% and 23% YoY decreases, respectively.

Finally, over 1.6k B2B Industrial companies spent more than $26mm on native media through June, namely, those promoting industrial machinery, electronics, and chemicals, who accounted for 33% of the category’s spend. 

While the uncertain economy and business hardships often hit industrial companies and their advertisers particularly hard, their investment in B2B native media could remain steadfast as we move through 2023 and their target audiences take their buying habits online. 

A recent McKinsey & Co. survey of nearly 4,000 business executives in 13 countries found that B2B eCommerce has taken the lead as the most effective sales channel. 

Pro Tip: Get a streamlined view of all advertiser activity to inform your proposals and show prospects how their competition is allocating their advertising budgets across channels and formats.

There’s Still Native B2B Inventory Out There 

Despite advertisers in five industries accounting for 79% of the investment in B2B native ads, there’s still plenty of inventory available for advertisers ready to ride the native-advertising wave. 

Through June, advertisers for nearly 6k companies advertised 8k brands or product lines via B2B native ads, collectively spending more than $197mm. (Over half of that investment came from advertisers in the Technology, B2B Industrial, and Professional Services industries.)

Pro Tip: Use MediaRadar to instantly show your prospects mock-ups of what their B2B native ads will look like surrounded by your relevant reporting.  

These fresh investments, coupled with the substantial sums from existing players, position B2B native ads—regardless of where they appear—in a prime position to thrive despite the uncertain economy and unprecedented pressure on advertising budgets. 

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here. 

But the travel industry is back in full swing, and B2B event hosts are opening their doors to thousands of attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors. All in all, experts expect the event industry to return to pre-pandemic levels next year, but B2B event advertising is already heating up. 

Between January and June 2023, advertisers primarily in the technology, B2B industrial, home furnishings, professional services, and retail industries combined to spend $1.1b on event exhibits and sponsorships.

As virtual as the world’s become, it’s clear that companies and marketing teams still relish the opportunity to get facetime with their target audience. 

Advertisers Hit the Road in Q1 to CES and CONEXPO-CON/AGG 

It didn’t take long for advertisers to shift their B2B events budgets into high gear. In Q1, eight events, including CES (Consumer Electronics Show), NRF Retail’s Big Show & Expo, and World of Concrete, received more than $20mm in exhibit and sponsorship revenue.

In January, 4.3k companies spent over $175mm to promote 4.4k brands or product lines at CES. More than 50% of that investment came from advertisers at technology companies, while 15% and 7% came from those in B2B industrial and finance, respectively. Overall, advertisers in these industries spent nearly $128mm at CES 2023, with Movella, Ridecell, and TransUnion coming out as the top spenders (combined spend of $28.5mm).

Ridecell, for example, attended CES to promote its Fleet Transformation Cloud, which helps companies increase productivity, enhance sustainability, streamline operations, and use valuable insights from big data. 

“After many years working with our customers, we know that fleet-driven businesses have put optimizing their operations and vehicle utilization as a top priority in their digital transformation roadmap,” said Aarjav Trivedi, Ridecell President and CEO. “I’m proud of our team’s vision and creation of a one-of-a-kind cloud that delivers the kind of value our customers have been searching for.” 

Movella and TransUnion also contributed to CES’ revenue.

When CONEXPO-CON/AGG kicked off in March, more than 2.2k companies were also there, collectively dishing out more than $68mm at the once-every-three-year conference showcasing everything from asphalt and aggregates to mining and utilities. 

Advertisers for construction equipment and products accounted for more than 35% of that spend (more than $23.6mm), thanks in large part to a lavish display by Caterpillar that showcased more than 30 machines, including model unveilings and battery electric machine prototypes.

Leading up to the conference, Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Umpleby said, “We look forward to showing Caterpillar’s latest construction products and services portfolio featuring advancements to help customers meet their requirements for performance, durability, and economic value.” He continued, “We’ll also demonstrate how we’re supporting customers on their sustainability journey through fuel efficiency and alternative power sources.”

Caterpillar also used CONEXPO-CON/AGG as a chance to show off its Technology, Services, and Sustainability Hubs & Industrial Power Solutions. With The Technology Hub, attendees could experience new and existing Caterpillar technologies, including VisionLink, Cat Command, VisionLink Productivity, Cat Detect, Cat Grade and Cat Payload. Meanwhile, The Sustainability Hub spotlighted the company’s site solution for the energy transition.

John Deere also made a splash at the conference by partnering with Wirtgen to create an expansive and interactive booth experience that spanned 80,000 square feet (see below). The duo put 68 machines on display, including six machines that come equipped with SmartGrade control functionality, 9 compact construction machines, and 9 electric or hybrid machines. 

Leaders from John Deere and the Wirtgen Group also participated in three educational sessions, including one featuring Justin Steger, Solutions Marketing Manager at John Deere Construction & Forestry, titled “How Grade Control Impacts Earthmoving Productivity.”

In addition to the 80,000-square-foot experience, the companies dedicated an additional 10,000 square feet to highlight the future of John Deere technology in the construction space.

B2B Event Spending Continues in Q2

In Q2, six events received more than $14mm in exhibit and sponsorship revenue, including BIO International Convention, NRA National Restaurant Association Show, and RSA Conference USA.

HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition (health conference) held in Chicago in April also attracted attention from 1.5k advertisers who combined to spend $19.6mm to promote over 1.6k brands or product lines. 

Much of that spending came from advertisers promoting software (43%), information technology (11%), and medical devices (7%), with Epic Systems, Microsoft, and Oracle crowned the three top spenders (combined to spend $1.2mm).

Meanwhile, advertisers for 1.4k companies spent nearly $26mm to promote their products at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas. Consumer electronics (such as film, audio and video equipment) accounted for 32% of the spend ($8.3mm), while software and broadcast technology accounted for 14% ($3.6mm) and 13% ($3.3mm), respectively. 

Ross Video, a company that sells technology and services that power exceptional live video productions, attended the 2023 NAB Show, embracing the theme, “From idea to audience, let’s make it real,” which highlighted the production possibilities unlocked by the range of solutions the company brought to the show. 

What’s on the Horizon for B2B Events? 

The surge in B2B event spending to start the year was expected—a late-2022 report found that 63% of marketers have plans to host in-person events within the next 12 to 24 months, while 48% of respondents said they’d attend in-person conferences in 2023. 

Will this spending on B2B events continue despite the ongoing economic uncertainty and unstable business climate? 

It seems likely. Between now and the ball dropping in Times Square to ring in the new year, several marquee events will welcome attendees, including VMware Explore (August 21 – 24 in Las Vegas), TechCrunch Disrupt (September 19 – 21 in San Francisco),  IAAPA Expos (November 13 – 17 in Orlando), and The SEMA Show (October 13 – November 3 in Las Vegas). 

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

Despite the pandemic getting farther in the rearview mirror, B2B spending has fallen again due to economic turmoil, rising inflation, and declining consumer confidence. As a result, advertisers in some industries, including pharma, software, and insurance, have reigned in their B2B media budgets. Overall, B2B print and digital publications spending decreased by 11% YoY in Q1 2023 ($1.1b down from $1.26b), while the number of advertising buying B2B media fell by 8% YoY. 

That said, other advertisers, especially those in tourism and construction, have upped their investment as their industries stayed relatively insulated from the outside pressure. 

Here’s how those advertisers invested in B2B media in Q1 2023. 

Top Segments Increasing & Decreasing Ad Spend in B2B Media    Q1 2022 vs Q1 2023
Segment	Est. Spend  in millions	YoY	Segment	Est. Spend  in millions	YoY
Building Materials & Tools	$21.2	10%	Pharma Companies	$79	-10%
Chemicals	$21.2	8%	Software	$53	-34%
Colleges & Universities	$18.6	6%	Professional Services	$40.7	-10%
US Tourism	$13.3	126%	Agriculture & Farming	$19.7	-13%
Construction Equip. & Materials	$12.9	89%	Insurance	$14.8	-44%
*Industrial Machinery was flat YoY in Q1 2023 at nearly $28mm.

Tourism Advertisers Lead the Way 

In Q1, tourism advertisers for U.S. cities, counties, and state tourism bureaus increased their investment in B2B media by 126% YoY to $13.2mm as the travel industry sprung back to life.

Advertisers for California Tourism ($2.3mm) and Florida Tourism ($2.4mm) were significant contributors, accounting for 38% of the spend thanks to increases of 187% (to $2.3mm) and 64% YoY (to $2.4mm), respectively. For tourism advertisers investing in B2B media, spending comes in the wake of a year in which the industry rebounded in a huge way. 

At the beginning of 2022, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced its newest economic modeling. Julia Simpson, president and CEO of WTTC, said, “Our latest forecast shows the recovery significantly picking up this year as infection rates subside and travelers continue benefiting from the protection offered by the vaccine and boosters.” 

That positive outlook was spot on. 

Overall, the market size of tourism worldwide totaled around $2 trillion in 2022 and is expected to rise to nearly $2.29 trillion this year. 

The rebound, combined with the demand for travel despite low consumer confidence—74% of American travelers plan to fly domestically by August—should put tourism advertisers in a prime position to spend on B2B media.

Construction Equipment & Materials Advertisers Get Back to Building

Headlines during the pandemic highlighted historically high prices. Used car prices, for example, posted their most significant annual increase ever when they jumped by 45% in the 12 months ending in June 2021.

The construction industry also experienced unprecedented supply-and-demand challenges that took the cost of goods to new heights. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released in May 2022, wholesale prices for plywood increased from $400 to $1,500 per thousand square feet. 

That undoubtedly impacted how construction equipment and materials advertisers invested in B2B media. However, the industry is back into a higher gear—the construction industry is expected to grow by 6.1% in 2023—and advertisers are spending. 

In Q1, spending on B2B media from construction equipment & materials advertisers increased by 89% YoY. Almost half of that (44%) came from advertisers promoting construction equipment (up by 58% YoY), including newcomers such as Case Construction Backhoe Loaders. At the same time, spending from advertisers pushing industrial concrete, which accounted for 10% of the category’s spending, increased their budgets by 920% YoY. 

Other related advertisers, including those for building materials and tools, including granite, tile, wiring, and power tools, increased spending as well. Advertisers promoting power tools, in particular, increased their investment in B2B media by 12% YoY. Meanwhile, advertisers for fasteners (hardware) increased spending by 34% YoY to $566mm.

Although many construction equipment and materials advertisers started 2023 with a renewed interest in B2B media, rising inflation and supply and labor challenges will put some projects on hold, namely residential properties. Mortgage Bankers Association said applications declined 13.2% for the week ending December 30, 2022, representing the lowest reading since 1996. 

At the same time, companies are pausing the construction of data centers started during the pandemic. In December 2022, Google announced it was pausing construction of its $6mm data center project. Meta made a similar move the same month, announcing it was pausing the construction of the new data center it started building that September. 

The economic headwinds already impacting projects, including at some of the world’s biggest companies, will persist in 2023 and put more pressure on advertisers and how they spend on B2B media. 

What’s it Mean for Everyone Else? 

Not all advertisers are pushing through the economic pressure, shifting buying behaviors, new technology, and overall B2B transformation as well as those promoting tourism, construction and materials. 

Advertisers for advertising and marketing software, for example, decreased spending on B2B media by 25% YoY. Even spending from eCommerce software advertisers dropped in Q1 despite the rise of entrepreneurship during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, advertisers for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and banks both decreased B2B media spending by 35% YoY as financial pressure reduced the demand for their products and services. 

Finally, pharma advertisers, including those for over-the-counter (OTC) medications, pharma companies, and prescriptions, decreased spending by 10% YoY to $79mm. Among the detractors, advertisers promoting breast cancer prescriptions reduced spending by 64% YoY to $3mm, while those for lung cancer prescriptions did so by 62% YoY to $2.3mm. 

For pharma advertisers, the reduction is more likely a reallocation than a sign of trouble. As they increasingly adopt digital, budgets must come from different channels and B2B media may be on the chopping block.

For advertisers cutting their budgets due purely to environmental factors, how they spend on B2B media will continue to align with the market’s ebbs and flows. 

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

Retail media networks, for example, are expected to attract $45b in the first half of the year, while Meta’s ad revenue is expected to hit almost $122b this year, up by 8.18% YoY after an unheard-of dip the year before. 

Despite the push from advertisers, not all advertising ecosystems are reaping the benefits of the return to (somewhat) normalcy. 

For instance, ad spending on B2B print and digital media publications dropped by 11% YoY to $1.13b in Q1 2023. 

Still, a select group of advertisers is investing in these publications, including those in the hospitality and energy industries. This article looks at the latter.

Here’s what you need to know about how energy advertisers, including those promoting oil refineries & gas processing plants, electric & natural gas, energy conferences, oil gas & petroleum, and oil & equipment, spent on B2B media publications in Q1 2023. 

Advertisers for Oil Refineries & Gas Processing Plants Restart Their Engines

“I Am Legend,” the blockbuster film starring pre-slap Will Smill, predicted that the cost of gas during the apocalypse would hover around $6.63.

At the time of the film’s release—December 14, 2007—that price likely seemed outlandish. After all, a gallon of gas went for around $3. 

More than a decade later, a gas station in Los Angeles one-upped that prediction, setting the price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas at $6.99. 

It’s safe to say that the oil and gas industry was squarely in the spotlight for much of 2022 as the war in Ukraine, ongoing sanctions, a travel boom, and economic uncertainty drove significant demand for crude oil.  

The natural demand for oil and gas, however, lessened the need for ads—and companies did just fine without them. 

Case and point: Aramco Services Company, Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, reported an annual profit of $161b in 2022, the largest ever by an energy firm. 

With the oil and gas industry correcting course, advertisers are adjusting and their budgets are increasing. 

In Q1 2023, advertisers for oil refineries & gas processing plants increased spending by a collective 800% YoY to more than $1.5mm. Much of that increase came from advertisers at Aramco Services Company, who increased their investment in digital B2B publications by almost 200%. `

Meanwhile, advertisers promoting oil & gas field equipment, including Brandt, Flogistix, and Weatherford International, spent 57% ($295k) on B2B media in Q1 2023 than they did during the first quarter last year. (Brandt, Flogistix, and Weatherford International accounted for more than 63% of that investment.)

When fewer ads are a good thing 

We often associate a reduction in ad spend with trouble on the horizon, but if history repeats itself, which it usually does, less spending from oil refineries & gas processing plant advertisers could be a good thing—at least for them.

In 2022, when demand rose, ad spending dropped. 

Demand for oil is expected to balloon in 2023, thanks in large part to rebounding air traffic. 

In fact, following an 80 kb/d (thousand barrels a day) contraction in Q4 2022, world oil demand growth is expected to grow from 710 kb/d in Q1 2023 to 2.6 mb/d in Q4. 

If advertisers flip back to the same page in their playbook, ad spending will drop as demand goes up. 

Energy Conference Advertisers Make Their Grande Re-entrance 

The value of the B2B trade show market declined from $15.5b in 2019 to just $3.8b in 2022, representing a staggering ~75% dip in just a year. Unsurprisingly, advertisers for energy conferences weren’t spending on B2B media. 

With conferences back in full swing, advertisers are re-entering the picture. 

According to Emerald Holding, Inc, a company that organizes B2B trade shows, revenues jumped by 124% YoY to $325.9mm. The company also estimates that revenue will reach $400mm this year.

Emerald’s Chief Financial Officer, David Doft, said, “Emerald’s full-year 2022 earnings results reflect the events industry’s continued and strong post-pandemic recovery, further validating the immense value of in-person experiences.” 

It’s not surprising, then, that advertisers for energy conferences, including Power-Gen International Knowledge Hub, Hart Energy Conferences, and the Connected Plant Conference (Access Intelligence), started strong in Q1 2023, increasing their budgets in B2B media by 70% YoY to $694mm.

Further increases are certainly on their way.  

Doft continued, “More importantly, Emerald’s strong exhibitor pre-booking trends, coupled with the significant increase in buyer attendance we have seen since the New Year, are highly encouraging and indicate significant growth potential in 2023.” 

He attributes much of that growth to easing supply chain constraints, the return of travel, and the ease of any COVID concerns keeping attendees at bay. 

Down But Not Out

Energy advertisers didn’t universally up their investments in B2B media in Q1 2023.  

Advertisers for energy power & natural gas, for example, decreased spending by 18% YoY to $1.1mm, while those promoting oil, gas, & petroleum did so by 54% YoY to $328k. 

For advertisers who were down and out on B2B media to kick off 2023, their reluctance doesn’t mean they aren’t advertising. 

Advertisers for Williams Companies (electric power & natural gas), for example, decreased spending on B2B media by over 99% YoY in Q1 but still invested in consumer print and digital display. 

At the same time, advertisers for Chevron Corporation decreased spending on B2B print by 89% YoY, while upping their investing in digital media by 12%.  

Regardless of their strategies in Q1, all advertisers driving B2B media spend—oil refineries & gas processing plants, electric & natural gas, energy conferences, oil gas & petroleum, and oil & equipment—may find a new level of appeal in the format as the year goes on. 

Not only could B2B media offers a more affordable alternative, especially to mainstream digital channels, but it’ll give advertisers an effective way to reach B2B buyers with precisions without third-party cookies.

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

That growth has continued, thanks largely to the rise of podcasts. In 2022, the number of monthly podcast listeners in the U.S. was expected to increase by 6.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 125mm. 

What’s driving podcasts to new heights? A fondness from consumers and B2B brands alike. 

For consumers, it’s all about convenience; they can learn whenever and wherever they want. 

For B2B brands, podcasts are a way to engage with an already bombarded market—and make a few bucks while they’re at it. Podcast advertising in the U.S. generated almost $1.5b as of 2021, up by 72% compared to 2020. 
The ripe opportunity has understandably created a launchpad for businesses across industry lines—there are currently almost 4mm podcasts, according to the Podcast Index.

These are some of our favorites—and ones you should pay attention to in 2023: 

The Advanced Selling Podcast

Two B2B sales trainers (Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale) with two decades of experience share tips and strategies every week. They cover nearly everything under the sun in B2B sales: “Prospecting, sales communication, buyer resistance, proposals and RFPs, pricing, cold calling, sales forecasting, pain points, psychology, positioning, deal coaching, goal setting …” the list goes on, according to Listen Notes.

Recent Episode: Metamorphosis of the Salesperson

This episode explores the current reputation of sales reps. The guys also dive into what they’re seeing in the profession and ways you can focus more on customer needs.

B2B Growth

This podcast from Sweet Fish Media provides short, digestible podcasts on the B2B market on the daily. Categories include marketing strategy, content marketing, Mar-Tech, social media, buyer personas, account-based marketing and more. 

Recent Episode: Gated’s “Advisor” Strategy – Smart or Not?

This recent episode discusses how Gated uses advisors to gain traction, mass adoption, and drive growth.

The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling

This aptly named podcast comes from The Maverick Selling Method, which in turn comes from B2B salesman Brian G. Burns. 

Slick copy and overbearing buzzwords aside, the podcast provides an incisive look at what works in B2B selling and what is old-fashioned. “I interview the best and brightest on every topic that effects [sic] salespeople today,” Burns writes on his LinkedIn. “I avoid all the old and useless approaches.”

Recent Episode: What Selling Smarter Looks Like and How to Apply It

Brian G. Burns talks to Chris about his experience running and operating restaurants, and his pivot into sales.

Sales Success Stories

Hosted by Scott Ingram, the Sales Success Stories format is used to interview A players in sales across industries. Interviewees share their favorite strategies, tips, routines and reading material.

Recent Episode: Mentors, Grit, & Cultivating An Ownership Mindset with Zencity’s Jack English

Jack English, the top-performing Account Executive at Zencity, shares his sales story, talks about his role, reflects on his favorite stories, and shares his thoughts on the unique political nature of his sales role.

The B2B Sales Show

As the name implies, this podcast is “dedicated to helping B2B sales professionals engage their target accounts, successfully navigate the sales process, and ultimately become more effective sellers.” Most episodes feature an interview with an experienced B2B sales pro. 

Recent Episode: The Multiplier Effect: How to Make Your Whole Team Smarter

David Kreiger, President of SalesRoads, talks about the multiplier effect, how to harness it, why reps need to make (and learn) from their mistakes, and why coaches should listen more than they talk.

The Sales Evangelist

A B2B podcast with a more personal touch, The Sales Evangelist (better known as Donald Kelly) works with a “We’re all in it together” kind of message. 

With episodes posted upwards of 10 times each month, Kelly has plenty of time to jump into everything from creating an authentic personal brand to dealing with stress, fatigue and burnout in an industry with breakneck acceleration.

Recent Episode: How I Utilize Personalized Video to Build a Community and Generate Leads

Jerrod Best-Mitchell joins the show to talk about using personalized video to generate leads and build connections and community.

The B2B Sales Podcast

The B2B Sales Podcast, hosted by Skip and Thibaut, addresses core B2B sales topics—think sales development, sales training, and sales coaching—to help salespeople discover and implement new tactics. The podcast applies to anyone in sales but focuses on tech and EMEA sales.

Recent Episode: Email subject lines: The last guide you’ll ever need, with Thibaut Souyris

Thibaut shares his steps to create dozens of engaging email subject lines in less than 5 minutes. 

Make It Happen Mondays – B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows

John Barrows, a leading B2B sales trainer and founder of JBarrows Consulting, brings on industry leaders to share actionable sales tips to help sellers close more business.

Recent Episode: Eric Nowoslawski & Varun Anand: How scared should sales reps be of tools like ChatGPT replacing them?

Eric Nowoslawski & Varun Anand, the innovators behind Clay.com, are helping companies of all sizes find opportunities in the era of artificial intelligence. This episode looks at the risk of becoming redundant in the AI age and the steps you can take to remain relevant.

Daily Sales Tips with Scott Ingram

Daily Sales Tips with Scott Ingram takes a unique approach to B2B podcasting. Scott presents new tips 7 days a week—all within 5-10 minutes or less. Recent topics include improving sales by copying the Beatles (yes, those Beatles) and negotiating with clarity. 

Recent Episode: White Knuckles & Complete Strangers – Camille Clemons

Scott talks about the importance of not white-knuckling your way through life and letting go of what you think needs to happen. More importantly, he dives into how to trust what you’re doing and be okay with where you’re at. 

Sales Hacker

Sales Hacker is the leading community for modern sales professionals. The Sales Hacker podcast is an extension of that. The podcast gives B2B sellers access to the latest sales tips and tactics in B2B sales. 

Recent Episode: Smart Growth for Global Success with Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, CEO and Co-Founder at TicketCo, an event sales solution for organizers and venues. Join us for a playful conversation about a wild guy who took a wild ride to become wildly successful at selling tickets.

The Power of B2B Sales Podcasts in 2023

The number of B2B sales podcasts will continue to grow in 2023—and they should. For B2B brands, podcasts offer a respite from increasingly saturated digital ecosystems.

For B2B sellers, podcasts offer access to the up-to-date and relevant information they need to thrive in their roles—all in an effortless way. 

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

They have the same audience, for starters. 

Last month, Folio Magazine published a compelling piece on how one magazine mogul, in particular, has successfully disrupted its business model — and why other B2B publications might consider doing the same. 

“We wanted to build an ecosystem of revenue streams that would help carry us through the ups and downs of economies and through what was this on-coming digital revolution,” Adam Sandow explains to Folio.

The article profiles Sandow’s foray into these disparate revenue streams, including everything from branded content studios to newsstand distribution networks.

Why B2B Publishers Are Switching Things Up

All publishers are facing the wrath of the economy’s ebbs and flow, not just those in B2B.

Here’s proof: The New York Times Company saw digital ad revenues drop by 2.4% in Q2 2022. Yes, that New York Times.

Other publishers are feeling it, too.

Mel Magazine laid off its entire staff, while Vox Media let go of 39 employees across sales, editorial, and recruiting.

Vox Media CEO, Jim Bankoff, said: “Supply chain issues reducing marketing and advertising budgets across industries and economic pressures [are] changing the ways that consumers spend. Our aim is to get ahead of greater uncertainty by making difficult but important decisions.”

Even Meta is stepping away from news and opting not to renew deals with publishers.

It’s not just the economy putting publishers between a rock and a hard place. Advertisers are simply moving their ad dollars elsewhere in search of more performance and efficiency. For these reasons, publishers, including those in B2B will continue to look for new revenue streams, including branded content studios and subscriber data.

B2B Publishers Embrace Branded Content Studios

Branded content studios are in-house services offered by publications, big and small, allowing brands to create native-like ads that engage the publication’s audience—and a fresh revenue stream.

According to Digiday’s Olivia Morley, content packages at Business Journals, which has a branded content studio, go anywhere between $5k and $70k.

Not only do branded content studios give B2B publishers a way to generate revenue, but they also give advertisers a way to connect with niche audiences natively and authentically, which is key considering 68% of consumers trust native ads seen in an editorial context (compared to 55% for ads on social media).

Examples of branded content studios

Here’s a good example of a branded content studio: Fast Company published a video and article showing how Pzifer uses data, AI and ML technology. At the same time, The Wall Street Journal partnered with Slack to launch a campaign that included case studies and ‘how-to’ articles designed to “spark conversation around collaboration and enterprise operations.” 

Here are a few more examples:

• The Trust (The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s platforms)
• FastCo. Works  
• The Business Journals Content Studio
• Bloomberg Media Group 
• Forbes Content & Design Studio 

Branded content studios aren’t the only way B2B publishers are driving revenue. Arguably the more impactful one comes in the form of subscriber (first-party) data.

Subscriber data for the win

Retailers have made one thing abundantly clear: First-party data reigns supreme. The explosive growth of retail media networks proves that.

According to MediaRadar data, more than 23.5 thousand companies (approximately 38 thousand brands) bought ads on retail media networks between May 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022.

Amazon ushered in the retail media craze, but other big names have quickly followed, including Walmart and Target; eMarketer predicted that Walmart would net $2.22 billion in ad revenue in 2022.

The Home Depot and Wayfair have also opened their doors to give advertisers access to their first-party data. Even TripAdvisor is getting in on the action, making it clear that retail media networks aren’t confined to retailers.

In reality, anyone with first-party data can get in on the party, including B2B publishers.

The New York Times, for example, is approaching 10 million paid subscribers. Meanwhile, Bloomberg has more than around 370 thousand. Finally, Forbes reaches around 150 million people across platforms.

All of these publications—and more—have massive addressable audiences. Even better, they have data on most of them, which offers advertisers a direct line between themselves and incredibly niche audiences.

For the B2B publications, it offers a valuable revenue stream when they need it most.

For more insights, sign up for MediaRadar’s blog here.

And though the conversation mostly surrounds cars, the lack of semiconductors affects a range of industries.

From construction to smartphones, much of our economy depends on these materials.

Though Big Tech companies have been bringing in huge earnings, tech companies are facing headwinds with a limited supply of chips. But are supply chain issues enough to disrupt advertising budgets? It doesn’t appear so.

We encourage you to subscribe to our blog for the latest data surrounding the advertising industry. We will provide daily updates as COVID-19 continues to make its mark on the US economy.

Our electronic-dependent economy relies on chips

It’s clear that the chip industry is experiencing a major roller coaster ride. 

With people buying more electronic products for work and play at home, the demand for chips surged last year. At the same time, automakers cancelled orders, allowing other industries to move up in line for their purchases. On top of these changes, factories were forced to close (and a major one was even damaged by fire.)

This is sending ripple effects throughout the economy—not just the auto industry.

“Every aspect of human existence is going online, and every aspect of that is running on semiconductors,” said Pat Gelsinger, the new chief executive of the chip maker Intel, per the New York Times. “People are begging us for more.”

Almost every industry ranging from healthcare to streaming to shipping uses computing and communication products. And any company that offers communications or computing products needs chips.

“It’s going to affect pretty much everything,” said Parks Associates Senior Analyst Paul Erickson to Protocol. Who knew such a small product would have such a large economic impact?

With continued supply chain disruptions, the chip shortage isn’t expected to calm down until the end of this year, or potentially through 2022. 

But the shortage might become worse before it gets better. As part prices increase, businesses are slashing production efforts and deciding how much of the burden to put on consumers. 

In order to maintain profits amid rising part prices, have tech and electronic companies reduced their advertising budgets? Our data suggests that the answer is no. 

MediaRadar Insights

Many tech companies rely on chips to make their computing systems and other electronic devices function. 

Here we first take a look at B2B Technology spending overall, and then dive into Networking, Hardware and Communications sub-category data.

The Overall B2B Tech Advertising Landscape

In 2021 to date there have been 11.8 thousand tech companies spending $242.6mm in the B2B space. This is up just 7% from 2020, where 10.8k companies spent $225.8mm.

In year-over-year comparisons by format, we see an increase in digital ad spend from 2019 to 2021. There is consistent growth, and digital ad spend now accounts for 67% of all tech advertising.

In 2021, the top advertising Tech companies in the B2B space have been: 

• Primis
• SAP
• C3.ai
• VMWare
• Verizon
• Cisco

The spending from these brands is almost exclusively invested into digital advertising.

Of these top brands, only Verizon is a returning top spender from 2020. This indicates that software and wireless networking is the focus of the tech category this year, rather than the focus on cyber and digital security we saw in 2020.

Networking, Hardware and Telecommunications

In the hardware, telecommunications, and networking category, we’ve seen a 9% increase in spend year-over-year. 

In 2020 these subcategories spent $18.8 million between January and July. This has increased to $20.4mm in 2021 (over the same seven months).

Top advertisers in these subcategories include: 

• Dell
• Dish Networks
• Cox Business
• Intel
• Verizon

Their spend is driving the upward trend from hardware, telecommunications, and networking companies. Together their spend accounts for 30% of all spend in this group ($6.1mm).

Even though the chip shortage is a legitimate issue, it is just one piece of the overall picture right now. Some of the largest tech companies are seeing amazing profits. Dell sales of PCs, for example, were surging at the beginning of the year.

Right now companies aren’t letting rising part prices affect their advertising budgets. Tech companies, even those focused on hardware, telecommunications and networking, are spending more on advertising right now. 

But as company leaders warned, supply chain constraints may become tighter as the year progresses and it’s unclear how that will impact inflation, the overall economy and media buying. 

For more updates like this, stay tuned. Subscribe to our blog for more updates on coronavirus and its mark on the economy.

We covered quite a few B2B advertising developments and insights in 2019. From new B2B ad formats (and how brands are using them) to why B2B brands are advertising on Instagram, these developments shaped B2B advertising for the year. 

Now that the year has come and gone, the question is: what did the market look like as a whole?  

Overall, spending on B2B digital advertising increased slightly in 2019 (with 1 percent growth). 

Of all ad formats, mobile ads saw the biggest growth (+5.6 percent). Still, mobile advertising remains the smallest part of most B2B advertising budgets. It accounts for just about 1 percent of all spend. Display ads continue to dominate the industry, both in adoption and in spend. In 2018, display accounted for 95 percent of all B2B online ad sales. In 2019, it was up to 96 percent. 

We put together a graph that shows the biggest takeaways for B2B digital advertising across display, mobile, native and video ads. 

These are the highlights: 

• Display advertising remains king of B2B in terms of usage, even though the number of B2B advertising using the format decreased slightly. 

• More B2B companies used native ad formats in 2019, although growth was slow. In 2018, only 6.9 percent of B2B advertisers used the format, compared to 7.2 percent in 2019. 

• Mobile advertising also experienced an uptick, with 21.2 percent of B2B advertisers using the format in 2019 (compared to 20.3 percent the previous year). 

• Video ads — a rapidly growing medium for consumer advertising — actually decreased YoY for B2B advertising, from 3 percent to 2.6 percent. 

Although not included in the graph, many B2B companies also experimented in podcast ads in 2019. In fact, B2B advertiser Ziprecruiter was a top 3 podcast advertiser last year across all industries. We expect this trend to continue in 2020. 

Every year, the Business Information & Media Summit brings together business information leaders to discuss marketing, data, strategy, digital sales and more. 

Using both internal research and insight from industry sources, MediaRadar CEO Todd Krizelman presented a compelling case for B2B event marketing at BIMS this year. 

The headline is that event marketing is a growing channel for advertisers and a growing revenue stream for publishers. But how is this growth taking shape? 

If you weren’t a BIMS attendee this year, these are the highlights: 

• 30% of marketers say they will definitely increase spend on sponsored events in the next year.
• Two-thirds of attendees at a conference represent a new prospect for a potential customer. 
• 92% of trade show attendees say their main reason for attending is to see the products featured.
• 82% of trade show attendees have the authority to make a buying decision.
• 38,000 brands sponsored or exhibited across just 60 B2B events in 2018. This represents a 6 percent growth YoY. 
• More brands are exhibiting at or sponsoring multiple events per year. The majority still only go to one event each year, but the percentage is increasing. 
• 8.2% of brands were sponsors at a B2B event in 2019
• The percent of brands sponsoring an event has increased 1.7% over the past 2 years.
• A little less than 1 in 5 of sponsor brands sponsor multiple events — slightly up in the past two years.
• Large events average 2800 exhibitors or sponsors. The space saw just a 3% increase from 2017 to 2019.
• But small events are growing at a faster pace, up 50% in the same three year span. 
• Exhibitor and sponsor spend on the average B2B event was up 12% in 2018. 
• Only 10% of events are considered large, but capture 68% of the dollars

The cost of event sponsorship and exhibition is rising as more brands start to treat event as a marketing opportunity, a higher percentage of these brands are buying sponsorships, and the cost of exhibitor and sponsorship fees increases. 

Taken altogether, this translates into higher revenue for publishers from events. IIt also means publishers don’t have to be intimidated by the cost of entry for event marketing, since smaller events seem to be poised for the most amount of growth. Long story short: the degree of events as a revenue driver for B2B publishers will vary depending on the event size and space. 

Publishers face a huge opportunity to grow revenue, particularly as they focus on smaller, niche events.