Rob Scott
Introduction: The Global Reality of B2B Technology Marketing
After nearly a decade building Today Digital across multiple markets and serving technology buyers worldwide through our publications—UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today—I’ve witnessed the profound transformation of B2B purchasing behaviour that’s reshaping how we approach demand generation and lead generation.
The comprehensive 6sense 2024 Buyer Experience Study, spanning 2,509 recent B2B buyers across North America, EMEA, and APAC, confirms what we’ve observed serving over 3 million unique visitors annually: the fundamental dynamics of B2B technology marketing have permanently shifted, and this evolution is truly global.
Critical Insight: Buyers are 69% through their purchasing process before engaging with sellers across all regions (68.2% in North America, 67.4% in EMEA, 72.4% in APAC). This isn’t just a trend—it’s the new reality of B2B technology sales.
The research reveals striking consistency across regions that demands immediate attention from senior marketers in unified communications, collaboration technology, customer experience, and broader B2B technology sectors. Whether your prospects are technology decision-makers in Silicon Valley evaluating UC solutions, London executives considering customer experience platforms, or Singapore teams researching collaboration tools, they’re following remarkably similar patterns that fundamentally challenge traditional demand generation approaches.
Consider these universal truths that transcend geographic boundaries: buyers initiate first contact over 80% of the time globally, with regional variations being minimal (82.9% North America, 80.9% EMEA, 77.7% APAC). More importantly, buyers already have a preferred vendor when they first make contact in the vast majority of cases—84.6% in North America, 76.2% in EMEA, and 82.3% in APAC. Perhaps most significantly for demand generation professionals, 85% of buyers have largely established their requirements before any vendor contact occurs.
This data fundamentally challenges the lead generation orthodoxy that’s dominated B2B technology marketing for decades. While our industry colleagues continue investing heavily in tactics designed to capture and qualify prospects at the moment of inquiry, the reality is that these buyers have already completed most of their evaluation process independently. They’re not looking for education or exploration—they’re seeking validation of decisions they’ve substantially made.
At Today Digital, our global audience has taught us that technology decision-makers across all regions are hungry for independent, authoritative insights during their research phase. They’re not waiting for vendor presentations to understand unified communications options, customer experience solutions, or collaboration technologies. Instead, they’re actively researching, evaluating, and building consensus within their buying groups using trusted sources like our publications and industry analysis.
The opportunity for marketers who understand this reality is extraordinary. While traditional demand generation focuses on lead capture and qualification, the new paradigm requires us to influence decision-making during the critical period when buyers are actually making their choices—long before they raise their hand for vendor contact.
Quick Navigation
- Introduction: The Global Reality of B2B Technology Marketing
- Understanding Global B2B Buying Patterns
- The Dark Funnel – Marketing’s Hidden Influence
- Global ICP Targeting Strategies
- Regional ABM Campaign Excellence
- Leveraging Media for Pipeline Growth
- Full-Funnel Campaign Design
- Measurement and Optimisation
- Technology Stack Requirements
- Building Your 2025 Strategy
Understanding Global B2B Buying Patterns
The Universal Two-Phase Journey
The 6sense research confirms that regardless of geography, technology sector, or company size, B2B buying unfolds in two distinct phases with remarkable consistency across regions. Understanding this framework is fundamental for any senior marketer developing effective demand generation strategies.
Phase 1: The Selection Phase represents approximately 70% of the buying journey across all regions. During this critical period, buying groups are independently researching solutions, consuming content voraciously from sources like industry publications, analyst reports, peer networks, and vendor websites. They’re building consensus around their shortlisted vendors and establishing their requirements largely without direct vendor involvement.
The timing consistency is striking: North American buyers complete 68.2% of their journey before first vendor contact, EMEA buyers reach 67.4%, and APAC buyers extend slightly longer at 72.4%. This narrow variance suggests that the fundamental research and consensus-building process is remarkably consistent across cultures and markets.
Phase 2: The Validation Phase encompasses the final 30% of the journey when buyers finally reach out to vendors. However, this isn’t the beginning of their evaluation—it’s the validation of choices they’ve already made. Requirements are largely established (84.2% in North America, 87.6% in EMEA, 81.8% in APAC), and preferred vendors have already been identified in the vast majority of cases.
Strategic Implication: Traditional demand generation strategies that focus on lead capture and nurturing assume buyers are starting their evaluation when they first engage. The reality is they’re finishing it.
Regional Nuances That Shape Strategy
While the overall pattern remains consistent, understanding regional differences is crucial for developing effective global demand generation strategies, particularly in technology sectors where buying behaviour can vary significantly based on market maturity and cultural preferences.
APAC represents the complex market with the most thorough evaluation processes. Buyers in this region demonstrate the longest buying cycles at 13.2 months average, the largest buying groups at 12.8 people, and the most comprehensive vendor evaluations at 5.16 vendors considered. Perhaps most significantly for demand generation professionals, APAC buyers engage in nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group and show the highest reliance on external validation, with 77% hiring consultants or analysts.
These patterns suggest that APAC technology buyers approach major purchases with exceptional thoroughness, requiring demand generation strategies that provide comprehensive information, support extended evaluation cycles, and address the needs of large, diverse buying committees. The high reliance on external validation also indicates the critical importance of analyst relations and third-party credibility in this region.
EMEA demonstrates the efficient market characteristics that many senior marketers find appealing for their predictability and decisiveness. Buyers in this region complete their evaluations in the shortest timeframes at 10.2 months average, work within smaller buying groups of 9.76 people, and evaluate fewer vendors at 4.11 on average. They also show the highest level of requirement certainty, with 87.6% having their needs defined before vendor contact.
The efficiency of EMEA buyers creates opportunities for demand generation strategies that emphasise authority, credibility, and clear value propositions. These buyers respond well to authoritative content that helps them validate their choices quickly rather than extensive educational materials that assume they’re still learning about their options.
North America exemplifies the balanced market that many global technology companies use as their baseline for demand generation strategy development. With moderate buying cycles of 11.2 months, balanced buying groups of 10.67 people, and 4.5 vendors typically evaluated, North American patterns often serve as the global benchmark.
Perhaps most significantly for demand generation professionals, North American buyers show the strongest preference for self-directed research, with 82.9% initiating first vendor contact themselves. They also demonstrate the highest level of prior vendor experience at 93.3%, suggesting that brand awareness and relationship building over time play crucial roles in their eventual vendor selection.
The Prior Experience Revelation
One of the most significant findings for demand generation strategy is the prevalence of prior vendor experience across all regions. The data reveals that in 90-94% of cases, buyers have previous experience with at least one vendor they evaluate, and in 77-88% of cases, they have prior experience specifically with the vendor they ultimately choose.
Game-Changing Insight: 84% of buyers globally have previously worked with the winning vendor before their active buying cycle begins. This transforms how we think about demand generation from lead capture to relationship cultivation.
This finding fundamentally challenges the traditional demand generation model that assumes buyers are discovering vendors for the first time during their active evaluation. Instead, the data suggests that successful vendors have been building relationships, demonstrating value, and establishing credibility long before formal buying processes begin.
For technology marketers in unified communications, collaboration, customer experience, and related sectors, this means that brand building, thought leadership, consistent market presence, and relationship development aren’t just nice-to-have activities—they’re essential prerequisites for being considered when buying cycles activate.
The implications extend beyond simple brand awareness. Buyers with prior vendor experience are making informed decisions based on accumulated knowledge, previous interactions, and established relationships. This makes the quality of every touchpoint—from content consumption to event interactions to customer service—a potential influence on future buying decisions.
The Dark Funnel – Marketing’s Hidden Influence
Mapping the Invisible Journey Across Global Markets
The dark funnel represents all the research, evaluation, and decision-making that happens outside traditional marketing attribution models. For senior marketers struggling with demand generation measurement and ROI demonstration, understanding the dark funnel is crucial because this is where the majority of buying influence actually occurs.
The 6sense research illuminates just how extensive this hidden influence really is across different regions. With buyers completing 70% of their journey before any trackable vendor engagement, and 90%+ having prior experience with vendors they evaluate, the dark funnel represents the majority of actual buying influence that traditional demand generation measurement completely misses.
Consider the interaction volumes that occur during buyer evaluation processes. EMEA buyers engage in 620 interactions per buying group, North American buyers reach 845 interactions, and APAC buyers engage in nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group. These represent thousands of touchpoints across multiple stakeholders that traditional lead generation models would never capture or attribute.
Hidden Reality: The vast majority of buying influence happens in interactions that traditional demand generation attribution models never see or measure.
The dark funnel operates differently across regions, requiring sophisticated approaches that account for cultural preferences, information consumption patterns, and decision-making styles. Understanding these regional differences enables senior marketers to develop more effective strategies for influencing buyer decisions during the critical selection phase.
APAC demonstrates the deepest research patterns with buyers consuming significantly more content, engaging with more stakeholders, and spending more time in evaluation. The 77% utilisation of external consultants and analysts in APAC creates additional layers of dark funnel influence, as these third parties conduct their own research, develop their own opinions, and influence buying decisions through channels that vendors may never directly touch.
For technology marketers targeting APAC buyers, this means developing comprehensive content strategies that address not just direct buyers but also the consultants, analysts, and other influencers who shape their decisions. It also requires patience and long-term relationship building, as the extended evaluation cycles mean that influence built today may not convert to pipeline for 12-18 months.
EMEA shows focused consumption patterns that emphasise quality over quantity. With fewer total interactions but higher conversion rates, EMEA buyers are efficient consumers of information who value authoritative, credible sources that help them make confident decisions quickly. The dark funnel in EMEA is shorter but requires high-quality influence from respected sources.
This creates opportunities for technology marketers who can establish thought leadership and authority within the EMEA market. Rather than broad content distribution, success in EMEA often comes from concentrated influence through respected industry publications, analyst relationships, and expert positioning that builds credibility efficiently.
North America balances breadth and depth in dark funnel activity, with buyers comfortable consuming diverse content types from multiple sources while maintaining strong preferences for self-directed research. The 82.9% rate of buyer-initiated contact suggests that North American buyers prefer to control their research timeline and vendor engagement process.
The Today Digital Dark Funnel Strategy
Our approach to dark funnel marketing has evolved through serving technology buyers across all regions through UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today. We’ve learned that effective dark funnel influence requires understanding not just what buyers consume, but how they consume it and what influences their thinking during the critical selection phase.
Our publications serve as trusted guides during the selection phase, providing the independent insights, analysis, and expert commentary that buying groups need to build consensus and establish preferences. When technology vendors invest in editorial partnerships, thought leadership, or strategic content with Today Digital, they’re positioning themselves to influence decisions during the period when buyers are actually making choices, not just gathering information.
Content That Influences Selection must go beyond product promotion to provide genuine value during buyer evaluation. This includes independent analysis of market trends, comparative evaluation of solution approaches, expert commentary on technology evolution, and educational content that helps buyers understand complex technical concepts without vendor bias.
The key insight from our global audience is that technology buyers—whether they’re evaluating unified communications solutions, customer experience platforms, or collaboration technologies—want to understand the broader context of their decisions. They’re not just comparing features; they’re trying to understand market direction, assess vendor viability, and predict future technology evolution.
Regional Content Adaptation reflects the different ways buyers consume and process information across markets. Our APAC coverage emphasises comprehensive analysis with expert validation, recognising that buyers in this region value thorough evaluation and third-party endorsement. Our EMEA content focuses on authoritative insights that help efficient decision-making, while our North American coverage provides diverse formats that support self-directed research preferences.
Multi-Publication Syndication creates comprehensive market coverage that addresses the reality of modern technology buying. Many of our clients, particularly in unified communications and customer experience, offer solutions that span multiple technology categories. Our ability to provide integrated coverage across UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today enables comprehensive influence that matches the complexity of modern technology evaluation.
Global ICP Targeting Strategies
Building Sophisticated Regional ICP Frameworks
Traditional Ideal Customer Profile development often focuses primarily on firmographic and demographic characteristics—company size, industry vertical, job titles, and geographic location. However, the 6sense research reveals that behavioural patterns and regional buying preferences are equally important for effective demand generation in B2B technology markets.
The research identifies universal ICP characteristics that transcend regional boundaries. Buying group involvement consistently ranges from 10-13 people across all regions, prior vendor experience exceeds 90% globally, buyers demonstrate strong preferences for self-directed research (initiating contact 80%+ of the time), and requirement certainty reaches 85%+ before vendor engagement begins.
These universal patterns provide a foundation for global ICP development, but the execution varies significantly by region. Senior marketers developing demand generation strategies for unified communications, collaboration technology, customer experience, and related sectors must account for these regional differences while maintaining consistent brand positioning and value propositions.
Strategic Foundation: Effective global ICP targeting requires understanding both universal buying patterns and regional execution preferences.
APAC ICP Development must account for the region’s preference for comprehensive evaluation and collaborative decision-making. With buying groups averaging 12.8 people and evaluation cycles extending to 13.2 months, APAC technology buyers approach major purchases with exceptional thoroughness that demands sophisticated stakeholder mapping and extended engagement strategies.
The 77% utilisation of external consultants and analysts in APAC creates additional layers of influence that traditional ICP models often overlook. Effective APAC targeting requires identifying not just the direct buying team but also the consultants, analysts, and other third parties who influence their decisions. This is particularly important in technology sectors where complex solutions require external validation and expert guidance.
APAC buyers also demonstrate the highest tolerance for complexity, evaluating 5.16 vendors on average and engaging in nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group. This suggests that APAC ICPs should prioritise organisations that value thorough evaluation and have the resources to support extended decision-making processes.
EMEA ICP Characteristics reflect the region’s preference for efficiency and authority in technology decision-making. With smaller buying groups (9.76 people), shorter cycles (10.2 months), and the highest requirement certainty (87.6%), EMEA buyers approach technology purchases with clear expectations and decisive execution.
EMEA technology buyers evaluate fewer vendors (4.11 on average) and engage in fewer interactions (620 per buying group), but they convert at higher rates when they do engage. This pattern suggests that EMEA ICPs should focus on organisations with clear authority structures, defined purchasing processes, and preferences for established, credible vendors.
The efficiency focus in EMEA also suggests that successful technology vendors in this region must be prepared to engage at senior levels quickly and provide authoritative validation rather than extensive education. ICPs should prioritise organisations where senior decision-makers are accessible and empowered to make technology purchasing decisions efficiently.
North America ICP Development can leverage the region’s high rate of prior vendor experience (93.3%) and strong preference for self-directed research (82.9% buyer-initiated contact). These characteristics create opportunities for relationship-based targeting that builds on existing connections and brand awareness over time.
North American technology buyers demonstrate balanced evaluation patterns with moderate buying groups (10.67 people), cycles (11.2 months), and vendor consideration (4.5 vendors). However, their strong preference for controlling the research and engagement timeline means that successful ICPs should prioritise organisations that value comprehensive self-service resources and flexible engagement models.
Account-Based Intelligence by Region
The research reveals that certain account characteristics predict buying behaviour patterns across regions, enabling more sophisticated prioritisation for demand generation investments. Understanding these patterns helps senior marketers allocate resources more effectively and develop targeted approaches that align with buyer preferences.
High-Priority Account Indicators emerge consistently across regions, despite different execution preferences. Growth companies consistently demonstrate different buying patterns, with late engagers from faster-growing companies making larger purchases across all regions. Multi-regional organisations show more complex purchasing processes with longer cycles and higher values, while IT and HR department buyers consistently demonstrate more complex evaluation processes regardless of geography.
The prior vendor relationship factor proves crucial across all regions, with 84% of buyers globally having worked with the winning vendor before their active buying cycle. This creates opportunities for relationship-based account prioritisation that goes beyond traditional firmographic targeting to consider interaction history, content engagement, and relationship depth.
Regional Account Prioritisation requires understanding how these universal patterns manifest differently across markets. APAC priority accounts often include technology companies with rapid growth trajectories, multi-regional organisations with complex decision-making requirements, and companies investing in digital transformation initiatives. The high reliance on external validation in APAC also makes companies with established consultant and analyst relationships particularly attractive targets.
EMEA priority accounts typically include established enterprises with clear authority structures, companies with defined purchasing processes and efficiency requirements, and market leaders in their respective industries. The preference for authoritative, credible vendors in EMEA makes companies with strong governance and risk management requirements particularly suitable targets.
North America priority accounts can be effectively prioritised based on existing relationship depth, growth trajectory, and collaborative buying cultures. The high rate of prior vendor experience creates opportunities for relationship-based prioritisation that considers historical interaction patterns and engagement quality rather than just firmographic characteristics.
Regional ABM Campaign Excellence
Research-Informed Global ABM Approaches
Account-Based Marketing for B2B technology companies must evolve beyond traditional targeting and personalisation to address the realities revealed by the 6sense research. With buyers completing 70% of their journey before vendor engagement and 85% having requirements largely established before contact, ABM strategies must focus on influencing the selection phase rather than just optimising the validation phase.
The research provides crucial insights for developing ABM strategies that work across different regional markets while addressing the universal challenge of dark funnel influence. Traditional ABM approaches that focus primarily on account identification, contact mapping, and personalised outreach must expand to address the extended research and consensus-building period when buyers are actually making their critical decisions.
ABM Evolution: Success requires shifting from validation-focused ABM to selection-phase influence across regional markets with different buying preferences.
Universal ABM Principles emerge from the research that apply across all regions and technology sectors. The selection phase dominance means that ABM must influence buyers during their independent research period, not just when they’re ready to engage vendors directly. The complexity of buying groups (10-13 people across all regions) requires comprehensive stakeholder mapping that goes beyond traditional contact targeting to understand influence patterns and decision-making dynamics.
The prevalence of prior vendor relationships (90%+ globally) means that effective ABM must build on existing connections and market presence rather than assuming accounts are starting from zero awareness. The high percentage of buyer-initiated contact (80%+ globally) suggests that ABM should focus on being discoverable and valuable when buyers are ready to engage rather than interrupting their research with aggressive outreach.
APAC ABM Strategy: The Collaborative Approach
APAC technology buyers present unique challenges and opportunities for ABM execution that reflect the region’s preference for thorough evaluation and collaborative decision-making. With buying groups averaging 12.8 people, cycles extending to 13.2 months, and nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group, APAC ABM requires patience, comprehensiveness, and cultural sensitivity.
Strategic Account ABM in APAC must accommodate the region’s preference for extended evaluation cycles and comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Planning horizons should extend to 15-18 months to account for the thorough evaluation processes, with content and engagement strategies designed to support large buying committees throughout their extended research period.
The 77% utilisation of external consultants and analysts in APAC creates additional influence channels that must be incorporated into ABM strategies. This includes developing relationships with regional consultants and analysts, creating content that supports their evaluation processes, and positioning solutions in ways that facilitate third-party validation and recommendation.
Cultural considerations play crucial roles in APAC ABM execution, particularly around hierarchy, consensus-building, and relationship development. ABM approaches must respect traditional authority structures while supporting collaborative decision-making processes that may involve extended discussion and consensus-building among large buying groups.
EMEA ABM Strategy: The Authority-Focused Approach
EMEA technology buyers demonstrate efficiency-focused patterns that create different ABM opportunities compared to other regions. With smaller buying groups (9.76 people), shorter cycles (10.2 months), and the highest requirement certainty (87.6%), EMEA buyers respond well to authoritative, credible approaches that support quick validation of their purchasing decisions.
Strategic Account ABM in EMEA should emphasise authority positioning through senior executive engagement, market leadership demonstration, and efficient validation processes that respect buyers’ preference for streamlined decision-making. The efficiency focus means that ABM touchpoints must deliver high value quickly rather than assuming extended relationship-building periods.
Local expertise and market knowledge play particularly important roles in EMEA ABM success. Buyers in this region value vendors who understand local market conditions, regulatory requirements, and business practices. ABM strategies should incorporate regional market intelligence, local case studies, and culturally appropriate engagement approaches.
North America ABM Strategy: The Balanced Approach
North American technology buyers demonstrate balanced patterns that allow for diverse ABM approaches while emphasising self-directed research preferences and relationship leverage. With the highest rate of prior vendor experience (93.3%) and strongest preference for buyer-initiated contact (82.9%), North American ABM can build on existing relationships and market presence.
Strategic Account ABM in North America should leverage existing brand connections and relationships while providing comprehensive self-service resources that support independent evaluation preferences. The high rate of prior vendor experience creates opportunities for relationship-based ABM that builds on previous interactions and established credibility.
Innovation positioning plays a particularly important role in North American ABM, where technology buyers often prioritise vendors who demonstrate thought leadership and future vision. ABM strategies should incorporate technology leadership demonstration, innovation showcasing, and vision articulation that positions vendors as forward-thinking partners.
Leveraging Media for Pipeline Growth
The Editorial Advantage in Global Technology Markets
The 6sense research confirms that buyers across all regions consume vast amounts of content during their selection phase, but the sources, formats, and consumption patterns vary significantly by region. For senior marketers in unified communications, collaboration technology, customer experience, and related sectors, understanding these differences is crucial for effective media investment and content strategy development.
Editorial partnerships and thought leadership platforms become particularly valuable when we consider the interaction volumes involved in modern B2B technology buying. EMEA buyers engage in 620 interactions per buying group, North American buyers reach 845 interactions, and APAC buyers engage in nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group. These represent thousands of content consumption opportunities during the critical selection phase when buyers are actually making their vendor preferences.
Editorial Reality: The majority of buying influence happens through content consumption during the selection phase, not through direct vendor interactions during the validation phase.
Traditional demand generation often focuses on lead capture through gated content and direct response tactics. However, the research reveals that by the time buyers are ready for direct vendor engagement, they’ve already formed strong preferences based on their independent research. This makes editorial influence during the selection phase far more valuable than lead generation during the validation phase.
At Today Digital, our publications—UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today—serve as trusted guides during this critical selection phase. Technology vendors who invest in editorial partnerships, thought leadership, and expert positioning through our platforms gain influence during the period when buyers are actually making their critical decisions, not just when they’re ready to validate choices they’ve already made.
Regional Editorial Strategy Development
APAC Editorial Excellence requires depth, expert validation, and collaborative formats that support the region’s preference for comprehensive evaluation. With nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group and 77% utilisation of external consultants and analysts, APAC buyers value thorough analysis that includes multiple perspectives and expert validation.
Our APAC editorial strategy emphasises extended analysis pieces that explore technology trends in depth, expert interview series that provide diverse perspectives on market evolution, and collaborative content formats like roundtables and panel discussions that facilitate peer learning and consensus building.
EMEA Editorial Authority focuses on establishing thought leadership and market authority that supports the region’s preference for efficient decision-making. With shorter cycles (10.2 months) and smaller buying groups (9.76 people), EMEA buyers value authoritative content that helps them validate decisions quickly rather than extensive educational material that assumes they’re still learning about their options.
Our EMEA editorial strategy emphasises executive thought leadership from recognised industry authorities, concise analysis that provides clear insights and recommendations, and expert commentary that establishes market leadership and credibility.
North America Editorial Diversity supports the region’s preference for self-directed research and diverse information consumption. With the highest rate of prior vendor experience (93.3%) and strong preference for buyer-initiated contact (82.9%), North American buyers appreciate comprehensive content libraries that support independent evaluation.
Our North American editorial strategy includes diverse content formats from breaking news to in-depth analysis to opinion pieces, comprehensive resource libraries that support self-service research, and social amplification that extends content reach through professional networks.
Global Content Distribution Networks
Effective media leverage requires sophisticated distribution strategies that align with regional consumption preferences and platform utilisation patterns. The research shows that buyers consume content from multiple sources during their selection phase, creating opportunities for comprehensive market coverage that influences decision-making across multiple touchpoints.
Multi-Publication Syndication creates opportunities for comprehensive market coverage that addresses the complexity of modern technology buying. Many technology companies, particularly in unified communications and customer experience, offer solutions that span multiple categories and require integrated market coverage.
Our ability to provide coordinated coverage across UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today enables comprehensive influence that matches the complexity of modern technology evaluation. Buyers researching unified communications solutions often need to understand customer experience implications, collaboration technology integration, and AI enhancement possibilities.
Full-Funnel Campaign Design
Research-Informed Global Funnel Architecture
Traditional marketing funnels assume linear progression from awareness through consideration to decision, with the assumption that vendor engagement marks the beginning of serious evaluation. The 6sense research reveals a fundamentally different reality that requires complete funnel redesign for effective demand generation in B2B technology markets.
The two-phase buying journey—with approximately 70% completion before vendor contact—means that the traditional funnel misses the majority of actual buying influence. Buyers aren’t progressing linearly through vendor-defined stages; instead, they’re conducting comprehensive independent research, building consensus within their organisations, and establishing vendor preferences long before any trackable engagement occurs.
Funnel Revolution: Effective demand generation requires influencing the 70% of the journey that happens before buyers contact vendors, not just optimising the 30% that follows.
Universal Funnel Principles apply across all regions despite different execution preferences. The selection phase dominance means that funnel design must focus on being discoverable and influential during independent research rather than just responsive during validation. The prevalence of prior vendor relationships (90%+ globally) means that funnel entry points must account for existing awareness and relationship depth rather than assuming zero starting points.
The complexity of buying groups (10-13 people across regions) requires funnel design that addresses multiple stakeholders with different roles, concerns, and information preferences. The high percentage of buyer-initiated contact (80%+ globally) suggests that funnels should emphasise pull-based attraction rather than push-based interruption.
Regional Funnel Adaptation Strategies
APAC Extended Journey Design accommodates the region’s preference for comprehensive evaluation and collaborative decision-making. With 13.2-month average cycles and nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group, APAC funnels must provide extensive content resources that support thorough evaluation over extended timeframes.
The pre-awareness stage in APAC often extends 6+ months and focuses on technology trend education, market category development, and expert validation building. This stage must establish credibility through local partnerships, cultural adaptation, and authority demonstration that respects regional business practices and decision-making preferences.
EMEA Efficient Journey Design emphasises authority and efficiency that aligns with the region’s preference for streamlined decision-making. With 10.2-month average cycles and focused interaction patterns, EMEA funnels should emphasise quality over quantity in content and engagement approaches.
The pre-awareness stage in EMEA focuses on authority building through market leadership positioning, expert thought leadership, and industry recognition. This stage should establish credibility efficiently through senior executive visibility and competitive differentiation rather than extensive educational content.
North America Balanced Journey Design leverages the region’s high rate of prior vendor experience and preference for self-directed research. With moderate cycles and balanced interaction patterns, North American funnels can emphasise relationship activation and comprehensive self-service resources.
The pre-awareness stage focuses on relationship leverage through brand connection activation, thought leadership consistency, and innovation positioning that builds on existing market presence and awareness.
Omnichannel Integration Across Regions
Effective full-funnel campaign design requires sophisticated omnichannel integration that addresses regional content consumption preferences while maintaining consistent brand experience and message coherence. The research reveals that buyers engage through multiple channels during their extended selection phase, creating opportunities for comprehensive influence across diverse touchpoints.
Universal Channel Principles guide omnichannel development across all regions. Buyer control remains paramount, with strategies designed to support self-directed research rather than interrupt evaluation processes. Multi-stakeholder support addresses the complexity of buying groups across all regions, while content depth provides the comprehensive resources buyers need for thorough evaluation.
Social proof and peer validation prove consistently important across regions, though the specific formats and sources vary significantly. Expert validation through third-party credibility and endorsement creates trust across all markets, though the preferred experts and validation sources differ regionally.
APAC Omnichannel Strategy must accommodate the region’s platform diversity and collaborative decision-making preferences. Mobile optimisation becomes crucial given high mobile usage across many APAC markets, while local platform integration addresses region-specific social and professional networks that influence technology buying decisions.
EMEA Omnichannel Strategy emphasises authority platforms and professional networks that build credibility efficiently. LinkedIn and industry associations provide particularly valuable channels for reaching decision-makers, while established technology publications offer the authority and credibility that EMEA buyers value.
North America Omnichannel Strategy leverages diverse platforms and flexible engagement options that support self-directed research preferences. Comprehensive resource libraries enable independent evaluation, while peer networks facilitate customer advocacy and reference programs.
Measurement and Optimisation
Beyond Traditional Attribution: Global Measurement Frameworks
Traditional demand generation measurement fails catastrophically in the new buying reality revealed by the 6sense research. With 70% of the buying journey occurring before any trackable vendor engagement, conventional attribution models miss the majority of marketing influence that actually drives buying decisions.
Senior marketers struggling to demonstrate ROI and justify demand generation investments face a fundamental measurement crisis. The activities that traditional attribution credits with influence—form fills, demo requests, sales calls—represent validation of decisions substantially made during the invisible selection phase. Meanwhile, the content consumption, thought leadership engagement, and brand building that actually influence buyer preferences remain largely unmeasured.
Measurement Crisis: Traditional attribution models measure the validation of decisions made during the unmeasured selection phase, creating systematic under-valuation of demand generation impact.
The research provides crucial insights for developing measurement frameworks that capture actual marketing influence rather than just trackable engagement. With 85% of buyers having requirements largely established before vendor contact and 84% globally having prior experience with winning vendors, measurement must account for the cumulative influence of multiple touchpoints over extended periods.
Universal Measurement Challenges transcend regional boundaries but manifest differently across markets. Dark funnel activity represents 70% of buying journey across all regions, while prior relationship influence affects 90%+ of buying decisions globally. Multi-stakeholder complexity involves 10-13 people in buying groups across regions, and extended timelines span 10-13 months on average.
Regional Measurement Adaptation
APAC Measurement Framework must account for the region’s extended evaluation cycles, large buying groups, and high reliance on external validation. With 13.2-month average cycles and nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group, traditional campaign measurement completely fails to capture the relationship building and influence development required for success in this region.
Early-stage indicators in APAC should focus on expert validation metrics including analyst and consultant mentions, endorsements, and recommendations. Group engagement patterns that track multi-stakeholder content consumption provide insights into buying committee penetration and influence development.
EMEA Measurement Framework addresses the region’s efficiency focus and authority preferences through streamlined measurement approaches that emphasise quality over quantity. With 10.2-month average cycles and focused interaction patterns, EMEA measurement should focus on authority building and trust development rather than comprehensive engagement tracking.
Early-stage indicators should emphasise authority establishment through market leadership recognition, efficiency metrics that predict accelerated decision-making, and local expertise demonstration that builds regional credibility.
North America Measurement Framework leverages the region’s high rate of prior vendor experience and self-directed research preferences through relationship-based measurement approaches. With balanced cycles and high brand awareness, measurement should focus on relationship activation and self-service success rather than new relationship development.
Early-stage indicators should emphasise relationship leverage through existing connection activation, self-service success through resource utilisation and engagement, and peer influence development through customer advocacy and reference program effectiveness.
ROI Demonstration and Value Validation
The research provides compelling evidence for reframing ROI discussions around long-term influence rather than short-term attribution. With 84% of buyers globally having prior experience with winning vendors, successful demand generation must be evaluated based on its contribution to relationship building, market presence development, and brand preference creation over time.
Marketing Contribution Modelling should account for multi-touch attribution across extended buying journeys, marketing-influenced pipeline development during selection phases, and brand building impact on vendor preference creation. Competitive displacement and preference shift measurement helps demonstrate marketing’s role in market share development, while market expansion and category development activities show broader market influence.
Business Impact Correlation connects demand generation activities to revenue growth and market share expansion, sales efficiency and productivity improvement, and customer acquisition cost optimisation over time. Lifetime value enhancement and market leadership development provide additional ROI validation that extends beyond individual campaign measurement.
Technology Stack Requirements
Essential Technology for Global Demand Generation
The complexity of modern B2B technology buying revealed by the 6sense research requires sophisticated technology infrastructure that can capture, analyse, and act on buying signals across the entire journey. Traditional marketing automation platforms designed for lead capture and nurturing prove inadequate for influencing the 70% of the buying journey that occurs before vendor contact.
Senior marketers developing global demand generation strategies need technology stacks that support dark funnel measurement, multi-stakeholder engagement, extended buying cycles, and regional preference variations. The technology requirements extend far beyond traditional CRM and marketing automation to include intent data platforms, account intelligence systems, content personalisation engines, and attribution modelling tools.
Technology Evolution: Modern demand generation requires technology stacks designed for influence during the selection phase, not just automation during the validation phase.
Marketing Automation and CRM Integration remains foundational but must evolve beyond traditional lead scoring and nurturing workflows. Unified customer data platforms that map buying journey progression across 10-13 stakeholders over 10-13 month cycles become essential for understanding complex B2B technology buying patterns.
Multi-channel campaign orchestration must account for the diverse content consumption patterns revealed by the research, with EMEA buyers engaging in 620 interactions per buying group, North American buyers reaching 845 interactions, and APAC buyers engaging in nearly 1,300 interactions per buying group.
Intent Data and Account Intelligence become crucial for identifying and understanding buying activity during the invisible selection phase. Buying signal identification and monitoring help detect evaluation activity before buyers are ready for direct vendor engagement, while account prioritisation systems help focus resources on accounts showing genuine purchase intent.
Content Management and Personalisation must support the comprehensive content consumption that occurs during extended selection phases. Dynamic content delivery systems that personalise information based on stakeholder role, buying stage, and regional preferences become essential for effective influence during the research phase.
The Techtelligence Platform Advantage
Our proprietary Techtelligence platform represents the evolution of demand generation technology specifically designed for the realities revealed by modern buying research. Rather than focusing on lead capture and nurturing automation, Techtelligence provides comprehensive insights into buying behaviour during the critical selection phase when decisions are actually made.
First-Party Data Integration combines publication engagement tracking across UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today with comprehensive behaviour analysis that reveals buying intent and preference development. Content consumption pattern analysis provides insights into stakeholder interests and evaluation progression, while account activity monitoring detects buying signals before traditional lead generation would capture them.
AI-Powered Insights and Optimisation leverage machine learning to predict buying behaviour based on content consumption patterns, historical buying data, and stakeholder engagement progression. Content recommendation systems help buyers find relevant information during their research while providing vendors with insights into interests and preferences.
Client Dashboard and Reporting provide real-time visibility into account engagement and buying progression across multiple stakeholders and extended timeframes. Campaign performance monitoring captures influence during the selection phase rather than just trackable engagement during validation.
Building Your 2025 Strategy
Strategic Framework Development for Global Markets
The insights from the 6sense research demand fundamental strategy revision for senior marketers responsible for demand generation in B2B technology sectors. Traditional approaches built around lead capture, qualification, and nurturing miss the majority of buying influence that occurs during the invisible selection phase, requiring comprehensive strategic reorientation.
Building effective 2025 demand generation strategy requires acknowledging that buyers complete 70% of their journey before vendor contact, that 85% have requirements largely established before engagement, and that 84% have prior experience with winning vendors. These realities transform strategy development from campaign-focused tactics to relationship-building and influence systems designed for extended timeframes and complex stakeholder networks.
Strategic Imperative: 2025 demand generation success requires shifting from campaign tactics to influence systems designed for the invisible majority of the buying journey.
Buyer Journey Mapping and Analysis forms the foundation of effective strategy development, but must extend far beyond traditional funnel thinking to encompass the full scope of research and consensus-building that occurs during selection phases. Understanding regional variations becomes crucial, with APAC buyers requiring 13.2-month engagement strategies, EMEA buyers needing efficient 10.2-month approaches, and North American buyers expecting self-directed research support over 11.2-month cycles.
Content Strategy Development must address both selection and validation phases across diverse stakeholder groups and extended timeframes. Selection phase educational and thought leadership content should establish authority, build relationships, and influence preferences during independent research periods.
Channel Strategy and Integration requires sophisticated omnichannel approaches that reach buyers throughout their extended evaluation journeys across diverse consumption preferences. Owned media content and engagement strategies should provide comprehensive resources for self-directed research while building long-term relationships and brand preference.
Implementation Roadmap for Global Success
Foundation Building Phase (Months 1-3) requires comprehensive preparation that addresses the complexity revealed by modern buying research. Buyer journey research and mapping should capture both universal patterns and regional variations that influence strategy development and resource allocation.
Content audit and gap analysis should identify current assets, evaluate effectiveness across buyer journey stages, and prioritise development needs for selection phase influence. Technology stack evaluation and enhancement should ensure capability for dark funnel measurement, multi-stakeholder engagement, and extended cycle management.
Programme Launch Phase (Months 4-6) focuses on deploying strategies designed for modern buying realities while maintaining existing demand generation performance. Content production and campaign development should emphasise selection phase influence through thought leadership, expert positioning, and relationship building.
Channel partnership establishment and activation should create comprehensive market coverage that reaches buyers during independent research phases. Technology integration and automation setup should support complex buyer journey tracking without creating friction for self-directed research preferences.
Optimisation and Scale Phase (Months 7-12) emphasises continuous improvement based on real buyer behaviour insights and performance measurement. Strategy refinement should incorporate learnings about effective selection phase influence and regional preference variations.
Campaign expansion and scale should broaden successful approaches while maintaining quality and relevance. Technology enhancement should add capabilities for deeper buyer insight and more sophisticated influence measurement.
Success Metrics and Continuous Improvement
Leading Indicators for modern demand generation must capture influence development during selection phases rather than just engagement during validation. Share of voice and market presence measurement should assess brand building and authority development over time.
Content engagement and consumption analysis should reveal preference development and influence quality across diverse stakeholder groups. Intent signal development and progression should detect buying activity before traditional lead generation would identify opportunities.
Progress Metrics should connect selection phase influence to pipeline development and business outcomes. Pipeline development and quality should reflect the impact of selection phase influence on opportunity creation and advancement.
Buying group engagement and expansion should demonstrate comprehensive stakeholder penetration and influence development. Sales cycle velocity should show the benefits of selection phase relationship building on validation phase efficiency.
Outcome Measures must demonstrate the business value of influence-focused demand generation relative to traditional lead generation approaches. Revenue growth and market share expansion should validate long-term relationship building and brand development investments.
Customer acquisition and retention should show the impact of comprehensive buyer journey influence on business relationships. Lifetime value and expansion should demonstrate the benefits of strategic account development over transactional lead generation.
Market leadership and influence should establish the foundation for sustained competitive advantage and continued growth. ROI and profitability improvement should justify continued investment in influence-focused demand generation strategies.
The transformation to influence-focused demand generation represents both a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity for senior marketers in B2B technology sectors. Those who successfully adapt their strategies to address the realities of modern buyer behaviour will gain sustainable competitive advantages, while those who continue with traditional approaches will find themselves increasingly irrelevant to buyers who have moved far beyond outdated sales and marketing models.
The research is clear, the opportunity is significant, and the time to act is now. The future of B2B technology marketing belongs to organisations that understand buyer reality, respect buyer preferences, and provide value during the critical selection phase when decisions are actually made.
This comprehensive guide represents insights from Today Digital’s ongoing research and client work, enhanced by the definitive findings from 6sense’s global buyer behaviour study. For more insights on modern B2B technology marketing and to explore how Today Digital can support your demand generation efforts, visit our publications at UC Today, CX Today, XR Today, and AI Today.
Rob Scott is the Founder and CEO of Today Digital, a leading B2B technology media company serving over 3 million unique visitors annually across our global publication portfolio. Connect with Rob on LinkedIn for ongoing insights into the evolution of B2B technology marketing.
