The 2021 Growth Marketing Maturity (GMM) Study, a new industry initiative launched by Stein IAS in partnership with WARC and The Effectiveness Partnership, has revealed that most B2B marketing leaders now consider their organisation’s role to be focused on growth.

The study reveals that most B2B marketing leaders consider their own organisations’ role to be focused on growth, with 49% viewing themselves as growth enablers and 36% as growth drivers.

Of note, 45.5% of respondents view their roles as having a new focus within the past two years. However, they also believe that, in general, B2B marketers are significantly less advanced in their journeys, citing that just 39% are growth enablers and 21% are growth drivers. In addition to this, the study also reveals a more connected digital customer experience (67%), measurable revenue impact (52%), upskilling across growth responsibilities (52%) and investment in realising growth (49%) as the top barriers to growth.

With an executive summary featuring initial findings available now and a full report available in early Autumn, the GMM Study, which surveys senior-level B2B marketers across a range of categories, provides B2B marketers with insights into the strategies and priorities of their peers in driving growth. The study also seeks to benchmark the progression of B2B marketers from their traditional and long-standing role as sales enablers to a more expansive role as ‘growth enablers’ – and an even more expansive and strategic roles as ‘growth drivers.’

Tom Stein, Chairman at Stein IAS, said: “B2B is a sector in forward motion and its marketers are furthering this momentum with their focus on driving growth. The pandemic has proven an accelerant for B2B marketers. They have met and mastered many challenges, including a broadening range of responsibilities and greater complexity. The GMM Study gauges B2B marketing’s state of progress and identifies growth priorities and barriers.”