From startups to Fortune 100 boardrooms, today’s business leaders are getting younger.
As a result, B2B marketers are contending with a new generation of stakeholders who aren’t always responsive to the old ways of doing business. These days, 62% of B2B decision makers –– professionals with the power to purchase –– are between the ages of 25 and 44.¹ And 73% of B2B purchase decisions are made by Millennials.²
Below, we dive into some strategic recommendations on how to make sure your message reaches and resonates with these youthful, digital-first audiences.
Reimagining the purchase funnel with TV streaming
Some classics do go out of style. For example, the old linear purchase journey is out the window. Where the decision process in B2B sales was once mostly a sales relationship, now the majority—as much as 90%—takes place through marketing.³
So, how can brands advertise their services and solutions to these new decision makers? By meeting them where they are most likely to engage: On TV streaming. For example, our data shows that B2B Millennials are 20% more likely than non-B2B audiences to recall telco and wireless ads they’ve seen on streaming.⁴ As America’s #1 TV streaming platform, Roku is in the pole position to drive directly to this audience.⁵
Why streaming?
While television has changed dramatically, ads on TV remain the #1 source of discovery for consumers.⁶ Fifty-seven percent of Roku streamers (that’s tens of millions of customers) have paused an ad on Roku so they can continue researching the product online.⁷
And B2B Millennials on Roku are super-users. 64% of Millennials in business on Roku are cordless, making them unreachable through linear TV.⁸
But why go after B2B Millennials in their leisure time? As the modern workplace is remade, the line between the office and home continues to blur. Consumers are constantly taking in information and Millennials are especially primed to be advertised to wherever they go.
As one example of Roku’s power with this vital segment, our campaign for HP’s B2B IT product delivered a 113% lift in intent among streamers age 25-44, and a 202% lift in B2B intent overall, outperforming Roku’s benchmarks.⁹
Reaching the new B2B decision maker on Roku
Winning over this audience requires delivering B2B messaging through a crafted B2C experience. This doesn’t necessarily require building a traditional TV commercial. Consider that 98% of Millennials in business on Roku are reachable by Roku’s home screen Marquee Ad - a perfect way to catch their attention.¹⁰
Using high-visibility branding, you can foreground CTAs and drive viewers to take action with their remotes.
Another way to generate leads and push viewers down the funnel is through the tool that 97% of business pros keep within 3 feet of them all day long –– their phone.¹¹ Roku's action ads can keep this distracted segment engaged by inviting them to opt-in to receive more information or special offers via text or email. And Roku’s custom ad experiences can compliment your video buy with high-impact brand experiences.
Finally, B2B marketers know well that the decision process isn’t always singular, and that purchases can involve as many as 10 stakeholders.¹² That’s why Roku recommends deepening reach to focus on a range of professional titles beyond high-level execs.
When it comes to your products, tech and telco companies are constantly innovating. But if your marketing doesn’t evolve with your business, then your business won’t continue to grow. TV streaming offers a wellspring of paths to reach youthful business audiences, offering room for message experimentation while delivering measurable results.
Want to go after the Millennial B2B audience? Contact us or reach out to your sales rep for more information.
Millennial Definition: Self-identified as Age 25-44
B2B audience definition: Self-identified as small business owner or business decision makers.
¹ Lucid + Roku Telco Thought Leadership Study, 2023
³ Spotio
⁴ Lucid + Roku Telco Thought Leadership Study, 2023
⁵ By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: December 2022)
⁷ Roku + Harris Poll Study, 2022 ; Roku Internal Survey
⁸ Roku Internal Data, October 2023
⁹ Kantar Milward Brown, Q4 2021
¹⁰ Roku Internal Data, October 2023
¹¹ Morgan Stanley, Technology and Internet Trends
