IDC

Region Focus: Worldwide

It’s Time for a New Marketing and Sales Model

Laurie Buczek

Laurie Buczek

Research Vice President, CMO Advisory Practice

Jason Cunliffe

Jason Cunliffe

Group Vice President, Content Marketing Services

Product Type:
IDC: Digital Paper
Laurie Buczek in front of a blue background with the Adaptive Customer Engagement model beside her.
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Marketing Evolution

Marketing has hit the wall of a new reality: digital-first buyers who are comfortable with self-service experiences and frankly have a reduced reliance on in-person sales reps to complete their decision-making journey. According to IDC’s 2022 B2B Tech Buyer study, a whopping 71% of B2B tech buyers will buy more through ecommerce and work less with an in-person sales representative from here on out. The CMO of a large global brand sums it up well: “All the things salespeople used to do to get someone closer to buying are being done digitally.”


Yet too many marketing and sales organizations cling to a traditional linear, funnel-like operating model of managing a revenue pipeline that’s resource-intensive while being increasingly ineffective. It’s time for a bold operational and cultural change to a new model—the Adaptive Customer Engagement (ACE) model designed to serve modern, digital-first B2B buyers.


ACE is IDC’s new framework for marketing and sales to evolve customer- and data-centric practices, optimize effectiveness, scale to reach multiple buying personas, and further customer growth (see chart).

Introducing the ACE Model

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Adaptive Enablement

Enterprise-level customer intelligence overlayed with advanced analytics to predict and identify ideal prospects or customers to engage, and the best action to take to further buyer’s decision journey.

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Adaptive Engagement

Orchestration of human and digital content delivered via the desired channel at the right time needed. Powered by data, analytics, and automation.

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Seller's Objectives

Internal objectives and processes across marketing, sales, and customer success to steer prospects and customers to purchase, realize value, build loyalty, and activate growth and renewal.

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Buyer's Objectives

The needs and jobs to be done by individuals in a buying cohort along the decision path. Not all individuals in a buying cohort or account will participate in all journey stages or be at the same stage at the same time.

IDC Adaptive Customer Engagement Perspective Document

Marketing That Performs

Create a digital experience for your customers. Digitize your IDC asset and benefit from device accessibility, tracking and measurement and higher engagement. Learn how to elevate your content with IDC’s Digital Paper.