B2B Information Sources Study - the Role of Business Publications, the Internet, and Others

The Starch Research Study on the role of business information has been prepared for the Canadian Business Press. Is there anything unique to Canadian Business Press, so the rest of world could not benefit from the results? I like the fact that this study look from the "user" perspective and the main purpose is not to comfort the members in what they have been doing in the past, but gives inside what might be going on - since 1996 - until today - outside the publishers premise and in years to come.

And as 56 Publication from 7 market segments participated in this study, Canadian Business Publisher seem to care about their user ... and we can learn from it (if we want).

From the results

Which Information Sources are very Useful (2010 all sectors)

76 % - the Internet
67 % - specialized Business Publications
67 % - Trade Shows
56 % - Conventions / Seminars
51 % - Salespeople


36 % - Direct Mail
32 % - Business Directories
31 % - General Business Publications
30 % - Daily Newspapers
21 % - Specialty Television
19 % - News Magazines
18 % - Network Television
18 % - Radio
17 % - General Interest Consumer Magazines

See how this developed over time



The study gives a detailed breakdown of the role of Information Source in seven different Market Sector, including some not expected to be information technology addicts. Even so the IT&C segment gives (naturally) the Internet the highest mark for usefulness (90%) other segments quickly adapting the Internet as their leading business information source. The last two columns 'business publication' in the following chart make it easy to compare the Internet & Trade Publication role.


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Of course the situation might be different for each country, each region - a quite educational report for business publishers where ever they are.

See the full report 'Starch Information Sources Study 1996 - 2010 (40 pg., PDF)