IT Buyers Like White Papers, But Many Want "Local" Content

A survey of 3,217 information technology professionals in 114 territories by IDG Connect suggests that vendor content is a remarkably powerful marketing tool. Worldwide, 72 percent of IT professionals say they find content of this kind “extremely useful” or “useful”. In Africa, Asia and South America, the numbers rise sharply, to encompass nearly all IT professionals.

But IT professionals outside North America say they want localized studies. What they often get are white papers that are heavily influenced by North American perspectives. In Asia, 74 percent of IT professionals say they would prefer localised content, but 79 percent say they “struggle” to find it. In Europe, half of IT professionals prefer to read localised content. Yet 55 percent “struggle” to find it.

The preference for local information is widespread, but runs deepest in South America, Australia and North America. In Europe and the Middle East, the preference for local information is real, but less pronounced. By contrast, Asia, dependent on raw material imports and the export of finished goods, emerges as a stand-out exception. Here, IT professionals find local and global perspectives equally useful.

But white papers might not be the best venue. IT professionals around the world demonstrate a strong appetite for white papers. But how engaged are those potential readers?

We asked IT professionals whether they are “always interested in consuming IT white papers”, or whether they seek them out “when it is relevant to a specific project”. IDG Connect describes these separate groups as “mavens” and “searchers”.

The study found that "mavens" are less plentiful than "searchers." Despite much enthusiasm for white papers in principle, the proportion of mavens dwindles to around a third of respondents in Europe and the Middle East, and to a quarter in South America. In other words, demand for white papers is less robust than often is thought.

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