Networking Through Social Media Sites And White Paper Downloads For Lead Generation Are The Preferred Media Channels In 2012

Tuesday 3 April 2012, Amsterdam

Survey results reveal that regardless of company turnover, ‘networking through social media websites’ and ‘white paper downloads for lead generation’ are considered the new preferred media channels in 2012.  Overall, 32% and 33% of respondents from small and medium companies each consider ‘Email promotions’ as an efficient new media channel, followed by ‘community and industry online forums’, as identified by 37% of respondents from large companies.  Respondents from small and medium companies consider ‘Email promotions’ an effective media channel due to lower costs as compared with traditional media. 

The average size of annual marketing budgets of mining industry suppliers was recorded at US$2 million in 2011, and has risen to US$3.3 million in 2012.  Mining suppliers with the highest turnovers project their marketing expenditure to increase by an average of 6% over the next 12 months, while respondents from medium and small companies anticipate their average expenditures to increase by 5% and 9% respectively.  ‘Market uncertainty’, ‘Rising competition’, and ‘Cost containment’ were all listed as the highest concerns for organizations in 2011 – 2012, outranked only by ‘Retention or recruitment of skilled staff.’  This implies that marketing budgets are set to increase considerably in 2012, as companies devise more aggressive marketing plans, which correspond with the projections in positive revenue growth.

A comparison of global marketing budgets by operating region shows that global mining industry suppliers from companies that operate in North America have the highest average budgets of US$4.5 million in 2012. Respondents with leading operations in Europe and the Rest of the World have the next-largest average budgets estimated at US$3.5 million and US$3.4 million respectively.

China, Brazil, India and South Africa are identified as the most important emerging markets for growth in the next 12 months. As mining and infrastructural activities are forecast to accelerate in these regions, demand for mining equipment such as drilling, mine excavation, underground transportation and dump trucks needed to pull the minerals out of ground is also expected to increase.

Survey results show that according to 35% of supplier respondents, China is expected to register increased growth in the manufacturing of mining equipment due to domestic demand of coal and metal mining industries, resulting from significant increase in mining activities. With increasing development in China‘s coal mining industry, the country is working to develop clean coal technologies for domestic use, which is expected to further increase the demand for mining equipment.