2026 B2B Manufacturing Buying Journey & Thought Leadership Research | RH Blake

2026 Annual Research — ISA / Automation.com × RH Blake

2026 B2B Manufacturing
Buying Journey & Thought Leadership Research

Insights for marketers in long sales cycle, complex industrial markets. 121 respondents across manufacturing, industrial services, technology, and engineering.

121 Respondents Global Audience Field: March–April 2026
Download the Research Explore Findings
81%
already had a short list before contacting any vendor
48%
used AI to research suppliers in the past 90 days
83%
of purchases involve 5 or more evaluators
90%
consume thought leadership in their professional role

Introduction

About This Research

The 2026 B2B Manufacturing Buying Journey & Thought Leadership Research is produced by ISA / Automation.com in partnership with RH Blake. This study examines how industrial buyers research, evaluate, and make purchasing decisions in long sales cycle, complex markets — and what it means for marketers.

121
Total respondents
66%
Have significant or final decision-making authority
39%
Based in the United States
4
Sectors: mfg., industrial services, technology, engineering

Key Takeaways

What Industrial Marketers Need to Know

81% of buyers already had a short list before contacting any vendor — content must do commercial work before sales gets involved.

48% used AI to research suppliers in the past 90 days, nearly double the rate from 2024.

AI trust averages just 4.9 / 10 — buyers use it to surface and compare, then verify with independent sources.

52% of buyers expect capex to increase over the next 12 months — the window for targeted content is open now.

83% of purchases involve 5 or more evaluators. A single whitepaper addressing all personas will miss most of them.

Thought leadership usage at awareness and consideration rose to 80% in 2026, while decision-stage use fell from 72% to 48%.

Only 48% of buyers say there's enough quality TL in their industry — down 14 points in two years. The content gap is growing.

59% of buyers said a competitor's TL led them to end or reduce work with an existing supplier. Silence is a retention risk.

Survey Results — Buying Process

Buyers Are Deep into the Journey Before Vendors Know They Exist

81%
already had a short list before contacting any vendor
64%
first engaged a vendor within the first 25% of their journey

When Buyers First Speak to a Vendor

Within first 10%
25%
10%–25% through
39%
26%–50% through
18%
51%–75% through
7%
>75% through
6%
After decision made
6%

The Vendor Website Is the Primary Commercial Content Asset

The vendor website is where 37% of buyers begin their research and where 83% rely on it throughout the research process — by far the most used source at both stages. Peer recommendations, technical trade publications, and sales engineers round out the top sources used throughout the process.

First source when research begins

Vendor websites
37%
Peer recommendations
15%
Webinars / seminars
12%
Trade publications
11%
Sales / app. engineers
7%
Gen AI tools
5%

Sources used throughout the process

Vendor websites
83%
Peer recommendations
55%
Trade publications
54%
Sales / app. engineers
54%
Conferences / shows
50%
Gen AI tools
28%
Implication: Content must do commercial work before sales gets involved. Vendor engagement starts early but is largely digital and self-guided. Your website is not a brochure — it's your primary sales asset.

Survey Results — AI & Technology

AI Adoption Has Nearly Doubled — But Trust Has Barely Moved

48%
used AI to research suppliers in past 90 days (2026 vs. 25% in 2024)
4.9/10
average AI trust score for major buying decisions
21%
rated AI trust at 1–2 out of 10 (the lowest possible)

What Buyers Use AI For

Technical fit assessment
60%
Comparing suppliers
50%
Identifying top suppliers
42%
Use cases / applications
36%
Risk identification
35%
Implication: Buyers are using AI to surface and compare vendors, but verify with independent sources. Technically specific, verifiable content gets surfaced — and survives the scrutiny. Optimizing for AI indexability is now a competitive requirement.

Survey Results — Buying Cycles

Buying Cycles Are Lengthening — and Capex Is Expanding

The proportion of buyers with cycles longer than 6 months has grown year over year, while short cycles under 3 months have nearly disappeared. At the same time, 52% of respondents expect capital expenditures to increase over the next 12 months — meaning more budget is flowing, but the competition for it is longer and harder.

52%
expect capex to increase in next 12 months
31%
expect no change in capex
18%
expect capex to decrease
Implication: Long-cycle buying needs sustained content programs — not campaign bursts. Assets must keep working for 12+ months across multiple stakeholders. With capex growing for more than half of respondents, the window for timely, targeted content is open right now.

Survey Results — Buying Committees

Committees Decide — Not Individuals. Content Must Serve Multiple Personas.

83%
of purchases involve 5 or more evaluators
40%
involve 5–8 people
12%
involve 9–12 people

Different Roles Ask Different Questions

Engineer

Application fit, integration complexity, technical specs, implementation detail

Operations

Reliability, uptime, service response, deployment timeline

Finance / Procurement

TCO, lifecycle cost, ROI, contract terms, vendor stability

IT / Systems

Data security, connectivity, protocols, technology roadmap

A single whitepaper addressing all personas will miss most of them. Map content assets to roles and buying stage.

Survey Results — Purchase Triggers

What Starts a Buying Process — and How the Triggers Are Shifting

Asset aging, capacity expansion, and technology obsolescence remain the top three triggers — but the biggest year-over-year jumps were in safety/risk management (+32pp), regulatory compliance (+27pp), and environmental sustainability (+27pp). These are no longer niche concerns.

2025 2026
Asset aging / replacement
77%
Capacity expansion
76%
Technology obsolescence
75%
Operational inefficiencies
55%
Safety / risk management +32pp
53%
Regulatory compliance +27pp
43%
Env. / sustainability +27pp
35%
Content themes should address the full trigger spectrum: modernization, compliance, safety, sustainability — not only efficiency and cost.

Survey Results — Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership Has Moved Upstream — Shaping Problems, Not Just Resolving Them

Thought leadership usage at awareness and consideration stages both rose to 80% in 2026 (up from 68% and 75% respectively in 2024). Meanwhile, decision-stage use fell sharply — from 72% to 48%. Buyers are using TL earlier to define their problem and build evaluation criteria, not to finalize a choice.

TL Usage by Buying Stage — 2024 vs 2026

Awareness
80%
Consideration
80%
Decision
48%
Loyalty
33%
Advocacy
36%

Define the Problem

Help buyers frame and name the challenge they are experiencing before they can articulate it.

Build Evaluation Criteria

Shape how buyers assess solutions — what questions to ask, what tradeoffs to weigh.

Create Category Vocabulary

Buyers who learn your language during awareness are more likely to recognize your solution in consideration.

Lead with problem framing, buying criteria, and tradeoff education — not final-selection messaging.

Thought Leadership Still Drives Measurable Commercial Outcomes

When an organization consistently creates high-quality thought leadership, buyers say they are likely to:

86.8%
Think more positively about the organization
81.8%
Contact the organization first when a need arises
76%
Invite to an RFP process
69.4%
Be receptive to sales outreach
Additionally: 71% said TL led them to research something they were not previously considering. 81% said TL increases their trust in a supplier.

Survey Results — Content Quality

What Buyers Consider High-Quality Thought Leadership

Real-world experiences, industry relevance, and strong research data are the top three quality signals — and they have been consistent across 2024 and 2026. Prestige signals like awards and brand name rank lower.

Quality Characteristic Avg Score (1–5) 2024 Top-2-Box
Real-world experiences & case studies4.41
92.7%
Addresses relevant industry challenges4.27
88.3%
Strong research data4.18
92.3%
Communicated in an unbiased fashion4.16
86%
Innovative, challenges conventional wisdom4.00
88.7%
Communicated by recognized industry expert3.90
87%
Communicated with a decisive viewpoint3.87
81.3%
Original; unique perspectives3.83
84%

Survey Results — Market Opportunity

A Content Gap Is Opening — Buyers Want More Than the Market Is Creating

62%
said there was enough quality TL in their industry (2024)
48%
said the same in 2026 — a 14-point drop in two years
90%
consume thought leadership in their professional role

43% of buyers seek independent sources often or always. Owned content cannot do the whole job — the content plan needs contributed articles, trade media, third-party references, and citation-worthy research findings that travel beyond the brand website.

Content gap opportunity: Organizations publishing technically useful, research-backed content have a larger competitive advantage today than they did two years ago. The bar for quality is rising — but so is the reward for clearing it.

Survey Results — Credibility Signals

Technical Relevance and Proof Outperform Prestige and Brand Theater

Technical Credibility Factors (avg 1–5)

Expertise in your application
4.43
Customer service / support
4.40
Expertise in your industry
4.07
Innovation / Thought Leadership
3.90
SMEs inside the org
3.84

Vendor Credibility Signals (avg 1–5)

Customer references
4.24
Informative website
4.17
Case studies w/ known brands
3.99
Affiliation w/ industry experts
3.89
Trade show sponsorships
2.98
Customer proof and technical expertise score highest. Trade show sponsorships and awards score lowest. Invest in customer-centered content and application expertise, not prestige signals.

Survey Results — Evaluation Concerns

Integration Complexity Is Rising — and Vendors Are Underdelivering on It

The fastest-rising evaluation concerns are ease of integration (+19pp) and total cost of ownership (+13pp). Yet buyers say vendors routinely overlook full lifecycle cost, post-sale support commitments, integration complexity, and application-specific case studies.

Top Evaluation Concerns (2026)

Reliability / serviceability
64%
Total cost of ownership
60%
Technical expertise
47%
Ease of integration +19pp
46%
Support & warranty terms
32%

What Buyers Say Vendors Routinely Overlook

Full lifecycle and total cost of ownership

Post-sale support commitments

Integration complexity and requirements

Application-specific case studies

Honest documentation of failures / lessons

Content addressing deployment realities, integration complexity, and full lifecycle cost fills a genuine gap — and addresses exactly what buyers say they can't find.

Survey Results — Content Reach

Content Travels Further Than You Publish It — and Buyers Have Less Time

72%
share thought leadership with colleagues often or always
55%
increased peer recommendations as a research source year over year
50%
of buyers spend 2 hours or less per week on TL
Implication: Content designed to be shareable — clear stats, quotable findings, visual data — multiplies reach through professional networks organically. Scannable structure, strong executive summaries, and data-first formatting are table stakes.

Survey Results — Retention Risk

Thought Leadership Has a Defensive Role — Silence Costs You Existing Customers

When a competitor publishes strong thought leadership, the consequences for existing supplier relationships are significant:

79%
said it made them feel another supplier better understands their needs
83%
said they perceived the competitor as smarter, more informed, or more visionary
59%
said it led them to end or reduce work with an existing supplier

Additionally, competitor TL made buyers question a current supplier relationship: Often/Always (43%) · Occasionally (39%) · Rarely/Never (18%).

Thought leadership is not just about winning new business. Staying visible and authoritative protects existing relationships. Going quiet while a competitor publishes is a retention risk, not just a pipeline risk.

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About the Research Partners

RH Blake

RH Blake is a top manufacturing marketing agency that helps organizations in the manufacturing ecosystem build awareness, preference, and trust in long sales-cycle markets. The agency combines Voice of the Customer research, go-to-market strategy, and original market intelligence to help clients align messaging, identify and educate right-fit buyers, and drive confident purchasing decisions.

ISA / Automation.com

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is a nonprofit professional association that sets the standard for those who apply engineering and technology to improve the management, safety, and cybersecurity of modern automation and control systems used across industry and critical infrastructure. Automation.com is ISA's digital media brand serving the global automation community with news, technical content, and research.

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