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
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
Research partnerISA / Automation.com
Produced byRH Blake
Respondents121 global professionals

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.

121
Total respondents
66%
Final decision-making authority
39%
Based in the United States

Key Takeaways

What Industrial Marketers Need to Know

81% already had a short list before contacting any vendor.

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

AI trust averages just 4.9 / 10 — buyers verify with independent sources.

52% expect capex to increase in the next 12 months — the window is open now.

83% of purchases involve 5+ evaluators. One whitepaper won’t reach all of them.

TL usage at awareness & consideration rose to 80%; decision-stage fell to 48%.

Only 48% say there’s enough quality TL in their industry — down 14 pts in 2 years.

59% said a competitor’s TL led them to end or reduce work with an existing supplier.

Survey Results — Buying Process

Buyers aren’t waiting – they’re engaging early but with a shortlist in hand

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

First source when research begins

Vendor websites

37%

Peer recommendations

15%

Webinars / seminars

12%

Trade publications

11%

Gen AI tools

5%

Sources used throughout the process

Vendor websites

83%

Peer recommendations

55%

Trade publications

54%

Sales / app. engineers

54%

Gen AI tools

28%

Implication: Content must do commercial work before sales gets involved. 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 (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 (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 use AI to surface and compare vendors, then verify with independent sources. Technically specific, verifiable content gets surfaced — and survives the scrutiny.

Survey Results — Buying Cycles

CAPEX is expanding but buying cycles are lengthening

Cycles longer than 6 months have grown year over year. At the same time, 52% expect capex to increase — meaning more budget is flowing, but the competition for it is longer and harder.

52%
expect capex to increase
31%
expect no change
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.

Survey Results — Buying Committees

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

83%
of purchases involve 5+ 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

The biggest year-over-year jumps: safety/risk management (+32pp), regulatory compliance (+27pp), and sustainability (+27pp). These are no longer niche concerns.

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

Awareness and consideration rose to 80% in 2026. Decision-stage use fell sharply from 72% to 48%. Buyers use TL earlier to define problems and build evaluation criteria, not to finalize a choice.

TL Usage by Buying Stage — 2026

Awareness

80%

Consideration

80%

Decision

48%

Loyalty

33%

Advocacy

36%

Define the Problem

Help buyers frame and name the challenge 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 at awareness recognize your solution in consideration.

86.8%
Think more positively about the org
81.8%
Contact org first when need arises
76%
Invite to an RFP process
69.4%
Be receptive to sales outreach
71% said TL led them to research something not previously considered. 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 — consistent across 2024 and 2026. Prestige signals rank lower.

Quality Characteristic Avg Score (1–5)
Real-world experiences & case studies 4.41
Addresses relevant industry challenges 4.27
Strong research data 4.18
Communicated in an unbiased fashion 4.16
Innovative, challenges conventional wisdom 4.00
Communicated by recognized industry expert 3.90
Original; unique perspectives 3.83

Survey Results — Market Opportunity

Buyers want better thought leadership than the market is creating

62%
said enough quality TL existed (2024)
48%
said the same in 2026 — a 14-point drop
90%
consume TL in their professional role

43% of buyers seek independent sources often or always. The content plan needs contributed articles, trade media, and citation-worthy research that travels 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.

Survey Results — Credibility Signals

Technical Relevance and Proof Outperform Prestige and Brand Theater

Technical Credibility (avg 1–5)

Expertise in application

4.43

Customer service

4.40

Industry expertise

4.07

Innovation / TL

3.90

Vendor Credibility Signals (avg 1–5)

Customer references

4.24

Informative website

4.17

Case studies

3.99

Trade show sponsorships

2.98

Invest in customer-centered content and application expertise, not prestige signals. Trade show sponsorships and awards score lowest.

Survey Results — Evaluation Concerns

Integration Complexity Is Rising — and Vendors Are Underdelivering on It

Ease of integration (+19pp) and TCO (+13pp) are the fastest-rising concerns. Buyers say vendors routinely overlook lifecycle cost, post-sale support, 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%

What Vendors Routinely Overlook

Full lifecycle and total cost of ownership

Post-sale support commitments

Integration complexity and requirements

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 TL with colleagues often or always
55%
increased peer recommendations as a research source YoY
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. Scannable structure and data-first formatting are table stakes.

Survey Results — Retention Risk

Silence Costs You Existing Customers

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

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

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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.

    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 automation and control systems. Automation.com is ISA’s digital media brand.