Analyst briefings are one of the most misused activities in B2B marketing. Most companies treat them as a PR exercise -- an opportunity to pitch the analyst on their product story and hope favorable coverage follows. Analysts receive hundreds of briefings per year. They remember the ones that gave them something genuinely useful for the research they are already doing.
A well-run briefing serves two purposes simultaneously: it educates the analyst on your differentiated position, and it gives the analyst insights, data, or frameworks that make their research better. That exchange is the foundation of an analyst relationship worth having.
Step 1: Know which analysts matter and why
Not all analysts are equal, and not all analyst coverage helps your specific business.
How to identify the right analysts:
- Which analysts do your target buyers cite in RFPs and evaluation briefs?
- Which analysts cover the category you compete in or are trying to create?
- Which analysts have published recent research that your differentiation directly addresses?
Step 2: Prepare the briefing
The difference between a forgettable briefing and a memorable one is almost entirely preparation. Analysts can tell within five minutes whether a team has done its homework.
Step 3: Run the briefing
Step 4: Follow up and sustain the relationship
A single briefing does not build an analyst relationship. The relationship is built through consistent, valuable follow-up between formal briefings.
Analyst relationship program checklist
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