While 64% of the C-suite have final sign off, so do almost a quarter (24%) of the non-C- suite. What’s more, it’s the latter that has the most influence; 81% of non-C-suiters have a say in purchase decisions. Clearly, if you’re marketing only to the highest level, you’re overlooking the people who need to notice you. Caterpillar saw this happening and realized it needed to change: “Everything was being done at the C-suite level, but then we found out that new engineers coming on board were just going online and placing orders,” says Richardson. Employee Influence on Purchase Decisionse 64% 24% 22% 25% 14% 18% C-suite 3% 9% Non-C-suite Final Heavy Some Authority Influence Influence Influence Source: Google/Millward Brown Digital, B2B Path to Purchase Study, 2014. MYTH #3: Branded searches should be the focus of your search strategy REALITY #3: 71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search Research shows that those involved in the B2B buying process are already 57% of the way down the path to a decision before they’ll actually perform an action on your site. As B2B brands seek new customers, it becomes increasingly important to understand what’s happening during this time. One thing we know is that they’re using search. In fact, it's their #1 resource for research; 90% of B2B researchers who are online use search specifically to research business purchases. While that number has remained consistent since the 2012 study, we do see thinkwithgoogle.com 4