Observations
Why Account-Based Marketing Fails in Russia: An Analysis of the Specifics of ABM Implementation in the Russian Business Environment
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) attracts the attention of B2B companies with its logic. Instead of mass advertising campaigns, ABM focuses on key clients. Instead of template mailings, ABM uses personalized communications. While this approach has proven effective in the West, it often fails to deliver the expected results in Russia. Companies invest in analytics, adapt strategies, and use personalized content but ultimately do not see significant growth in deals.
At first glance, the problem may seem to lie in the methodology itself. However, when applied correctly, ABM works. Failures stem from the specifics of Russian business, such as inflated expectations, a lack of resources, weak integration of marketing and sales, limited data, and complex business processes. Many companies try to adapt Western models without considering these factors, which leads to disappointment.
In this article, we will examine why ABM does not deliver results in Russia, the mistakes companies make, and whether the strategy can be adapted to the Russian market.
Inflated Expectations: ABM Is Not Rapid Growth
One of the main reasons ABM failed in Russia is because of unrealistic expectations. Many companies perceive ABM as a tool that should quickly increase sales. These expectations are shaped by Western case studies where ABM has shown good results. However, these studies do not consider that ABM works with a long-term horizon. In Russia, marketing strategies are often evaluated based on short-term indicators, but ABM requires months or even years to be fully effective.
Marketing and commercial directors expect personalized campaigns to immediately lead to deals, but clients continue to move at their usual pace. Russian B2B companies make decisions slowly, go through several rounds of approvals, and rely on existing partners. Under these conditions, ABM cannot function as a fast sales tool. Its purpose is to create conditions that will lead to future deals.
If a company does not see revenue growth after several months, the strategy is deemed ineffective. This leads to attempts to cut the budget, change tactics, or abandon ABM altogether. Consequently, instead of systematic implementation, a series of short experiments are conducted, which do not allow the approach’s true potential to be realized.
Lack of Resources: ABM Cannot Be Launched “On the Fly”
Even if a company understands that ABM is a long-term strategy, it still faces the problem of limited resources. Implementing ABM requires a team capable of supporting the strategy at all levels, rather than a large budget. In Western companies, this includes analytics, data work, content production, automation, and close interaction with the sales department. In Russia, marketing departments often operate with limited resources and must multitask. For ABM, this is critical.
Without the appropriate infrastructure, an attempt to implement ABM turns the strategy into an imitation. Marketers personalize commercial proposals and run targeted email campaigns. However, without deep analytics and a customized approach, these efforts remain ordinary B2B marketing. For ABM to work, the profile of each target client must be thoroughly developed, its business processes analyzed, pain points identified, and communications built. If the marketing team is overloaded with current tasks, such efforts are impossible.
Companies often hope to integrate ABM into their existing systems without additional costs. However, without the right specialists and tools, the result is predictable: Marketing activities are limited to standard campaigns, and personalization remains superficial. Consequently, the misconception arises that ABM does not deliver results, when in reality, it was simply not implemented properly.
The Gap Between Marketing and Sales
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) requires close interaction between marketing and sales. However, in Russia, there is traditionally a distance between these departments. Marketing generates interest, and sales closes deals. Each unit has its own key performance indicators, tools, and priorities. Consequently, even the most well-designed ABM campaigns may not reach the contract signing stage.
In Western companies, ABM is built on close coordination. Marketing researches target accounts, analyzes their needs, and prepares personalized materials. Then, sales continues the work based on this data. In Russia, however, the marketing team often operates in isolation, creating content and strategies that do not align with the sales department’s goals. If sales representatives are not involved from the beginning, they may not understand the value of the collected analytics or the developed interaction scenarios, and they may ignore them.
Another factor is resistance to change. Russian sales departments are accustomed to proven methods of operation, where personal connections and long-term relationships with clients play a key role. They may perceive personalized marketing campaigns as secondary and incapable of influencing the deal-closing process. Without sales involvement, account-based marketing (ABM) becomes an initiative that exists only within marketing and does not deliver the expected results.
Limited Data: Why Analytics Is a Weak Point
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is built on a deep analysis of target companies, their business processes, needs, and pain points. In Russia, however, access to high-quality B2B data is severely limited, making information gathering a complex and costly process. The main problem is the closed nature of corporate information. Many companies do not disclose financial indicators, publish case studies, or share details of their operations. Open sources often lack sufficient data to build a complete profile of a target client. Additionally, strict regulations regarding personal data complicate the use of Western solutions for automated information collection.
Even if a company is willing to invest in analytics, it may find that available commercial databases are outdated or inaccurate. Consequently, the marketing team must work with limited information, reducing the effectiveness of personalization. Without precise knowledge of what is happening inside target companies, it is difficult to create relevant offers and establish communication, calling into question the very essence of account-based marketing (ABM).
How to Adapt ABM to Russian Realities
Despite the challenges, ABM can be adapted to the Russian market when its particularities are considered and the strategy is adjusted. The key is to abandon attempts to implement the methodology in its pure form and adapt it to the existing business environment.
The first thing that needs to change is the approach to expectations. ABM does not deliver quick results, so it should be viewed as a long-term project. Rather than evaluating the strategy based on the number of new leads or the speed of deal closure, focus on engagement metrics, the depth of interaction with target clients, and the level of integration between marketing and sales.
The second important step is adapting to working with data. If a company does not have access to high-quality commercial databases, then it must develop internal analytics, use alternative sources of information, and collaborate more closely with the sales department to gather insights. In conditions of data scarcity, the quality of personalization should take precedence over the quantity of processed accounts.
It is also important to consider the specifics of Russian sales cycles. Work with clients at different stages of the decision-making process, offering not only ready-made solutions, but also expert support. Rather than waiting for clients to be ready to purchase, account-based marketing (ABM) can be used to build a reputation, engage in dialogue, and establish the company as a strategic partner.
Additionally, a hybrid approach combining ABM with traditional marketing tools can be effective. For instance, one could start with a small group of high-potential clients and gradually expand coverage using a combination of targeted marketing and large-scale acquisition programs.
Thus, ABM can work in Russia, but only in an adapted format. Attempting to copy Western strategies without considering local specifics leads to disappointment. However, with a flexible approach, the methodology can be an effective tool for working with key clients.
Companies ready for long-term work and investments in analytics, personalization, and systematic interaction between marketing and sales will achieve real results. However, to do so, companies must abandon template implementation and consider real processes within target clients.
ABM in Russia is not a tool for rapid growth; it is a strategy for those ready to commit to the long term. Companies that understand this difference, find the necessary resources, and adapt the methodology to local conditions can gain a competitive advantage and build deep relationships with key clients. However, if expectations do not align with reality, ABM will turn out to be a failed experiment.
