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Neringa Petrauskaite: Marketing Budgets Stay Small for Lithuanian B2B Companies

Neringa Petrauskaite, Strategist and Partner at B2B marketing agency We Are Marketing, is a well-known B2B marketing and communications expert who is especially valued among law firms and LegalTech companies she has advised over the years. In addition to lecturing at Lithuanian universities, Neringa is a frequent speaker at top industry events organised by Verslo žinios, LiMA, Confinn, etc.



Your agency is the leading B2B agency in Lithuania. How would you describe the status of B2B marketing in Lithuania?

The statistics speak for themselves. In 2022, we ran our research among 188 Lithuanian companies to determine their key marketing challenges. Some years have passed, but there has been little change in circumstances.


We Are Marketing’s survey conducted among 188 Lithuanian companies (2022)

  • 66% of respondents struggle with the high complexity of the buyer decision-making process;

  • 40% noted the Global situation (war in Ukraine, COVID, etc) and disruption of supply chains;

  • 40% find it challenging to attract or retain talent;

  • 36% highlight content creation to target potential customers;


We also wanted to learn about the investments into B2B marketing.


The research indicates that marketing and communication budgets are rather small. For 31% it is below 10,000 euros, for 29% it’s 10,000-50,000 euros and just 18% have a yearly budget of 100,000-250,000 euros.


We estimate that most B2B companies in Lithuania have a marketing budget of no more than 50,000 euros.

On average, we estimate that most B2B companies in Lithuania have a marketing budget of no more than 50,000 euros. This appears to be an exceptionally small amount, especially considering that the majority of these companies are also competing in foreign markets.


It is also surprising to see how these companies allocate resources (including budget, human resources, time, etc.). Their responses were distributed as follows:

 

  • Brand image and awareness (27%)

  • Lead generation (22%)

  • Employer branding (13%)

  • Marketing function development (strategic planning, trainings, consulting services) (13%)

  • Internal communication (13%)

  • Social responsibility (10%)

  • Research (market research, customer analysis, etc.) (8%)


I find it concerning that they are more focused on social responsibility than on understanding the specifics of their clients or the potential markets they plan to expand into. Hopefully this is a temporary situation, driven by the global and geopolitical challenges of recent years. Over time, their attention and efforts should ideally become better balanced and directed toward maximising growth potential.


The study also revealed that the primary focus of Lithuanian B2B marketing practitioners is on increasing brand awareness (35%) and supporting sales and business partners (such as representatives, etc.) (33%).


Less than a quarter (24%) prioritise marketing solutions and actions that generate profit. Additionally, 8% indicated that the primary function of marketing in their company is something other than the listed options.


This appears somewhat paradoxical when compared to the results of international studies. For instance, Salesforce's international B2B research shows a radically opposite trend in foreign companies: only 7% of B2B companies consider increasing brand awareness as a priority task. In most companies (67%), the primary focus of marketing is profit generation.


Supporting sales and business partners (such as representatives, etc.) is identified as the most important task by 26% of businesses, a figure that is similar to the findings in Lithuania. This unfortunately serves as a significant indicator of the strong influence B2C marketing paradigms have on B2B marketing practices in Lithuania. It also reflects a lack of maturity in how B2B marketing is perceived by the upper management, who are responsible for setting the marketing department's goals and priorities.


Neringa is a frequent speaker at top industry events
Neringa is a frequent speaker at top industry events

Many say that there is no such thing as B2B marketing as a distinct field because all business is essentially person-to-person.

 

I can't disagree, but the essence lies more in how decisions are made rather than who makes them. For example, buying high-value manufacturing equipment that directly impacts a company’s competitiveness and growth is fundamentally different from purchasing an avocado or a gym membership.

 

In these cases, the key differences boil down to the decision-making process and the perception of value. In B2C, emotional factors often dominate, while B2B decisions are usually more rational; consumer decisions might be made in minutes or weeks, whereas B2B decisions often extend over six months or longer. In consumer purchases, a single person (sometimes influenced by family) typically makes the decision, with marketing influencing a limited audience. In B2B, however, a decision-making unit of 3-8 people is common, making the marketing approach—tools, channels, tactics, planning principles, and much more—distinct.

 

In our region, the understanding of B2B marketing as a separate discipline is limited.

The perspective, “Why do we need a B2B agency when all decisions are made by people?” is something I encounter often, and it doesn’t surprise me. I’ve been teaching in universities for over 15 years and see that in our region, the understanding of B2B marketing as a separate discipline is limited. This gap leads to mistakes for many marketers entering B2B roles after studying mostly B2C frameworks—80-90% of what’s taught at universities here revolves around B2C.

 

I don’t blame educators or students; it’s much easier for both parties to engage with familiar products or consumer scenarios. Case studies on creative solutions are often exciting, while in B2B, creativity is rarely the primary factor driving success.



Is there a need for a specialised B2B agency?

 

Our decision to focus narrowly on B2B marketing has proven beneficial. Today, we’re competitive in our segment not only domestically but internationally. By speaking the language of their industry, we attract clients even with no business ties to Lithuania or interest in it as a market.

 

Over 12 years, we’ve accumulated experience with companies from the Baltics, Scandinavia, Germany, the UK, the U.S. and more. Our example clearly shows that niche specialisation pays off, especially if you aim to enter broader markets.

 

Following this approach, we took another step last year and launched Bound, an agency sub-brand dedicated specifically to legal services (B2B law firms). This allows us to build targeted teams, develop niche services and innovations, and expand our market reach effectively.

We Are Marketing worked on the rebranding and website update of pan-Baltic law firm TRINITI.
We Are Marketing worked on the rebranding and website update of pan-Baltic law firm TRINITI.

Earlier, you mentioned export. What are the main challenges Lithuanian companies face, especially in highly developed markets like the Nordics or Germany? I've often heard that Baltic companies face trust issues due to their Eastern European background.

A few years ago, we discussed this exact issue at a conference. When a B2B company from Lithuania wants to establish a presence in foreign markets, they must first recognise that they carry cultural baggage.



You mean the legacy from the Soviet era?

Yes, exactly. In fact, when we interviewed some potential customers on behalf of one of our clients, one CEO at the interview about their needs and how they choose providers openly said, "If I have two suppliers offering the same price, I would prefer the German supplier over the Lithuanian or Polish one simply because I trust them more." This kind of mindset is what many companies are up against.


When entering these markets, companies need to respond to local expectations and address emotional and cultural struggles. One strategy I recommend is a mirroring approach—basically, adapting your approach to become as similar to your target market as possible.


We Are Marketing's identity update for Solido Grindys, a company selling floor coverings
We Are Marketing's identity update for Solido Grindys, a company selling floor coverings

What does that involve, for example, when trying to sell in Germany?

It’s about understanding and adapting to their mindset. If you’re trying to sell to the German market—everything from your website to your marketing materials should be tailored to their expectations.


For instance, in the past, the U.S.-based Salesforce website used to show different content on the first section of the website depending on where you accessed it. The German version would have less aggressive, more factual copy, whereas the American site would be much more emotional and direct.


So, if there’s a trust issue, your marketing materials must reflect the local market’s style. This adaptation builds trust and bridges cultural gaps.



So a Lithuanian company should hire a local German agency instead of a Lithuanian one for their marketing?

Not necessarily. It depends on the situation. For PR purposes, it might sometimes be more efficient to have local representation. On the other hand, entering the German market is one of the most common expansion issues we help clients address, and we have great success stories here.


Therefore, I believe that choosing a local or international agency should depend more on the specific goal we aim to achieve. It is worth mentioning that the Germans themselves, for instance, Heidelberg Materials, have trusted us for years not only in resolving local Baltic market marketing issues.


It's about understanding differences in mindset—what the Germans expect from your website, articles, and overall approach compared to what Swedes or Americans might expect. Trying to tackle all markets at once—Germany, Sweden, America—without adapting to each one is inefficient from a marketing perspective.





Let's talk about content strategy in B2B. For social media, there's a common rule that people want to connect with individuals rather than brands. Should B2B companies focus more on their brand or on personal influencers within the company?

I believe it has to be a mix of both, but the proportion depends on the industry. For professional services, like law firms, it’s more effective to focus on content created by individuals rather than branded content. People trust other people. However, for product-based companies, where the product itself is the focus, there’s more logic in promoting the brand.


That said, in today’s world, where opinion leadership and authentic content are so important—especially on platforms like LinkedIn—it's impossible to ignore personal profiles and the role your team plays in content marketing.


From my own experience, personal posts can generate far more impressions than paid media content. The challenge is training your teams to develop these skills so that they can represent the brand authentically.


Neringa feels most at home in legal services, hence the recent launch of Bound, an agency sub-brand dedicated specifically to law firm marketing
Neringa feels most at home in legal services, hence the recent launch of Bound, an agency sub-brand dedicated specifically to law firm marketing

How do you keep up with trends or educate yourself? Any books, podcasts, or resources you’d recommend for B2B marketers?

I’ve been working in law firm marketing for 18 years, and it’s a very specific niche. I could recommend resources related to that, but for broader topics, I’d actually suggest following my colleague, Jore Astrauskaite. She’s our strategist and regularly posts insightful content on LinkedIn, though mostly in Lithuanian.


In general, I get a lot of inspiration from conversations with clients and colleagues. If something piques my interest, I might look for a podcast or article on that specific topic.



About  
 

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hando@marketingparrot.com

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