ABM in Aerospace: How to Master Committee-Based Buying in Aviation

After years of working with aerospace and aviation clients, one thing has become crystal clear to us: committee-based buying isn’t just common in this industry—it’s practically universal. We’ve watched purchasing decisions grow increasingly complex, with more stakeholders involved at every step.

This shift is exactly why we’ve encouraged more adoption of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) for our aerospace clients. 

The Data Behind B2B Account-Based Marketing Success

According to recent studies, ABM has proven highly effective for B2B companies with complex sales cycles:

1. ABM’s Proven ROI

• 97% of marketers report that ABM delivers a higher return on investment compared to other marketing strategies.¹²³
• Companies implementing ABM strategies have experienced a 208% increase in marketing-generated revenue over three years.¹²

2. Increased Adoption and Budget Allocation

• 70% of marketers have active ABM programs in place as of 2025, highlighting its widespread adoption in the B2B sector.²
• On average, companies dedicate 29% of their marketing budget to ABM initiatives, reflecting its growing importance.²

3. Enhanced Sales and Marketing Alignment

• 58% of B2B marketers experienced larger deal sizes with ABM, and 56% expect tighter alignment between sales and marketing teams due to ABM strategies.³

4. Improved Customer Engagement

• ABM campaigns boost win rates by 70% and increase customer retention by 20%, demonstrating the effectiveness of personalized marketing approaches.¹

5. Long-Term Growth Potential

• The global ABM market is projected to reach nearly $2 billion by 2032, showcasing its long-term viability as a strategy for B2B companies targeting high-value accounts.²

These statistics emphasize why ABM continues to dominate the B2B landscape, particularly for companies dealing with complex sales cycles. Its ability to align sales and marketing efforts, drive revenue growth, and deliver personalized engagement makes it a cornerstone strategy for modern B2B marketing.

Who’s Really Making Decisions in Aerospace?

In our work with aviation companies, we often see three key player groups driving purchase decisions (of course there can be others depending on the size and type of company you are targeting):

• Program managers who oversee the entire initiative and coordinate between departments
• Engineering teams who evaluate technical specifications and compatibility
• Procurement/purchasing specialists who handle contract details and negotiate terms

Each group speaks a different language and prioritizes different things. Engineers dive deep into specs and features, procurement focuses on costs and contract terms, while program managers balance timelines, resources, and overall objectives.

Traditional aerospace marketing often misses the mark by speaking to just one of these groups—or worse, using the same message for all three.

Why Aviation Sales Cycles Feel Like Marathon Flights

If you’ve worked in aviation marketing for any length of time, you know the pain of those 18-24 month sales cycles (and often longer!). We’ve found that most marketing approaches fail because they lose momentum somewhere along this extended journey.

One month, you’re having great conversations with engineering. The next month, procurement takes control and the conversation shifts entirely. Then suddenly, the program manager has new priorities. Without a coordinated aerospace ABM strategy, you’re constantly restarting conversations rather than advancing them.

Keeping Everyone Engaged Through the Aviation Buying Journey

Here’s where a strong ABM approach can make all the difference. Rather than treating these long sales cycles as a series of disconnected touchpoints, we maintain continuous engagement with each stakeholder group.

For example, we might:

• Send technical white papers to engineering contacts while simultaneously
• Sharing ROI calculations with procurement teams 
• Providing implementation timelines to program managers

This parallel engagement ensures no stakeholder feels forgotten during those inevitable quiet periods in the aerospace sales process.

What Aviation Customers Really Care About in Committee-Based Buying

Through dozens of aerospace marketing campaigns, we’ve discovered two factors matter above all else to aviation buyers:

1. Pricing transparency – Not necessarily the lowest price, but clear, predictable costs without surprises
2. On-time delivery – In an industry where delays cascade into millions in losses, proving you can deliver on schedule is gold

These concerns cut across all stakeholder groups but manifest differently for each. Program managers worry about timeline impacts, procurement focuses on contract guarantees, and engineering needs assurance that technical requirements won’t cause delays.

The most successful aviation ABM campaigns address these concerns head-on with evidence, references, and concrete demonstrations of past performance.

Building Your Aerospace Account-Based Marketing Strategy

Step 1: Map Your Target Account’s Decision Ecosystem

Before sending a single email or making a single call, thoroughly map out:

• Who holds what role in the decision process
• How these individuals influence each other
• Which external factors might impact their decisions (regulatory changes, budget cycles, etc.)

This isn’t just about identifying titles—it’s about understanding relationships and influence paths specific to each aviation organization.

Multiple studies have shown that B2B buying decisions involve an average of 6-10 decision-makers, each gathering information independently. 

Step 2: Create Content That Speaks to Each Aviation Stakeholder’s Language

Next, develop different materials for different aviation stakeholders:

• For engineering: Detailed spec sheets, integration guides, and technical comparison documents
• For procurement: Pricing models, contract options, and delivery guarantees
• For program managers: Timeline visualizations, resource requirements, and milestone planning tools

The key is ensuring these materials tell a consistent story while addressing specific concerns in the aerospace buying process.

Step 3: Develop a Coordinated Aviation Marketing Engagement Timeline

Given those long sales cycles, creating extended engagement plans that might include:

• Regular technical updates for engineering contacts
• Quarterly cost reviews for procurement specialists
• Monthly progress reports for program managers

This consistent cadence keeps your solution top-of-mind throughout the extended aviation decision process.

Making ABM Work in Your Aviation Marketing Campaigns

The shift to ABM requires upfront investment in research and content creation, but the payoff in aerospace is substantial. When you’re dealing with multi-million dollar contracts and year-plus sales cycles, even small improvements in efficiency create massive returns.

Sources

1. Boomerang, “100 Must-Know ABM Statistics for Crafting Winning Revenue Strategies in 2025,” https://www.getboomerang.ai/post/blog-100-must-know-abm-statistics-for-crafting-winning-revenue-strategies-in-2025, accessed April 2025.
2. RevNew, “30 Account-Based Marketing Stats You Need to Know,” https://revnew.com/blog/account-based-marketing-stats, accessed April 2025.
3. WebFX, “25+ Account-Based Marketing Statistics for 2024,” https://www.webfx.com/blog/ppc/account-based-marketing-statistics/, accessed April 2025.

RollWorks, “17 Account-Based Marketing Statistics for 2024,” https://www.rollworks.com/resources/blog/17-account-based-marketing-statistics, accessed April 2025.