Our research among 150 US and UK IT buyers highlights a recurring theme: alignment matters, but many vendors are not demonstrating it clearly or consistently in their communications.
This presents a big opportunity for brands that can.
Here are five quick takeaways from the research, and what they mean for tech marketers and PR/comms pros going forward in 2026.
1. Buyers want alignment, but they don’t see enough of it
Only a minority of IT buyers feel vendors strike the right balance in how they communicate. Messaging often leans heavily on product roadmaps, while giving less weight to showing understanding of customer needs and context
What this means: PR and marketing teams should audit where current comms emphasis really sits. If messaging is dominated by future features and innovation narratives, it may be time to rebalance towards customer realities and current challenges.
2. Vendors overestimate how well they understand customers
Nearly half of buyers believe vendors overrate their understanding of customer industries, and many say the same about how well vendors grasp their objectives.
What this means: Assumed knowledge is risky. Agencies and marketers should challenge recycled personas and surface-level insights, and push for evidence that messaging reflects real buyer input rather than internal belief.
3. Vendor strategies are not consistently aligned with customer needs
Just 22% of IT buyers say vendors are very aligned in understanding and supporting their needs, with the vast majority seeing real room (and opportunity) for improvement.
What this means: Alignment should be treated as something to demonstrate, not declare. Communications that show how strategy, product and support map to buyer priorities will travel further than generic positioning statements.
4. Greater alignment starts with deeper understanding
Almost two thirds of buyers say vendors need to show a clearer understanding of their industries, challenges and priorities. Over half want to see more measurable outcomes against their objectives and/or tailored solutions for their requirements.
What this means: Sector and situation matter. PRs and marketers should favour sharper, more specific storytelling over broad market claims, even if that means producing fewer, more targeted narratives.
5. Differentiation is still unclear for many tech brands
Only a quarter of buyers feel there is an obvious and credible difference between vendors when they engage with them. Most see vague propositions or a lack of compelling argument for one brand over another.
What this means: Differentiation cannot rely on category language alone. Clear points of difference need to show up consistently across messaging, proof points and customer examples. For tech brands, the first task is to understand what they are in order to act.
The big opportunity for comms in 2026
For B2B tech marketers and their PR/Comms partners, the opportunity is not louder messaging, but better alignment. Communications grounded in real customer understanding are more likely to cut through, build trust, credibility and support longer-term relationships.
These findings point to a clear gap between how vendors believe they’re communicating and how buyers experience it. To go deeper into where that gap shows up, and what IT buyers say would make a meaningful difference, you can read the full report here.
Want to discuss how research insights can help sharpen your strategy and craft more effective comms? Get in touch.