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What's the difference: Demand Generation vs Lead Generation

Brian (Carroll) calls his blog "Lead Generation". Craig (Rosenberg) calls his blog "Demand Generation". How do you define the difference in these two?

This question was asked by members who attended our "3 Must-Haves for Successful Lead Nuturing" webcast.

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Christopher Jablonski
Independent Marketing Consultant
Posted on Dec. 11, 2009

Trevor,

My understanding is that lead generation is a subset of demand generation, although many use them interchangeably. Marketer activities for each are essentially the same. However, demand generation is more expansive to include all awareness and branding-building tactics, whereas lead generation emphasizes list building or prospect database development.

Best,
Chris

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Brenda Gelston
Sales/Marketing, Marketing Momentum Associates
Posted on Dec. 11, 2009
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I agree with the answers so far. I would like to add that demand generation incorporates some broader marketing concepts such as making sure the value proposition resonates with the general sphere of influence. Notice I did not say “target market” or the “audience” or the “prospect”. Everyone one that can potentially influence the purchasing journey is within the scope of demand generation program.

In my experience once a prospect expresses and interest (enters into the radar of the sales funnel) they move to a lead nurturing program. Demand generation is more of a marketing function. On the other hand lead nurturing can be handed off or shared with sales depending on the company, product and the purchasing cycle of the buyer.

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Jay Hidalgo
Posted on Dec. 14, 2009
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One of marketers' objectives is to create demand for their product or service. However, they don't "create" leads. Leads are "generated" from the demand that's created. Strategies such as branding, thought leadership, PR, etc. help to create demand, while strategies such as direct response programs, SEO, etc. help to generate leads.

The question then is, what process does one have to manage the leads that are generated from the above mentioned strategies, so that you can maximize the investment on the strategies?

www.annuitasgroup.com

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Bob  McCarthy
Sales/Marketing, McCarthy & King Marketing
Posted on Oct. 14, 2010
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I’m a bit more cynical about this.

To me, “demand generation” is just a clever phrase that was coined by someone to create the impression that it was something new – sort of “new-school lead generation.”

Marketers do this all the time.

What makes this so unusual is that the term has stuck – and been embraced by so many companies. Of course, very few of these companies agree on the definition of “demand generation.”

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Demand Generation: Is creating a Brand Awareness
Lead Generation: Is converting the Prospect who admired the Brand...

Correct me if I'm wrong

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Mitch Bancroft
Mitch Bancroft Replied on May 11, 2011

Lead Generation is converting a prospect only to the "interest phase" of the now decades-old AIDA model (Awareness - Interest-Decision to Act - Act/Purchase/Behave). I've been looking for full-time, permanent work in Marketing for about five years, and it's ridiculous the "changes" which have been made, amounting for the most part, to nothing...just new terminology. I created integrated, highly measurably, high-performance direct marketing programs about six years ago, have been laid off in this lousy econonmy looking for work, and now I see everyone does the work I did "manually" using all these automation programs....and prospective employers are trying to tell ME that I wouldn't be able to keep up with them. They're idiots. If a person can design, implement, manage, and implement continuous program improvements on their own, I think that they can push a few buttons to let some program develop target markets, strategies, and analyze results for them.

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Jim Stafford
Posted on Dec. 11, 2009
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Demand generation, if done well, creates leads. Marketers send emails, develop banner ads, etc. to try to get peospects to raise their hand -- to respond in some manner. The ways that prospects respond can be used to develop an overall score for them. Once the prospects cross a score threshold, they become a lead. These guys are also refered to as "Marketing qualified leads" because marketing uses marketing automation software to nuture the relationship to the point of hand-off to a sales rep in a B2B scenario.

Jim
http://blogs.marketingstudio.aprimo.com/blog/marketing-automation-corner

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Brenda Gelston
Sales/Marketing, Marketing Momentum Associates
Posted on Dec. 11, 2009
  • Recommended by:

I agree with the answers so far. I would like to add that demand generation incorporates some broader marketing concepts such as making sure the value proposition resonates with the general sphere of influence. Notice I did not say “target market” or the “audience” or the “prospect”. Everyone one that can potentially influence the purchasing journey is within the scope of demand generation program.

In my experience once a prospect expresses and interest (enters into the radar of the sales funnel) they move to a lead nurturing program. Demand generation is more of a marketing function. On the other hand lead nurturing can be handed off or shared with sales depending on the company, product and the purchasing cycle of the buyer.

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