Using MARC Analytics to Identify Buying Committee Activation

For years, marketing and sales teams have tried to answer one of the hardest questions in B2B: When is the buying committee actually awake? Not when one person clicks a link or downloads a PDF. Not when a marketer sees �surge intent� from a third-party provider. But when multiple stakeholders inside the same account are genuinely evaluating the solution, aligning internally, and preparing to make a decision.

Buying committees are powerful but opaque. They leave breadcrumb trails�emails forwarded, whitepapers downloaded, websites revisited�but these signals are scattered across tools and often attributed to anonymous users. The result? Teams struggle to distinguish casual interest from real movement.

MARC changes that. Because a MARC brochure is shared physically and its engagement is tracked digitally, it becomes a uniquely accurate indicator of internal activation. When the brochure begins circulating inside an account, MARC analytics reveal exactly how engagement spreads�and where influence is building.

This flagship analysis explains how MARC identifies buying committee activation, why these signals predict opportunity creation more reliably than digital intent alone, and how marketing and sales teams use them to accelerate deals with precision.

The Buying Committee Problem: Activity Without Clarity

Modern B2B buying is nonlinear and complex. Research from Gartner, Forrester, and McKinsey paints the same picture: buyers move back and forth between tasks, stakeholders join or exit the process unexpectedly, and internal alignment is often the hardest part.

The problem isn�t a lack of signals. It�s a lack of clarity.

Most behavioral indicators�website visits, webinar registrations, content downloads�represent individual actions from individual contacts. They don�t reveal whether activity is concentrated within one role or distributed across the buying team. Nor do they explain whether actions reflect genuine interest or casual browsing.

Without clarity, teams overinvest in cold accounts and underinvest in hot ones. They waste time chasing signals that look strong but mean little. And too often, they enter opportunities without understanding who is involved or how close the account is to alignment.

MARC data solves this by revealing activation directly�through engagement behavior that only occurs when buying committees are actively evaluating.

How MARC Reveals Buying Committee Activation

The moment a MARC brochure enters an account, a new layer of measurable behavior appears. Engagement patterns reveal whether the brochure is sitting on a desk, watched once and forgotten, or spreading across the team as stakeholders share it.

Across thousands of campaigns, five activation patterns consistently emerge:

1. Multi-viewer engagement
2. Multi-day engagement
3. Replay clustering around specific segments
4. Cross-functional viewing
5. Pre-meeting and pre-request spikes

Each pattern reveals something different about internal activity�and when combined, they form one of the strongest account-level signals available in B2B marketing.

Activation Signal #1: Multi-Viewer Engagement

This is the strongest and most reliable indicator. MARC analytics can detect when a brochure has been watched by more than one person. Because a MARC is a physical item, the only way multi-viewer signals appear is when someone hands the brochure to someone else.

That simple act�passing the brochure across a desk or conference table�makes it a uniquely powerful artifact of interest. If a champion is sharing the brochure, internal selling has begun.

Multi-viewer engagement correlates strongly with:

• Opportunity creation
• Shorter time-to-meeting
• Higher close rates

It is, in effect, the moment when the account is no longer represented by a single curious contact but by a team beginning to evaluate together.

Activation Signal #2: Multi-Day Engagement

When MARC analytics show engagement across multiple days, it indicates the account is:

• Revisiting the story
• Digesting information
• Discussing the solution internally
• Preparing to move forward

Unlike digital touchpoints, where multi-day sessions often reflect top-of-funnel browsing, multi-day MARC sessions represent purposeful evaluation. People rarely reopen a physical brochure unless they need to revisit something important.

Across industries, multi-day engagement consistently predicts movement to pipeline. It is one of the clearest activation markers ABM teams can track.

Activation Signal #3: Replay Clustering

MARC analytics track replay behavior down to the second. When replays are concentrated around specific sections of the video�such as pricing, case studies, ROI calculations, or technical architecture�those replays tell you:

• What internal stakeholders care about most
• Where objections or questions may surface
• Which themes are influencing the buying conversation

Replay clustering gives ABM teams a diagnostic lens into the evaluation process. For example:

• If pricing details are replayed, finance is engaged.
• If implementation walkthroughs are replayed, technical roles are engaged.
• If customer stories are replayed, line-of-business leaders are engaged.

This level of insight allows sales to prepare proactively instead of reactively.

Activation Signal #4: Cross-Functional Viewing

Because MARC brochures often travel across desks and between roles, analytics frequently reveal engagement sequences that reflect cross-functional movement. A brochure may be viewed by:

• An end user or champion
• A manager
• A budget owner
• A technical stakeholder
• A senior executive

When engagement crosses functional lines, it signals a real internal conversation�not just one person showing interest. ABM teams use this signal to map influence paths inside the account.

Activation Signal #5: Pre-Meeting Engagement Spikes

One of MARC�s most compelling patterns appears when engagement surges shortly before key milestones:

• A scheduled call
• A demo
• An internal meeting about priorities
• A procurement discussion
• A budget review

Unlike digital content, where pre-meeting browsing may be shallow, pre-meeting MARC engagement is typically deep and intentional. Stakeholders revisit the brochure to confirm details, refresh their understanding, or gather talking points.

This is often the clearest indicator that the account is preparing to move forward.

How Buying Committee Activation Predicts Pipeline Better Than Digital Intent

MARC signals outperform digital intent because they represent high-friction actions rooted in physical behavior. Watching a MARC brochure for 75 seconds is not like clicking an ad. Passing it to a colleague is not like forwarding an email. Rewatching a segment is not like refreshing a webpage.

These behaviors correlate with real outcomes:

• Accounts with multi-viewer activity generate 2�3� more pipeline
• Accounts with multi-day engagement have significantly shorter sales cycles
• Accounts with replay clustering at key sections have higher meeting conversion rates

Digital intent is directional. MARC activation is definitive.

Building Playbooks Around Activation Signals

High-performing ABM and sales teams integrate MARC activation signals directly into their workflows.

For ABM Teams

• Trigger nurture sequences when multi-day engagement appears
• Shift accounts into Tier 1 when cross-functional viewing is detected
• Adjust content strategy based on replay clusters

For SDRs

• Call within minutes of high-intent thresholds
• Use engagement data to personalize outreach
• Escalate accounts showing multi-viewer signals

For Sales

• Map the buying committee using MARC engagement patterns
• Tailor demos to the sections buyers are replaying
• Engage executives at accounts showing cross-functional activation

A Framework for Identifying Buying Committee Activation

Here�s a simple framework teams use to classify accounts based on MARC engagement:

Stage 1: Curiosity

• Single viewer
• Under 45 seconds watched
• No replays

Stage 2: Evaluation

• 1�2 viewers
• 60�90 seconds watched
• One replay

Stage 3: Alignment

• 2�3 viewers
• Multiple sessions
• Replays of technical or ROI sections

Stage 4: Activation

• 3+ viewers
• Multi-day engagement
• Replays clustered around decisive segments

Sales teams pursue these tiers differently, with Stage 3 and Stage 4 accounts receiving immediate and higher-touch engagement.

Cross-Links

• The Direct Mail Engagement Curve
• The MARC Engagement Score Framework
• The New Attribution Layer in Direct Mail