It’s a fact: coverage in print and online magazines, speaking on panels and at trade shows and making speeches are the top marketing initiatives that influence more than a third of business purchasing decisions, according to research firm Marketing Sherpa.

Another fact: all of those initiatives are functions of public and media relations.

Apparently these facts are little known, as Marketing Sherpa’s Top Ten B-to-B Leads Generation Marketing Mistakes cited “Lack of Investment in PR” as one of the main ways C-suite executives go wrong.

Based on its year-round surveys of 10,000 marketers, Marketing Sherpa found that very few CFOs or even CEOs of sales-driven companies adequately appreciate the importance of investing in PR initiatives. The survey suggests a collective myopia among respondents: many executives view PR measures as satisfying a need for ego-boosting, as opposed to a significant and vital sales driver.

The main reason for PR’s dominant influence over purchasing decisions when compared with other initiatives (such as direct response, podcasting, Webinars, paid search, telemarketing, etc.) is that it uses a trusted, independent third party to tout one’s business. The other tactics all depend on communication stemming from the company itself – no matter how honest, the bias is inherent in the message. Marketing Sherpa’s study indicates that when PR is appropriately funded, all other aspects of the marketing plan are enhanced, thereby offering true sales ROI payback.