Digital marketers recognise the benefits of cross channel marketing, but struggle to implement

By / Sally Hooton / In In the News /

Research demonstrates need for better understanding of key techniques, such as data integration

Marketers are aware of the power of cross channel marketing in reaching customers, but many are not yet taking full advantage of the technique.

So says research from Experian Marketing Services and Forrester Consulting, who conducted a global study of 428 digital marketing businesses in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America, The poll identified varying levels of technology adoption and cross channel marketing success across markets, with technology issues still a major hurdle in implementation.

Commenting on the results, Simon Martin (pictured), managing director of Digital at Experian Marketing Services, said: “This report makes it clear that marketers understand the importance of cross channel marketing in taking customer relationships up a level, but still need guidance to make it work. Customers today are much like teenagers at university – they only want to hear from you at a time that is convenient to them, and when they need something. Data linkage across channels allows marketers to better assess when this time might be, which allows them to deliver the right message to the right customer, at the right time.”

Additional findings from the research include:

Email is still a stalwart: 97% of respondents use email today and 65% have used it for at least three years. Email maturity has not discouraged investment, either, as it is still growing at 8% compound annual growth rate
Marketers struggle to integrate channels, with even a mature channel such as email only being integrated with search retargeting by 54% of respondents
On average, any two channels are integrated by only 45% of respondents
Few marketers harness the potential of customer data: only 24% are able to merge contextual data into a single, shared and real time cross channel view of the customer
Marketers in EMEA are behind their counterparts in using targeted display, with 80% agreeing that they make use of the technology compared to a global average of 97% (with all US digital marketers surveyed using the technology)
Sophisticated email marketers demonstrated significantly higher rates of data-usage best practices, which was twice as much as the average respondent
Practices among marketers in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries demonstrated the highest prevalence of this mature use of customer data at 36 per cent, with China leading the pack at 47 per cent. APAC also led other regions in overall cross-channel marketing maturity
Seventy-five per cent of marketers that Forrester Consulting identified as ‘sophisticated marketers’ use data in real time

“Marketers must realise that the consumer cycle has changed with the advent of new shopping channels as well as expectations of excellent personalisation and service in interactions with brands”, continued Martin. “The sales funnel does not exist as it did before – marketers need to consider relationships in terms of customer need, not marketing action. The reward is increased loyalty, spend, and a better relationship with the customer full stop.”

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Author: Sally Hooton

Editor at The GMA | www.the-gma.com

Trained as a journalist from the age of 18 and enjoying a long career in regional newspaper reporting and editing, Sally Hooton joined DMI (Direct Marketing International) magazine as editor in 2001. DMI then morphed into The GMA, taking her with it!