Key Marketing Trends For 2011
- 1. 11 Key Marketing Trends for 2011 Highlights from the Annual Unica Marketing Survey Will More Marketing opportunities lead 2. Marketers Will let custoMers lead to profitable pathWays – or dead ends? the dance by taking advantage of inbound interactions. “More” is certainly the key word for our times. But, as the results of our annual survey of marketers reveal, the For as long as anyone can remember, marketing has been proliferation of marketing channels and the concomitant all about getting a message out. Advances in technology explosion of data pose a wealth of challenges for marketers are driving a shift in direction. Today, inbound marketing is in 2011. As the survey results suggest, marketers are looking seizing the momentum: customers are taking the initiative for ways to turn more marketing possibilities into better and directing the relationship on their terms. Marketers are marketing results. Our survey reveals the following key getting the message. When asked if their departments were trends for 2011: planning to deliver personalized messages in customer initiated transactions, participants demonstrated substantial 1. Marketers Will bridge the gap commitments to using, or planning to use, inbound channel betWeen analysis and action (finally!) communications – via their websites (57% already in place, 25% planning to do so within the year), customer service/ When does a rich set of customer data become a mixed call centers (52% vs. 18%) and point of sale/kiosk/ATM blessing? When asked to rank the top bottlenecks in the (28%/21%). marketing process, participants identified “measurement, analysis & learning” as the number one impediment, reflecting inbound Marketing adoption by channel appreciation of its value. Yet, in a follow-up question regarding the most important marketing issues, “turning data Web Site 57% 25% 82% into action” earned top honors. Over the last decade, many marketers have become data junkies, absorbing information Customer Service 52% 18% 70% / Call Center for its own sake. But, as they say, recognizing a problem is the first step toward solving it. Marketers can no longer blame Point of Sale / Kiosk / ATM 28% 21% 49% IT for withholding information; with so much data readily available, it’s time to overcome “analysis paralysis” and turn Currently Don’t currently do this but do this plan to in the next 12 months this newly found knowledge into action by integrating data captured across all channels into subsequent campaigns Base: Total Sample (279 respondents) and more personal offers. 57% 62% SAId THeIr TOp BOTTlenecK SAId THeIr TOp MArKeTIng WAS MeASUreMenT, ISSUe WAS TUrnIng dATA AnAlYSIS & leArnIng InTO AcTIOn
- 2. 3. Marketers Will leverage online value of using Web data in behavioral data to help turn data customer analytics and decisioning into action. Whatever anyone says about information Very Important 63% 90% say overload, marketers cherish the data they web data is collect from their websites. Web interactions Somewhat important important 27% open a priceless window on customer interests, intentions and desires – a wealth of Somewhat Not important 8% precise information that easily trumps mere demographics or transactional data. It’s no Not Important Base: Total Sample At All 2% (279 respondents) surprise that 90% of marketers see web data as important to drive campaign decisioning. While only 41% currently use this data in use of Web data in campaign decisioning campaign decisioning, another 35% say they will in the next 12 months. Currently do this 41% 76% will use it in campaign decisioning Plan to do this by the end of the year 35% (next 12 months) Plan to do this (>12 months) 10% No plans to Base: Total Sample do this 14% (259 respondents) 4. to keep eMail relevant, 5. “free” online Marketing Marketers Will focus on tools Will get expensive. iMproving integration, like email, web analytics and paid search are segMentation, and targeting. contemporary marketing mainstays. But more email hasn’t lost its status as a deeply than half (53%) of marketers rely on “free” tools entrenched, well understood marketing channel. for Web analytics and more than a third (37%) 85% of total participants reported they are using rely on tolls from the search engines to manage or planning to use email software. But now that ppc marketing. The savviest marketers are the low-hanging fruit has been plucked and now considering the cost of “free.” For starters, the field is glutted with competing messages, a free search tool is limited by its applicability how will marketers sustain email’s relevance? to the search engine that provides it. Worse, Today, smart marketers are actually addressing neither the search tools nor free web analytics this problem by integrating campaigns with can be incorporated with the marketer’s other data and triggers from other channels to make systems, making it impossible to close the loop email an essential part of an ongoing, evolving and understand the value of the customers that dialog with customers and prospects. The job these efforts are delivering. precisely because isn’t easy: only 34% of marketers say their the information these tools provide is so email data is automatically integrated with other valuable, it cannot remain stranded, leaving you marketing data; another 39% say the integration incapable of realizing the full potential of search is accomplished manually. looking ahead, and web data. Investing in web analytics and email will become the natural integration point search bid management solutions will pay short with emerging channels such as social and and long term dividends. mobile. In fact, over half (54%) of marketers report including social sharing links in email and about a third (35%) are already creating mobile specific versions of emails.
- 3. No Important 8% more than 12 months Currently Don’t currently do this but do this plan to in the next 12 months Not Important Don’t currently use and have no At All 2% 6. channel proliferation Will social Media Marketing usage drive the need to nurture neW channels. 11% 10% new channels continue to multiply like rabbits 76% will use it 8% 5% Currently do this 41% in campaign with familiar channels, such as mobile, breeding 25% decisioning by 53% Plan to do this “micro-channels” e.g., Foursquare. With the new end of the year 26% (next 12 months) 35% growth of smart phones and tablet computers 62% e.g., Plan to do this the ipad, there’s no reason to expect the 10% (>12 months) proliferation of channels to decelerate any time No plans to soon do this – nor 14% reasonable to expect success is it from all of them (remember Second life?). Current Activity No Plans Planned Activity Planned Activity But in the face of a rapidly evolving marketing Base: 254 respondents (>12 months) (Next 12 months) Strongly agree Do not agree Somewhat landscape, what is reasonable is this: marketers at all disagree Current Activity No Plans need a structured process for assessing opportunities, testing tactics, measuring Planned activity Planned activity (>12 months) (Next 12 months) results and evaluating further involvement in new channels. For example, a leading financial services organization developed a structure to 8. Marketers Will treat Mobile as a device With Many channels, determine which business goals each social not a single channel. media channel might support. They discovered that business Facebook is a great place to Survey results show that marketers are growing drive new customer acquisition, but wasn’t ever more bullish on mobile, with over forty particularly effective for customer service. percent of marketers currently using mobile They use web analytics to measure traffic on marketing tactics. Among survey participants, their Facebook wall and correlate this traffic mobile applications lead the way with 44% with traffic from their other web properties and current usage; mobiles sites and mobile micro-sites. When traffic arrives at their website messaging follow at 40% and 36% respectively. from Facebook, the customer more often than But the real question isn’t whether to use mobile not signs-up for a card rather than logging into or not, but which mobile marketing channels, their account for a service interaction. With if any, are relevant to your business and its social media and mobile, individual channels will customers? Is it SMS texting? Mobile versions come and go; but a solid evaluation process will of websites? paid mobile search? Or the tactic be a lasting investment. du jour, mobile applications? Or some mix of the above? 7. social Media Will experience groWing pains. use of Mobile Marketing tactics This year, social media is no longer the adorable baby everyone wants to hold, but the angst- Mobile application 44% 31% 20% 5% filled adolescent – still immature yet no longer Mobile version of cute – who inspires mixed feelings. All things website 40% 31% 20% 9% social continue to hold intense interest, with Mobile messaging 53% of marketers currently applying it to their SMS/MMS/WAP) 36% 26% 17% 21% marketing efforts. But as tactics rise and fall, a more sophisticated approach is emerging. Mobile version of email 35% 34% 17% 14% Instead of thinking tactic by tactic, marketers are beginning to think strategically across three Mobile Ads 30% 29% 17% 24% (PPC or Display) major areas of social content: owned (what they create), earned (what customers create) and Location-based targeting 29% 27% 18% 26% paid (what marketers spend money for). Currently use Don’t currently use but plan to in the next 12 months Don’t currently use but plan Don’t currently use and have to in the future more than no plans at this time 12 months from now
- 4. 9. interactive Marketing Will 11. adoption of an integrated reach the tipping point as a Marketing suite Will accelerate. doMinant Marketing discipline. Marketers remain confident that technology will MOre THAn half each of these trends isn’t taking place in ease application More than half of marketers said their pain. Mobil 44% 31% 20% 5% isolation. Marketing messages delivered during that technology would increase productivity inbound interactions need to be coordinated more than additional staff or external agency Mobile version 40% 31% 20% 9% with outbound campaigns. Web analytics data support. Moreover, an overwhelming 87% website (53%) OF MArKeTerS should inform both online and offline marketing agreed that marketing needs a more integrated SAId THeY HAve An Mobile messaging 36% 26% 17% 21% campaigns. Integrating social, mobile and suite of software to improve their effectiveness. (SMS/MMS/WAP) ISSUe ATTrIBUTIng other emerging channels in the marketing mix Why the strong interest? Integrated tools mean SUcceSS TO MArKeTIng Mobile version 35% 34% 17% 14% will play a pivotal role in meaningful cross- email integrated, interactive marketing, with shared channel dialogs. Interactive Marketing bridges sources of data and real-time behavioral triggers Mobile Ads these trends to facilitate customer awareness, 30% 29% 17% 24% allowing marketers to take communications to (PPC or Display) centralize decisioning, and execute across the next level: personally relevant messaging to 90% say Location-based Very Important 63% channels. Most marketers understand the need 29% 27% 18% 26% the right audiences at the right times. To deliver targeting web data to create cross-channel dialogs and buy into the is important a more coordinated customer experience and Somewhat Important Interactive27% Marketing strategy. Yet, when asked integrate activities across channels,currently use but Currently use Don’t marketers Somewhat about their current practices, a mere 10% say will turn toward a comprehensive suitethe next 12 months plan to in for 8% Don’t currently use but plan to in the future No Important they have completed their Interactive Marketing centralized, strategic than 12 months more control. Adoption should Not Important journey. The good news? Half of marketers accelerate as theDon’t currentlyeases out no plans at this time economy use and have of the At All 2% say they are currently integrating across some downturn and releases pent up demand for channels. Over the next year, savvy marketers more integrated marketing solutions. will increase their adoption of Interactive Marketing and expand the number of channels increasing Marketing productivity with an they include in this orchestrated strategy. integrated Marketing suite 11% 10. Marketers Will get 10% 8% 5% More serious about using 25% cross-channel 53% attribution 26% to understand Marketing effectiveness. 62% It’s not enough to coordinate campaigns and deliver results. Marketers must better understand which activities, programs, and Current Activitycampaigns No Plans are contributing to those results. In Planned Activity Planned Activity (>12 months) (Next 12 months) the ranking of top marketing issues, “attributing Strongly agree Base: Total Sample (279 respondents) Somewhat Do not agree Somewhat at all disagree agree success to marketing” took the second spot with more than half of marketers saying they Strongly agree Do not agree at all find it challenging. Attribution — the process Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree of assigning credit to marketing campaigns and exposures that lead to conversions — has become a critical component of marketing analytics. Marketers will look for cross-channel attribution that demonstrates the value of specific tactics and helps them direct resources to the most productive options. For successful attribution, marketers will need a centralized interaction history of marketing contacts and customer responses. The good news? Those marketers who adopt an Interactive Marketing strategy will already have a centralized view of marketing touches.
- 5. ready When you are about unica, an ibM coMpany Unica is hardly a neutral bystander in marketing Unica, an IBM company, is the recognized technology. In fact, we’re deeply committed to leader in marketing software solutions. marketing automation. Based on our experience Unica’s advanced set of enterprise marketing with hundreds of enterprise clients, truly management and cloud-based marketing interactive, integrated marketing will be the way solutions empowers organizations and marketers will achieve differentiation, attract individuals to turn their passion for marketing prospects, and hold profitable customers, into valuable customer relationships and more regardless of whatever new channels come profitable, timely, and measurable business and go. come see what we mean – visit outcomes. These solutions integrate and the Interactive Marketing microsite for a streamline all aspects of online and offline comprehensive set of resources that will marketing. Unica’s unique Interactive Marketing put you on the path to more personal, approach incorporates customer analytics and profitable marketing. web analytics, centralized decisioning, cross- www.theinteractivemarketingjourney.com channel execution, and integrated marketing operations. More than 1,500 organizations worldwide depend on Unica for their marketing management solutions. Unica is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts with offices around the globe. reservoir place north Australia 170 Tracer lane Belgium Waltham, MA 02451 Brazil USA France t +1.781.839.8000 germany f +1.781.890.0012 India e [email protected] netherlands Singapore www.unica.com Spain United Kingdom United States Unica and the Unica logo are registered trademarks of Unica, an IBM company, with the U.S. patent and trademark Office. Marketing Success Starts with U is a trademark of Unica, an IBM company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © Unica, an IBM company, 2011. All rights reserved.