Multichannel data utilization is marketers’ greatest challenge – cited by almost 30% of respondents to a recent survey of marketers attending the Alterian Annual Summit, held in Chicago in August.
 
The survey examined marketers’ most pressing challenges on four fronts – database marketing, digital marketing, operational marketing, and customer experience marketing.
Among the findings:
- In addition to the 29% citing multi-channel data utilization, some 24% said their biggest hurdle was “closing the loop on campaigns by merging response and transactional data.”
- Together, these two groups – comprising nearly 53% of all surveyed – said they have data available, but do not know what to do with it.
- Moreover, though marketing has evolved, organizationally it is still siloed: In 33% of companies, separate teams continue to execute email and direct mail campaigns independently.
- When asked about their greatest overall challenge to developing more powerful relationships with consumers, 60% cited organizational structure and financial resources.
