Cross-Channel Insight Biggest Interactive Challenge

June 16, 2011

This article is included in these additional categories:

Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Brand Metrics | Data-driven | Retail & E-Commerce | Social Media | Technology

forrester-interactive-mktg-challenges-june-2011.JPGThe greatest internal challenge facing interactive marketing organizations today is understanding customer interactions across online, mobile, social and offline channels, according to [pdf] a June 2011 study from Forrester Research and ExactTarget. Data from “The New Campaign Management Mandate” indicates a leading 48% of mid- to senior-level US interactive marketers rate understanding cross-channel interactions as one of their top three internal challenges.

Proving Results, Staffing Also Popular Challenges

Forty percent of interactive marketers rank both proving results to the executive team to garner support and budget and staffing marketing programs sufficiently as top three internal challenges. The percentage ranking these challenges as number one is virtually identical (20% for proving results, 19% for staffing). However, 15% rank staffing as their number two challenge, compared to 11% ranking proving results as number two.

Understanding cross-channel interactions has the third-highest percentage ranking it as the number one challenge, but the highest percentage (17%) ranking it both number two and number three.

Most Interactive Marketers Have Social Conversations, Push Messages

forrester-interactive-mktg-capabilities-june-2011.JPGA combined 62% of interactive marketers strongly agree (34%) or agree (28%) they have a social media presence that allows them to participate in online conversations about their company/products. Another 62% strongly agree (15%) or agree (47%) they primarily push channel-specific messages out to their end customers.

The only other capabilities which more than 50% of interactive marketers strongly agreed or agreed they possess are building and maintaining a history of their customers’ interactions with their brand across multiple channels (55%) and tracking and recognizing customers across channels (52%).

Web Analytics Most Seen as Helpful in Overcoming Challenges

forrester-overcome-challenges-june-2011.JPGRegardless of current use, a combined 54% of interactive marketers said web analytics tools would be one of the three most effective tools in helping overcome their current marketing challenges.

This made web analytics tools far and away the tools viewed as helpful by the largest percentage of respondents. The next-most-popular tools, customer data hubs, were only rated in the top three by a combined 34% of respondents.

ROI Research: Price Comparison Top Reason for SocNet Discussion

Comparing prices is the top reason online consumers discuss a product, service, company or brand on social networking sites, according to an April 2011 study from ROI Research and Performics. Data from “S-Net: A Study in Social Media Usage and Behavior” indicates 59% of online consumers discuss price comparison occasionally or frequently on social networks, the highest percentage for any reason the study offered.

About the Data: For this study, Forrester conducted an online survey of 158 mid? to senior?level interactive marketers in the US. Questions provided to the participants asked about their challenges and current capabilities, the impact of marketing technology, and their overall opinions about metrics and measurement. The study began in March 2011 and was completed in May 2011.

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