Most marketers and salespeople feel that their teams are “somewhat aligned,” with fewer than 1 in 5 believing that they are “fully aligned,” according to recent survey results from CallidusCloud. Separate results from the study indicate that just 35% of marketers and 39% of salespeople believe that lead data is fully shared between sales and marketing. Previous research has found only 1 in 2 companies reporting that marketing and sales have a formal definition of a qualified lead.
In other research data:
- More than 6 in 10 marketers surveyed by RSW/US [pdf] expect to consolidate into fewer agencies over the next 1-2 years rather than add more specialty agencies to their roster. Not surprisingly, 79% of agencies surveyed feel that the business of advertising has become more competitive over the past 3-4 years.
- Some 63% of marketers plan to increase their spending on native advertising over the coming year, reveals an ANA survey of 129 client-marketers. Native ads still account for a fractional share of advertising budgets for most, though: roughly two-thirds say they devote 5% or less to native ads.
- US consumers spend an average of $109 per year on music, reports Nielsen. How is that money divvied up? The largest share – 35% – goes to buying admission to live music concerts, with physical sales (CDs – 12%; vinyl records and cassettes; 2.5%) capturing 14.5% share. Digital sales, meanwhile, account for 18% share of spending, broken into buying digital tracks (8%) and digital albums (7%) and paying for online music streaming services (3%).
- Slightly more than 6 in 10 US consumers would stop shopping at a retailer after a poor gift return experience, finds a LoyaltyOne survey. The return experience can turn into a positive for a retailer, though: almost 8 in 10 reported that a positive experience returning a gift to a store that they rarely visit would influence them to shop more often at that retailer.
