Some 39% of leading marketers are capitalizing on Big Data and adjusting real-time offers based on customer wants, needs, and preferences, according to a recent report by IBM. In comparison, only 15% of the remaining marketers surveyed do so.
Moreover, top marketers are outpacing their peers in using technology across multiple channels, applying advanced analytics to determine media spends, identifying gaps in their brand promises, and tracking their customers' lifetime value.
Below, additional findings from IBM's State of Marketing 2013, which was based on a survey of 500 marketing professionals from around the world.
What Makes a Leading Marketer?
- The survey identified leading marketers based on their level of adoption of cross-channel technologies and ability to "proactively influence the customer experience."
- These marketers work for organizations that financially outperform their peers, as measured by profit, income and stock price growth.
Customer Interaction
- The survey found 76% of top marketers contact their customers to gauge satisfaction, and 75% monitor and track delivery commitments to ensure customers are receiving their orders accurately and on time.
- 71% of leading marketers train sales and customer facing staff on product and service lines to improve customer engagements and identify cross/upsell opportunities.
Brand Stewardship
- 83% of leading marketers collaborate with other business functions to ensure a consistent delivery of the organization's brand message.
- 82% of leading marketers deliver brand messages at every point of the customer interaction.
- 84% of leading marketers systematically measure brand awareness and reputation.
Cross-Channel Integration
- Cross-channel integration is still lacking in many organizations. Only 35% of leading marketers currently integrate their campaigns across all channels, with 8% indicating they are not currently integrated at all.
- In comparison, only 12% of remaining marketers surveyed currently integrate their campaigns across all channels, with 39% indicating they are not currently integrated at all.
About the research: The State of Marketing 2013 report was based on a global survey of 500 marketing professionals working in a range of industries. Fifty-two percent of respondents work for organizations with 5,000+ employees, 32% for organizations with 1,000-4,999 employees, and 18% for organizations with 500-999 employees.
