Organizations Worldwide Continue to Invest in Marketing without Effective Measurement
Alterian Annual Survey reveals difficulties facing marketers and predicts on and offline spending patterns for 2009
Chicago (PRWEB) January 20, 2009
2009 will see companies continue to invest significantly into online marketing, although less than half (47 percent) of marketers actually use analytics to measure their campaigns. This is the key finding of the sixth Alterian (LSE: ALN) Annual Marketing Survey (http://www. alterian. com/news__events/events/january_webinar_annual_survey. aspx).
Online marketing investment is predicted to increase for the 6th consecutive year as organizations begin to look to social networks as well as email, SEO and pay-per-click advertising. Yet alarmingly, only 47 percent use analytics to measure the success of this activity. A quarter of those surveyed cite analyzing results as the hardest part of any campaign.
David Eldridge, CEO Alterian said: "With the current economic climate, it is refreshing to see results that show businesses investing in areas that can directly drive sales - essential in this market. What is less encouraging is the low number of marketers who use analytics to evaluate and refine their campaigns."
With responses from more than 1,500 marketers, agencies, marketing services providers and systems integrators, the survey provides a comprehensive analysis of spending and investment priorities for the industry over the coming year.
Despite the widespread coverage of the death of offline media and marketing, only a fifth of those surveyed are predicting a reduction in offline marketing investment, with 38 percent predicting it will actually increase. Online direct marketing is also set to see healthy growth this year, with nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of organizations citing planned increases in budgets.
Marketers are still using multiple applications to do their job, with around a quarter of respondents using more than seven applications on campaigns. With more than half of those surveyed (51 percent) using between three and six applications it means that a vast majority of marketers are attempting to analyze data from disparate systems, with little or no integration.
Eldridge continued: "Multichannel marketing is commonplace in 2009, but the challenge for marketers is to measure the value and draw results across these various systems in order to provide a true picture of ROI back to the business. This seems to be a tough challenge for many organizations as they continue to market in the dark."
The survey also provided interesting insights into the importance of a website in the overall marketing mix. One-fifth of respondents claimed that their website was only 'basic' and not at the core of its marketing activity, but with increased investment predicted in online marketing channels, companies need to better understand the importance of the website in effectively underpinning its online presence. This demonstrates a need for companies to better understand the channels available to them before investing their marketing funds.
Eldridge concluded: "Online marketing offers organizations almost limitless ways of engaging with their customers and prospects, but in the rush to make the most of these new technologies some businesses are getting the basics wrong. Marketers must not forget that their own website is the destination that many of their activities drive customers and prospects to, and they need to be extracting the maximum value this cornerstone of any forward-thinking company's marketing activity."
Notes to Editors
The Alterian 2008 Survey polled a total of 1,545 marketing professionals. The annual survey, now in its sixth year, was conducted in North America and the United Kingdom in October and November 2008 through a dedicated website landing page and hardcopy in-person interviews at the 2008 Direct Marketing Association Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, the 2008 Ad:tech Exhibition in New York and the 2008 Interactive Marketing Show in Manchester.
Bob Barker, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Alterian will be presenting the full results of the 2008 Annual Marketing Survey in a global webinar on 22nd January 2009 at 4pm UK time. Please click on the following link to register for the webinar: www. alterian. com/news__events/events (http://www. alterian. com/news__events/events).
If you are interested in receiving a copy of the full survey report, please email.
About Alterian
Alterian (LSE: ALN) empowers marketers with an integrated marketing software platform combining database, online and operational marketing applications on a shared data infrastructure. The Alterian Integrated Marketing Platform makes it practical and cost effective for marketers to use actionable insight to execute an integrated marketing strategy across online and offline channels.
It is the unique integration of analytics, content and execution through Alterian's industry leading tools, such as the Alterian Messenger email platform, and the award winning Alterian Content Management web solutions, which enables marketers to drive a seamless, multichannel customer experience.
Alterian's analytically-led software is delivered to approximately 1,000 marketing departments, across 26 countries, and an international network of more than 100 business partners, including marketing services providers, agencies and systems integrators. Its partners, such as Accenture, Acxiom, Allant Group, Cap Gemini, Carlson Marketing, Experian, Epsilon, InfoUSA, LogicaCMG, Merkle, Ogilvy One and Euro RSCG Worldwide, deliver Alterian software alongside their own domain and services expertise to help market leaders such as Princess Cruises, General Motors, Zurich, Astra Zeneca, HSBC, Limited Too, AEGON, Avis, Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment, Dell, Amnesty International and Vodafone integrate marketing processes and drive competitive advantage. For more information about Alterian, products within the Alterian Integrated Marketing Platform or our Partner Network, please visit www. alterian. com.
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