how marketers plan to use digital channels for the 2011 ... · leverage social media channels the...

How marketers plan to use digital channels for the 2011 holiday season and in 2012

An Experian white paper

Survey overviewSixty-seven percent of marketers planned to leverage social media more this holiday season than last, and 63 percent planned to leverage email marketing more. Were you like the majority of marketers we spoke to, or did your plans look a little different? Looking back, 46 percent of marketers cited multichannel coordination as their biggest challenge; and marketing forward, 47 percent plan to pilot or increase focus on a mobile app in 2012. What are your biggest challenges? Read on to see how your marketing playbook for next year compares.

Experian Marketing Services asked marketing professionals these and other questions about their marketing plans for the 2011 holiday season and the year ahead. Respondents included marketers from industries such as financial services, insurance and education, though the majority, 43 percent, were retail marketers. Fourteen percent were senior executives and 17 percent were vice presidents within their organizations.

Title/Level in Company

In this survey, we asked:• Where does your company rank in terms of mobile marketing and social media

adoption?• How much do you plan to use mobile marketing, social media and email

marketing this holiday season compared to last holiday season?• What were your three biggest marketing challenges over the last 12-18 months?• What digital marketing tactics will you pilot or increase focus on in 2012?• How well integrated is your company’s marketing organization?

What follows are some key findings from the survey so you can see how you’re benchmarking against your peers.

Senior Executive

Vice President

Director

Manager

Consultant/Analyst

Other

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

14%

17%

21%

25%

9%

14%

Digital Marketing Plans

An Experian white paper | Page 1


More marketers recognize the importance of mobile marketing and social media Fifteen percent of marketers in this survey rated their company ahead of the pack with mobile marketing, and 23 percent with social media. About half were testing the waters, 46 percent with mobile marketing and 55 percent with social media. That means 39 percent were not actively using mobile marketing and 22 percent were not actively using social media, but 9 percent and 6 percent, respectively, were starting to talk about changing that.

Adoption of Digital Channels

When looking at the combined responses, only 8 percent rated their company ahead of the pack with both mobile marketing and social media. On the other end of the spectrum, only 6 percent did not have either digital channel on their radar. That means that 94 percent were at least talking about, if not testing or ahead with both of these channels. If you do not consider your company ahead of the pack with these channels, you are not alone. There is a lot of opportunity for marketers to test and grow their mobile marketing and social media plans.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Ahead of the Pack

Testing the Waters

Starting to Talk about it

Not on the Radar

15%

23%

46%

55%

24%

14% 15%

8%8%

31%

7% 6%

Mobile Marketing

Social Media

Both

Mobile Marketing

Social Media

Both

|


More marketers consider their company ahead of the pack with social mediaFifty-four percent of companies ahead with mobile marketing were also ahead with social media, while only 35 percent of those ahead with social media were also ahead with mobile marketing. When considering those testing the waters, the gap between those active with both mobile marketing and social media narrows. All the marketers who perceived their company as ahead of the pack with one of these channels was at least starting to talk about the other.

Mobile Marketing vs. Social Media AdoptionThose Ahead of the Pack with Mobile Marketing

Those Ahead of the Pack with Social Media

Marketers seem to be further along in their social media efforts than their mobile marketing efforts. They appear to start social media first and then look to mobile marketing. This is likely because there are fewer barriers to entry with social media than there are with mobile marketing.

35%

49%

16%

Ahead of the Pack with Social MediaAhead of the Pack withSocial Media

Starting to Talk aboutSocial Media

Testing the Waters with Social Media

Ahead of the Pack with Mobile MarketingAhead of the Pack withMobile Marketing

Starting to Talk aboutMobile Marketing

Testing the Waters with Mobile Marketing

4%

54%42%



Digital marketing plans for the 2011 holiday seasonHow did these marketers plan to leverage digital marketing for the 2011 holiday season versus last year? Broken down by digital channel, marketers planned to leverage social media channels the most this holiday season with 67 percent planning on using it more than they did during the previous year. Following social media, 63 percent of marketers planned to leverage email marketing more, and 49 percent planned to leverage mobile marketing more.

This means more competition for attention in inboxes and on social networks. Marketers have to be savvy in order to create meaningful connections with consumers.

Plans to Leverage Digital Channels this Holiday Season

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

30%33% 34%

3%

34% 33%30%

3%

17%

32%

44%

7%

Email Marketing Mobile Marketing Social Media

Much More A Little More About the Same Less

|


2011 holiday marketing plans by digital adoption What effect did a company’s adoption of digital channels have on how they planned to use those channels this season? Ninety-six percent of marketers who perceived their company as ahead of the pack with mobile marketing, and 64 percent who were testing the waters, planned to use it at the same level or more this holiday season. All the marketers in this survey who perceived their company as ahead of the pack with social media planned to use it at the same level or more this holiday season. Only 1 percent of marketers testing the waters with social media planned to use it less this holiday season.

Additionally, data shows that even those marketers who reported that these channels were not on their radar understand how important these channels can be. Twenty percent of those who said that mobile marketing was not on their radar plan to use it a little or much more this holiday season. The number increased to 29 percent for those in which social media was not on the radar.

Plans to Leverage Digital Channels by Adoption

Mobile Marketing

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

29%

38%

29%

4% 5%

26%

61%

8%

24%

40%

33%

3%

Ahead of the Pack with

Mobile Marketing

4%

16%

60%

20%

Testing the Waters with

Mobile Marketing

Starting to Talk about Mobile

Marketing

Mobile Marketing is Not

on the Radar

Plan to Use Mobile

MarketingMuch More

Plan to Use Mobile

Marketinga Little More

Plan to Use Mobile

Marketing About the Same

Plan to Use Mobile

Marketing Less



Plans to Leverage Digital Channels by Adoption

Social Media

If your company has been hesitant to use these digital channels, the proof for getting started comes from your peers. This data shows that marketers using these digital channels at high rates must be seeing the benefits, as they continue to allocate precious resources toward their growth.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

51%

30%

19%

0%

26%26%

39%

9%

30%

41%

28%

1%

Ahead of the Pack with

Social Media

22%

7%

57%

14%

Testing the Waters with Social Media

Starting to Talk about

Social Media

Social Media is Not on the

Radar

Plan to Use Social MediaMuch More

Plan to Use Social Mediaa Little More

Plan to Use Social Media

About the Same

Plan to Use Social Media

Less


Page 6 |

Challenges for digital marketersMultichannel coordination was a challenge for 46 percent of the marketers surveyed. Thirty-eight percent were challenged by integrated campaign management, and 37 percent by combining online and off-line data.

Challenges for Digital Marketers

With all the new digital channels on top of traditional marketing channels, marketers are challenged by how to coordinate and integrate their campaigns to reach consumers in meaningful ways. The more marketers continue to adopt and leverage digital channels, the more they will face these challenges – unless they invest in the tools and resources to empower meaningful connections.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Multichannel Coordination

Integrated Campaign Management

Combining Online and Off-line Data

Response Attribution

Channel Optimization

Effective Targeting Profiles

Understanding Consumer Behavior

46%

38%

37%

33%

28%

28%

34%



The year aheadAs marketers put together their 2012 marketing plans, 61 percent reported that they will pilot or increase their email efforts. Fifty-three percent and 47 percent will pilot or increase social advertising and mobile app efforts respectively.

Digital Marketing Tactics Marketers Plan to Pilot or Increase in 2012

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

61%

53%

37%

25%

40%

26%

9%

47%

Email

Social Advertising

Mobile App

Paid Search Marketing

Behavioral Display Targeting

Mobile Display Advertising

SMS Text Marketing

Social Gaming


Page 8 |

Intra-organization marketing integrationSome organizations collaborate on all marketing programs, while others are totally siloed. Luckily for the respondents of this survey, only 13 percent reported that they work in totally siloed organizations.

Marketing Integration

Did the perception of integration change based on the marketer’s title or level in the company? It appears so. Those at the manager level were more inclined to believe their organization collaborates on some marketing projects, while those at the vice president level report more of an all or nothing situation.

Integration perception by title/level in company

PAGE

42%

45%

13%

48%39%

13%

46%

29%

25%

59%35%

6%

27%

58%

15%

Senior Executive Vice President Director Manager

Our Teams Collaborate on All Marketing ProgramsOur Teams Collaborate onAll Marketing Programs

Our Teams Collaborate on Some Marketing Programs

We are Totally Siloed

Our Teams Collaborate on All Marketing ProgramsOur Teams Collaborate onAll Marketing Programs

Our Teams Collaborate on Some Marketing Programs

We are Totally Siloed



Page 9 |

ConclusionMarketers are adopting digital channels at higher rates than ever before. It’s no wonder that multichannel coordination is a big challenge for marketers. Competition for consumer attention is fierce and marketers need to reach consumers in meaningful ways in order to stay relevant. How do the metrics in this report compare to the digital adoption and plans within your company? Survey detailsThe survey was deployed at two trade shows, the 2011 Shop.org Annual Summit September 12th-14th, and the 2011 DMA Conference & Exhibition October 3rd-4th, both in Boston, MA. It was also deployed throughout Experian Marketing Services’ social networks between October 31st and November 3rd. Responses were collected from more than 160 marketing professionals.

For information on tools that can empower meaningful connections, please call Experian Marketing Services at 1 888 404 6911 or visit us online at www.experianmarketingservices.com.

You may also subscribe to our blog at www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/ for timely insights and updates to keep your business Marketing Forward.

About Experian Marketing ServicesExperian Marketing Services helps leading organizations connect, engage and empower customers to be loyal and active brand advocates through a full suite of digital marketing capabilities, including integrated email marketing, mobile, social media; digital advertising; data management; customer and competitive insight; and analytics and strategic consulting.

Experian Marketing Services955 American LaneSchaumburg, IL 601731 877 870 5663www.experian.com/marketingservices

©2011ExperianInformationSolutions,Inc.•Allrightsreserved Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc.

Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

December 2011

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