At 67%, the great majority of companies are prioritizing the integration of key marketing activities across channels, according to a study released today by Econsultancy, in association with Oracle Marketing Cloud.
The study, which surveyed nearly 1,000 digital marketing and ecommerce professionals, found that less than half of marketers (49%) feel their company is set up to enable cross-channel integration, even to a “certain extent.” Only 7% claim that their organization is in a good position to deliver effective cross-channel marketing.
Twenty-two percent of the survey respondents cite a lack of resources as their organization’s greatest obstacle in achieving effect cross-channel marketing, the most common response. A fifth of respondents say the most important factors for cross-channel success are a defined strategy and an understanding of customer journeys. In fact, 21% agree that understanding the customer journey is the most important factor. However, 57% say that they don’t understand customer journeys, thus can’t adapt their marketing mix accordingly. Only 30% have an integrated team structure, and just 19% have the capability to measure the ROI of integrated marketing.
“Companies understand that the key to delivering an effective campaign lies in achieving a better understanding of the customer journey. However, less than half believe they are successfully monitoring the customer journey in order to inform their approach,” Simon Robinson, senior marketing and alliances director at EMEA, Oracle Marketing Cloud, said in a statement. “Keeping the customer ‘switched on’ to your brand message is more challenging than ever before and this sentiment is highlighted in the report.”
