"Disconnects between marketers and consumers can cause brands to lose customers to competitors, miss opportunities and waste countless hours and resources developing and providing offers that are ignored completely," said Kathleen Schaub, vice president, IDC CMO Advisory Service. "In 2015, marketers that want to close the gap between what they are delivering and what customers respond to must find ways to identify how, when and where online purchases are made and then deliver more personalized experiences that address buyers' desires."
Additional findings demonstrating the wide expectations gap between consumers and marketers include:
- 61 percent of consumers reported that offers across all digital channels and mobile devices are either never or rarely relevant to their interests.
- The highest percentage of consumers (30) reported that email is the best way to get their attention online but the highest percentage of marketers surveyed (28) said they are planning to use less email in 2015.
In the survey, marketers reported that in order to improve customer experiences and close the expectations gap in 2015, they would rely on technologies that can integrate data and apply predictive analytics.
- The highest percentage of marketing respondents (48) reported that technology investment is a budget priority.
- 78 percent of marketers reported that integration capabilities providing a single view of customers is of mid-to-high importance; 45 percent of these said integration is highly important.
- All marketers surveyed ranked the ability to predict customers' next move as highly important.
- 67 percent of marketers reported they prefer best-of-breed technologies over solutions provided by a single vendor.
The decision to leverage technology to improve customer experiences may be a smart one. Seventy-three percent of consumers surveyed said they make purchases online and most of them know what they want before they shop. Forty-nine percent of consumers reported that Amazon, one of the world's most technologically advanced retail platforms, is the best at providing offers online that meet their needs -- making it the best at providing effective customer experiences.
"A very real and wide gap exists between what marketers are delivering and what consumers want -- relevant, personalized and timely offers tailored specifically to their needs," said James McDermott, co-founder and CEO, Lytics. "Our survey reveals that marketers have the right priorities in place to close the experience gap. By making smart technology investments that integrate technology and data, marketers will be able to predict customers' next moves."
To access the full survey and report, which includes tips for marketers on ways to create outstanding customer experiences, please visit http://info.getlytics.com/rs/lytics/images/Lytics_Marketing_Research_Report_2015.pdf.
To access the infographic, please visit http://info.getlytics.com/rs/lytics/images/Lytics_Survey_Report_Infographic.jpg.
Survey Methodology
The survey, which explores the current state of digital marketing, consumer attitudes and perceptions toward brand marketing efforts, was conducted by Lytics in December 2014. It surveyed 152 professionals employed in marketing, communications and IT related fields, and 477 consumers across the U.S. Respondents came from independent online services and did not include Lytics customers.
About Lytics
Lytics, a predictive data service, helps marketers orchestrate a smarter customer journey.
Lytics applies predictive science to existing marketing data to create behavioral-based profiles and audiences. It offers recommendations on how to reach customers more effectively across email, mobile, social, website and ad networks. Lytics makes access to data science easy so marketers can start building a better brand experience immediately. Learn how customer-centric companies including Condé Nast, The Clymb and DIRECTV use Lytics to supercharge brand loyalty, improve conversion rates, increase customer lifetime value and drive revenue growth.
www.getlytics.com.
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Media Contact: Joe Franscella Bhava Communications for Lytics Email Contact (510) 984-1527