UK firms ‘still failing to integrate multichannel marketing’

Whilst the majority of larger companies are using at least three marketing channels, over half are still storing the data gathered from each channel separately, according to new research commissioned by marketing service and data company dbg.

To understand how modern marketers are embracing multichannel marketing, its benefits and challenges, dbg commissioned Dynamic Markets to survey 100 marketing professionals within a cross section of companies employing over 250 people.
The report Multichannel Marketing Today reveals over 51 per cent of the organisations surveyed use more than five different marketing channels and 98 per cent use over three.
The brands questioned appear to be reaping the rewards of using a number of different routes to market, with 76 per cent reporting improved brand exposure, 68 per cent better customer service through insight and an impressive 62 per cent increased revenue.
Fifty one per cent of respondents said multichannel marketing helps them to reach ‘difficult to access’ audiences, with the percentage increasing to 62 when just those using social media are considered, compared to just 35 per cent of those who are not using this channel.
When asked about the challenges of multichannel marketing, 71 per cent cited maintaining high quality data as a major challenge and when it comes to the legalities of managing data, 49 per cent admit they find it a challenge to remain compliant.
Richard Lees, Chairman of dbg, said: “Our research confirms multichannel marketing is alive and kicking and hugely valued by the organisations we contacted. But integrating these channels seems to be a major issue, even for larger companies, with over half considering each activity separately and only 35 per cent storing the different data gathered from each avenue in a single database.
“Data is at the heart of both the challenges and opportunities multichannel marketing offers. Only those companies which fully integrate their marketing channels and data will understand their customers sufficiently to make well informed decisions on where to direct marketing spend and ultimately reap the full rewards of multichannel marketing.”
Mike Lordan, chief of Operations for the Direct Marketing Association, said: “Companies rely on large quantities of good quality data on customers for effective marketing and for commercial enterprises, like online retailing. Ensuring that this data is held securely and used correctly will help companies to build trustworthy relationships with greater numbers of consumers. As the champion of industry best practice, the DMA sets the standards and provides the necessary tools for companies to comply with their data security obligations.”
For a copy of the report’s findings visit www.dbg.co.uk
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