A survey by the #empty13 Group has found that 80 per cent of brands marketing activities are not fully integrated, and over a third (38 per cent) believe the current structures of the media and marketing communications industry are not fit for purpose to engage with consumers.
Despite the lack of complete integration the survey found that a third of brands will be looking to increase their spending on TV budgets and 35 per cent will be looking to increase their budgets for digital campaigns. Thus highlighting the importance of consistent brand messages across TV and online to engage with consumers.
From the 500 in-house marketers surveyed over half (58 per cent) said they would not be increasing their press advertising budgets. According to respondents this is partly because the three most important platforms for brands to communicate in 2013 will be, social media (25 per cent), online (13 per cent) and games consoles (12 per cent).
Media analyst at Panmure Gordon, Alex DeGroote, commented: “This survey confirms both the pace of change in brands’ marketing budgets, and the need for marketers to remain ever vigilant on changing consumer behaviour.
“Rapid growth in usage across all digital platforms, including social media, will help drive important budget decisions, particularly with prospects for 2013 remaining sluggish in terms of the UK economy.”
Of those surveyed 95 per cent of marketers disregarded mobile as the most important platform. To place this overall research in market context, the IPA Bellwether report in July found 23% of companies’ surveyed reduced overall advertising spend in Q2 against 22% reporting a rise. This month, Warc reported that UK ad spend growth had fallen from 5.3% to 4.4% for 2012, with 2013 growth forecast as falling to 4.9% from 5.4% to global economic concerns.
In terms of moving forward into 2013, a third of marketers (33 per cent) said the lack of national events to associate with would be the biggest challenge they would face in reaching consumers. 31 per cent stated that consumer apathy to advertising and marketing would be a challenge, with 24 per cent citing a breakdown in trust between consumer and brands as their main issue.
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The #empty13 Group survey findings that 80 per cent of brands' marketing activities are not fully integrated highlights the extent to which marketers are failing to understand customers' motivations and behaviours and their increasingly cross-channel engagement with brands.
This holds particularly true in the FMCG space. A recent Coupons.com survey of over 1,000 UK consumers indicates t growing numbers are using smart phones as part of the pre-shop activity to track down offers. And, while the vast majority (9 out of 10) purchases still take place offline, an estimated 4 out of 10 people prefer to ROPO –‘research online, purchase offline' according to Google (Think With Google series, Customer Journey).
With 35 per cent of marketers looking to increase their budgets for digital campaigns, integrating the online, social and offline marketing activity is key. Doing so innovatively for long-term brand loyalty, rather than just tactical product purchase is also critical to brand success. With this in mind, it is great news that marketers are recognising social media as one of the top 3 platforms for 2013 and the many benefits social media campaigns can bring to offer customers incremental value.
Social media can offer brands both scale and potential influence - a powerful combination when effectively harnessed. Digital coupons, when properly executed, are one of the promotional mechanics that can leverage both these attributes to full effect, and drive cross-channel engagement between the consumer and the brand.
Oliver Felstead, Managing Director Coupons.com UK & Europe http://wwwcouponsinc.co.uk/ http://www.beforeishop.co.uk
* Source: ‘The Social Profile UK' Report #13, ExactTarget, June 2012
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