Bad tech holding back cross channel campaigns: study

by Dan Leahul, revolutionmagazine.com 16-Jun-09, 15:45

LONDON - A huge gap exists between company's running cross channel campaigns and those keeping cross channel performance data, citing a "plateau" in technology, according to new research.

The study from TNS and digital ad agency Eyeblaster found that marketers often know what they would want, but can't execute their strategies with existing technology.

Eyeblaster said the results show that suitable measurement technology has hit a plateau, holding agencies and brands back.

By surveying over 400 senior executives it was revealed that most marketers see the power of digital marketing, expressing optimism and enthusiasm, but many are caught in the gap between expectations and reality.

This chasm exists between the appreciation of cross channel campaigns and lack of channel integration, said the study.

Of the marketers surveyed, 67% cite that they are already running cross channel campaigns, yet only 12% are actually integrating performance data across channels.

When asked about the barriers to cross channel, 44% blamed lack of suitable metrics to measure impact, 37% blamed lack of case studies showing cross channel effectiveness and 34% cited lack of technology.

According to the results, marketers expect total spend to grow by 30% over the next two years with a third of the market experiencing growth over 50%.

When respondents were asked, 'once enabled to accept digital advertising, which channel will have the greatest impact?' both TV and mobile were most widely considered.

Mobile was the preferred choice for marketers looking to drive response (68%), followed by TV at 40%.

However, TV was the top channel for brand building (78%) the study found, compared to mobile at 49%.

Don Ryan, vice president of technology and media at TNS, said marketers are beginning to identify the relationship between offline and online channels and the dual role of brand and response.

Ryan said: "The days of distinguishing one channel against another for brand or response are behind us, and the next step is to fill the gap that sits between implementing cross channel campaigns and measuring cross channel effectiveness."