‘Nine out of 10 marketers lack confidence in personalisation’
Nine out of 10 (88%) of marketers lack confidence in personalisation use and believe that their brand is behind rivals, according to a new report.
Digital marketing agency Greenlight’s latest brand personalisation index, which surveyed 100 senior marketers, found that marketers are most advanced in their use of personalisation on websites and email with over half (54%) using these two channels. More than a third of marketers (36%) are using location insights to tailor campaigns.
However, only a quarter (24%) are currently personalising on mobile devices or in apps.
The report claims that marketers are losing confidence in adding personalisation features due to a backdrop of high-profile cyber attacks on the likes of Ashley Madison, as well as potential changes to EU-wide data privacy laws altering the way brands can use personal information.
Andreas Pouros, co-founder of Greenlight, says brands must continue to innovate rather than feed into fear.
“A commitment to continue marketing innovation but also a reassurance on data privacy is the most sustainable reaction to these data hacks,” he says.
“If marketers are to work towards the Holy Grail of true personalisation then they cannot give up on getting a closer customer view. This requires greater access to consumer data, which although a big risk in a climate of consumer anxiety is a reasonable one if there is a clear value exchange.”
The Greenlight research follows a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit and SAP.
Utilising marketing executives around the globe it found that marketers must avoid intrusive ads and instead use customer data to offer products and services that are more valuable to customers.
“It is vital that companies do not use contextual information and personalisation in ways that make their customers feel like they are under surveillance,” says Pete Swabey, editor of the report.
“Instead, they should use it as a listening tool that helps them offer more value to customers. This will not only encourage customers to give companies access to information about their current context, but also will help those companies make more profitable use of that information.”
The issue of personalisation will be a prominent topic at this year’s Festival of Marketing. For more information go to www.festivalofmarketing.com.
