Marin Software: Marketers Looking to Deepen Understanding of Audiences and Better Integrate Marketing Disciplines in 2015

Only 27% of digital marketers say online ad campaigns are totally integrated across other digital channels

San Francisco, CA – December 16, 2014 – An increasingly fragmented media landscape has resulted in a desire to build cross-channel audiences and improve internal interaction between marketing budget owners, according to a new survey released by Marin Software. Surveying more than 300 digital marketers, Marin Software (NYSE:MRIN), provider of a leading cross-channel performance advertising cloud, uncovered common challenges across search, social and display advertisers

“Advertisers that are not integrating their campaigns across channels and devices are leaving money on the table,” said Matt Ackley, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of product at Marin Software. “The old model of each discipline operating within its own silo is counter to how people shop and consume media. Savvy marketers that integrate their data and campaigns stand to achieve a greater return on their ad investments.”

Marin surveyed more than 300 digital marketers in the US and UK to understand their cross-channel advertising practices and challenges. Respondents represented companies from a diverse array of industries. The complete survey can be downloaded here.

Survey Highlights:

Marketing teams remain siloed. When asked how marketing tactics – paid search, paid social media, content, SEO, display, etc. – are organized at their companies, less than one third (27%) of respondents said these digital disciplines are totally integrated with one another. Only 24% of respondents said their digital marketing is totally integrated with offline campaigns such as outdoor, TV, and direct mail.
Mobile is still new. Only 57% of marketers in the US said they optimize campaigns for mobile when they can but do not make mobile a focus of their programs. According to eMarketer, 1.75 billion people worldwide will have used a smartphone by the end of 2014. As mobile adoption continues to grow, marketers will need to ensure their campaigns and sites are mobile friendly.
Transparent, actionable data needed. Fifty percent of marketers said a lack of transparency into their advertising data across marketing disciplines, including offline ad campaigns and sales, was a challenge for implementing effective cross-channel campaigns. Oftentimes, data is housed in multiple platforms, different departments, or with a third party, presenting a serious obstacle for marketers trying to make sense of ad, intent, purchase, traffic, and audience data.
Attribution is a key initiative. The survey revealed that 75% of digital marketing managers believe their jobs have become more complicated in the past year. The top difficulty marketers cited is attribution – the task of determining the impact an ad channel has on consumers’ buying experience.

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