In-house marketers are being forced to spend more time preparing and segmenting data than anything else, according to a new “Retail Roadblocks” report, released today by Emarsys.
The study, which surveyed over 500 in-house marketers, found that 91 per cent spend “significant” amounts of time preparing and segmenting data. This is more time than is spent on key marketing tasks including content creation (82 per cent), tracking and conversions (64 per cent), and measurement and reporting (63 per cent).
Despite marketers spending significant time analysing data, almost half (43 per cent) say that they still don’t know their customers as people. Almost all of those surveyed (91 per cent) also agreed that they would also like to get to know their customers better.
This represents a serious roadblock to marketers, with data analysis becoming a significant time sink, despite delivering little real insight into customers, prospects, and audiences. According to Emarsys, this is due to marketing technologies and systems which aren’t fit for purpose when it comes to the effective utilisation of data.
Commenting on the need for investment, Joanna Milliken, new CEO of Emarsys said: “As retail evolves, marketers are being inundated with new data streams drawn from more sophisticated and wide-reaching marketing tactics. They’re having to react to a data landscape that is constantly in flux – and given the rising importance of first-party data, they must step up to the plate.
“That’s fine when they’re equipped with the time and the tools to excel at their craft. But all too often marketers are burdened by legacy tech infrastructures, technical challenges, and a rapidly expanding list of responsibilities, denying them the opportunity to make the most of the available data.
“This gauntlet of roadblocks – time, data and tech – isn’t going anywhere. Marketers need to be empowered to understand their customers as deeply as possible – and that demands the technological platform upon which they can elevate their work.”
Share