Report: Marketers Struggle to Leverage Tech to Better Understand Customers

Research now shows that although marketers are interested in providing a personalized customer experience, they still lack the tools and data to do so on a consistent basis.

The CMO Club and Conversant recently released the “5 Ways to Win Customers with Tech” report, which exhibited the opinions of 60 senior marketers. The research showed that 61 percent of marketers’ top digital strategy is to build customer relationships. However, just 15 percent claimed that they know their customers well, based on data that ties together online and offline activities and purchases.

“Brands realize it’s about bonding, not branding. In order to reach an emotional connection with their customers, brands must create a personalized digital media experience, which requires that you have the right technology in place to continuously deliver those experiences,” said Pete Krainik, CEO and founder of The CMO Club.

Approximately 52 percent of marketers connect with at least half of their customers online. However, only 24 percent use real-time customer activity to tailor their digital marketing efforts. Just 15 percent use personalized, dynamic ads, and 75 percent do not have the technology or use it effective enough to deliver one-on-one digital marketing.

B2B Marketers and the Customer Connection

B2B marketers, in particular, have also struggled with connecting to their customers as of late, according to recent research.

Part 3 of the “B-to-B Loyalty Report” from Merkle Loyalty Solution looked at how B2B marketers are aligning with their customers. According to the majority of buyers (65 percent), their largest obstacle is that B2B marketers are too concerned with selling rather than listening to their audience’s needs.

Thirty-one percent claim that marketers do not understand their needs, while 30 percent say they do not understand their company.