CMO releases Shopper Marketing: The New Rules of Engagement

19 Oct 2016

A new white paper Shopper Marketing: The New Rules of Engagement, which includes insights from 166 senior marketing leaders and 2,100 North American consumers is now available. The report from the CMO Council finds that, while marketers have made strides in meeting the expectations of customers, there is still opportunity to reach deeper to create that competitive difference that cuts through the clutter and leverage channels that truly make an impact.

The online surveys were fielded over August and September 2016.

Key findings

For marketers, data strategies are a goal…not a reality yet. 35% admit that while there is a data strategy in place for marketing, it is not a strategy embraced or shared across the organisation. 23% admit that no strategy exists…at all.
© Iakov Filimonov via 123RF
Why? 43% admit that the organisation has yet to fully embrace data as a critical operational requirement; and an equal amount (43%) say that it is just too hard to get the entire organisation to agree on a data strategy.
Proving marketers build the best walled gardens, 83% say customer data is informing them of behaviours on the brand’s website; but only 13% say their data points to customer behaviours outside the brand and retail partner sites.
Consumers aren’t just reaching out for fun…they need something. 32% say that when they reach out, it is to solve a problem or because they have an issue or complaint. 4% say it is to connect with a specific personality of the brand and 5% say they are doing it for fun.
Consumers overwhelmingly want savings and rewards that are based on their own past purchases (47%).
When asked what forms of advertising or promotion moved a customer to buy, coupons and discounts (regardless of delivery channel) topped the list (71%), followed by suggestions from friends and family (39%).
When asked which form of advertising was the least effective, relevant or valuable – and could also be the most bothersome – to consumers, disruptive ads don’t work. 29% of consumers pointed to TV ads, followed by radio ads (20%) and mobile text ads (20%).