CDMS research finds that top UK marketers think their peers are unable to fully implement multi-channel communications.
A new study, commissioned by CDMS, reveals that senior marketers believe that less than half of UK companies are able to combine different marketing channels to effectively lift response rates.
The research, conducted by MarketingUK, canvassed the opinion of marketers from UK top 1000 companies. The industries rated for channel effectiveness were: travel, mobile telecoms, retail banking, insurance, retail, credit card, automotive, ISP, mail order, building societies, leisure, utilities, hotels, restaurants and pubs, government (local & central) and the NHS.
Key findings:
- The Travel industry was found to be the most able at multi-channel marketing, with around 67% of respondents rating them as very effective.
- Mobile Telecoms, with 64% voters, were rated as second most able providers at persuasively combining media channels to lift response. A number of highly competitive sectors (Banks, Insurance, Retail and Credit Card) are also clustered around the 60% mark, establishing the relationship between highly competitive sectors and focused efficiency in multi-media communications.
- Financial services providers present a singular split with Building Societies barely rated as effective by 46% of interviewees, whilst Banks score significantly higher at 61%. Accountable for the multi-channel proficiency of the banking industry are certainly intensive investment in CRM and loyalty schemes and a firm understanding of on-line service provision.
- Mail order brings in a shameful below 50% rating, failing to produce compelling communications across a range of media in spite of the recent focus on e-commerce and on-line integration with DM.
- At the very bottom of the pile we find Government and NHS (both voted by 32% of respondents) perhaps indicating that e-Government targets in terms of encouraging take up of services are yet to be achieved.
Marketers were asked:
Which of the following sectors do you rate as effective or very effective at combining different marketing media/channels to achieve significantly higher response rates?
| Travel | 66.8% |
| Mobile phone | 64.1% |
| Banks | 60.8% |
| Insurance | 60.8% |
| Retail | 58.0% |
| Credit card | 57.3% |
| Automotive | 50.9% |
| ISPs | 49.7% |
| Mail order | 49.1% |
| Building Societies | 46.0% |
| Leisure | 45.6% |
| Utilities | 44.6% |
| Hotels | 42.2% |
| Restaurants & Pubs | 38.4% |
| Government (local & central) | 31.8% |
| NHS | 31.6% |
Richard Higginbotham, Head of Marketing at CDMS, comments:
“While the Travel, Mobile phone, Banking and Insurance sectors top the table for combining media channels to boost response rates, it is disheartening to find that not one of the industries surveyed scored over 70%.
“Sectors experiencing increasing competition and growing customer defection rates fare much better at channel integration than recently liberalised, low competition industries such as Utilities and Government. Nevertheless, there is still significant improvement to be made by UK industry.
“While some industries are evidently leveraging their multi-channel capabilities fairly fruitfully, ongoing capture of data and more fine-tuning to customers’ channel preference could effect a volume of response rates never dreamed of. On the other hand, industries at the other end of the spectrum do include some singular success stories on which the overall majority of slackers should model themselves.”
For more information or a copy of the management summary, please contact:
Josephine Ornago ([email protected])
Dina Morton ([email protected])
Tel. 020 7402 0510
About CDMS:
CDMS provides intelligent marketing solutions by turning clients’ data into an asset, and providing the tools and expertise to utilise this to increase the value of their communications. From data cleansing, enhancement and analysis to hosted campaign management, billing and statementing, to multi-channel execution, CDMS provides the whole range of direct marketing services to ensure maximum return on investment.
The integration of cutting-edge software, reference data, high quality services, delivery options and expertise deliver purpose built Marketing Services Solutions. With over 45 years of experience in the Direct Marketing industry, CDMS have built long-term partnerships with many blue-chip Financial Services and Retail organisations, founded on helping them to deliver profitable marketing strategies. CDMS have been noticeably successfully in the Government, Leisure and Travel industries. For more information, visit www.cdms.co.uk.
