In the ever-changing world of marketing, it’s important to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends. Everyone in the industry has heard of personalisation, but a growing number are realising the importance of the next step: individualisation.
A recent study conducted by Teradata and Forbes Insights, reported by KO Marketing Associates, reveals that marketing messages will have to be individualised in the future in order to succeed. But what is individualised marketing exactly, and how seriously are marketers taking it?
The report – entitled “Personalised Marketing Out, Individualised Marketing In,” describes individualised marketing as: “the ability to build experiences with an individual on his or her channels of choice in a consistent, dynamic and engaging way.”
Researchers found that more than three-quarters (79%) of today’s marketers deemed individualisation as being a ‘high priority’ in their marketing strategies. In addition to this, some 43% felt confident that they already consistently delivered individualised experiences to every customer, and on every channel.
As David Panek – vice president of Global Marketing at Teredata – explains, “Mass personalisation has failed. “As consumers increasingly expect brands to deliver real-time, relevant messages, individualised marketing is becoming more important.”
The key drivers of this movement towards individualisation, Panek added, are “marketing agility and connected interactions.” Some 72% of those surveyed said that individualised marketing has helped them with customer retention and brand recognition, while a further 59% used it to engage clients and prospects. An additional 32% leveraged it to connect with customers on a one-on-one basis.
In terms of connected interactions, 69% of respondents said that these made up more than half of their digital marketing activity.
Marketers have been enhancing and fine-tuning the customer experience for months now. At the start of the year, Econsultancy and Adobe’s ‘2016 Digital Trends’ report found that 22% of marketers thought optimising consumer experiences was the opportunity that excited them most.
How do you foresee individualisation affecting marketers’ roles, going forwards?
