Newton, MA
December 9, 2008
Cross-Channel Marketing Arrives: Aberdeen Group Defines the Next Generation of Multichannel Marketing
New Benchmark Report Outlines Specific Steps Companies Can Take to Achieve Greater Marketing Effectiveness; Neolane Offering Complimentary Report Access for Limited Time
As marketers strive to optimize online and offline campaigns across an increasing number of new channels, traditional multichannel marketing approaches aren't sufficient. According to a new study published by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE:HHS), Best-in-Class organizations are benefiting from next-generation cross-channel direct marketing solutions to support the silo-busting, collaborative approaches necessary to communicate consistently and track and monitor campaign performance – across channels. Enterprise marketing software provider Neolane, Inc. sponsored the report.
The Aberdeen report, "Cross-Channel Campaign Management: Next Generation Multichannel Marketing,"(1) highlights how Best-in-Class organizations have moved from multichannel to cross-channel approaches to achieve higher response rates and Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI). For a limited time, Neolane is making the report available on a complimentary basis. Click here to download.
"As we conducted our research, we found that while approximately three-quarters of respondents leverage more than one marketing channel, less than half are able to execute the same campaign across multiple channels – instead they are creating multiple, channel-specific campaigns," said Ian Michiels, senior research analyst, customer management technology group, Aberdeen. "In order to start down the path of cross-channel marketing, organizations must establish a single view of customer and prospect data using a centralized marketing datamart from which all campaigns should originate."
According the report, CMOs are increasingly accountable for demonstrating ROMI across channels and initiatives, but they face some significant challenges. Aberdeen found that the top three barriers to achieving the benefits of cross-channel marketing are:
- Data integration/disparate systems
- Lack of technology to centralize multichannel management
- Organizational challenges, siloed environments
The report provides advice for overcoming these barriers, and issues specific recommendations for companies looking to spur necessary process improvements in order to achieve Best-in-Class status. For many, that means adopting centralized technologies that help manage and execute campaigns across all marketing channels including email, direct mail, mobile and social media.
Neolane recently announced its Cross-Channel Marketing Optimization solution that helps companies evolve from multichannel to true cross-channel direct marketing. It's built on a single, open platform that centrally manages direct marketing campaigns, leads, resources, customer data and analytics to improve effectiveness and ROI. With built-in workflow features and the ability to automate both internal collaboration processes and external customer dialogues, Neolane enables marketers to execute highly personalized communications even at very high volumes.
"This Aberdeen report gets to the heart of what we're seeing in the market today. Marketers are looking to take advantage of new, cost-effective channels to maximize ROI, but often face roadblocks based on existing infrastructure that doesn't lend itself to executing coordinated campaigns that are targeted, timely and relevant," said Stephan Dietrich, president, Neolane, Inc. "By adopting a centralized marketing automation solution to drive cross-channel strategies, organizations will benefit from reduced costs due to standardization across channels, faster marketing cycles and a better customer experience."
(1) "Cross-Channel Campaign Management: Next Generation Multichannel Marketing," by Ian Michiels, Aberdeen Group (October 2008)
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