DMA: Rowing as One: Integrated Marketing Today.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) released a new white paper, Rowing as One: Integrated Marketing Today, which intertwines analysis and insights from marketing experts with findings from a DMA survey on integrated marketing.

“Most marketers understand that aligning their marketing efforts is an imperative,” said Yory Wurmser, DMA’s director of media and marketing insights. “What they’re still figuring out is how to do it effectively.” Over 93 percent of respondents using multiple channels indicated that they have attempted integration of their messaging across channels, but only a quarter of this group report effective integration. Other areas of integration fare even more poorly, with fewer than 15 percent of attempts at integrating data leading to effective integration.

”When we asked experts about obstacles to successful integration, many pointed to complexity of revamping organizational and data infrastructure to get the best customer insights.” Said Wurmser. “It’s not a discussion for the creative team alone, but one that needs to be driven by senior management.” Survey results show that few companies have made this commitment. Only18 percent of respondents report that the ultimate responsibility for aligning all marketing channels falls on C-level shoulders.

Key Findings:

– 98 percent of marketers use more than one channel.

– Most companies have attempted integration: More than 93 percent have integrated elements of their messaging across channels, 86 percent customer & prospect data, and 79 percent digital asset management.

– Effective integration is still a rarity in the marketing world: 27 percent of marketers report effective integration in messaging across channels, but only 10 percent in digital asset management

– Integration in messaging may have been aided by the relatively unified structure of creative teams: 46 percent of companies report having a single team in charge of creative

– The complexity of integrating enterprise-wide data and communications requires senior-level supervision to a greater extent than currently exists: 27 percent of companies have a director in charge of aligning all marketing media, just ahead of the 26 percent which have a VP-level in charge.

– 12 percent have no one in charge of aligning media

For more information at http://www.the-dma.org>

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