The results are in from our Senior Marketing Professionals Survey!
As promised we said we would share our findings with you. Thank you to all of you who participated in our survey in partnership with Spark Market Research, we are really grateful to all who took part.
We set out to investigate topics including ROI, allocation of spend, skills gaps & challenges as well as work/life balance. Is your organisation in line with the average when it comes to these subjects and more? We surveyed Senior Marketing Professionals across a wide range of industries ranging from software and computer services to financial services and food and drink retailers.
Our main findings are presented below.
Marketing Spend Allocation
The breakdown of Marketing spend last year versus projected spend this year stays relatively consistent. Highest claimed spend was allocated to Digital at 42%, followed by Below the Line (37%). Least spend is allocated to Above the Line activity with respondents spending 21% of Marketing spend via these channels.
Best bet for ROI?
When it comes to effectiveness of a variety of Marketing channels, half suggest that digital is best for ROI, with only 14% of respondents suggesting Above The Line is most effective. This finding shows the way in which Marketing teams communicate with their target audience is changing. SEO, PPC, Social Media and Remarketing have become front runners as preferred Marketing channels over more traditional methods including TV, Print, Radio and Outdoor Advertising.
Overcoming Challenges & Skills Gaps
As consumer behaviour changes at a rapid rate, Marketing professionals will need to be adaptable and always willing to upskill. The biggest challenge facing people employed in this area in the next 3 years is keeping up with Digital Marketing and Technology. Other challenges facing marketing professionals include attracting/ generating new customers and proving return on investment.
The top 3 skill gaps in their marketing teams at present are Digital Marketing, Data Analytics and Content Creation.
On a personal level, Marketing professionals plan to upskill mainly in the area of Digital (31%) while a third have no plans to upskill.
Agency
69% of marketing professionals are using PR agencies, with a half using digital, advertising and market research agencies.
When it comes to agency spend (PR, Digital, Market Research & Advertising) two thirds of those we spoke to plan to increase spend this year. Digital agencies are in increased demand with the biggest increase in spend this year versus last year. A third plan to increase spend for PR, while planned spend on market research and advertising is a bit flatter.
Are Marketing Technologies a must?
Our research suggests that CRM isn’t as popular as we would have thought. Half of marketing professionals we spoke to do not use any marketing technologies. There are no dominant technology brands, but respondents quoted Eloqua and Hubspot as the most common.
Optimism for Growth
There is also evidence of optimism as regards team size and employment prospects. Over half (57%) are saying they intend to increase the size of their team, while 40% of respondents suggest team size will decrease.
Managing Work & a Busy Lifestyle
Working from home is an option for 80% of senior marketing professionals we spoke to. Half of them work from home at least once or twice a month, although only a minority do so weekly or more.
Two thirds of respondents have flexible working hours, with over two thirds working 40+ hours a week, and about 1 in 4 saying they do over 50 hours. Half of senior marketing professionals find their job stressful. Exercise is the main outlet to manage stress, followed by socialising with friends and family.
Summary
Overall, digital marketing and the resources to support these Marketing activities are the most clear cut result from our findings.
The biggest challenge facing marketing in the next 3 years and the top skill gaps among marketing teams is the area of digital marketing and technologies. With the biggest spend allocated to Digital (SEO, PPC, Social, Remarketing, Email, Mobile) and an increase in planned spend for digital agencies this year, marketing professionals are feeling somewhat unconfident in the changing digital landscape, but also see immense value and need to be present in the digital space.
Do you fit in with our findings or do you have a drastically different opinion? We would love to hear from you! If you would like to discuss our findings or would like any more information about current trends specific to the Marketing industry please do not hesitate to contact me. Call Aisling on 01-6618740 or email aisling@executiveconnections.ie
