Online Ad Data Leaves Marketers 'Struggling'

Marketers are committing increasing amounts to digital marketing, including e-mail, web sites, online registrations and search, but face a 'continuing struggle with data quality' which is a 'major roadblock to success' according to a report published this week by Harte-Hanks.

The US-based direct and targeted marketing company commissioned CSO Insights to update a similar project they conducted two years ago. The research looked at the current marketing priorities of more than 530 companies.

The authors say the sales and marketing functions 'lack alignment', with differing views of the value that marketing provides to help sales achieve revenue goals.

Consumer marketers gave the available data slightly better marks than in the last survey, perhaps reflecting recent moves by the IAB and others to introduce standards for online measurement, but still spoke of a lack of data quality, both in terms of currency and correctness, which hampered their efforts.

Bill Goldberg, corporate officer and Senior VP at Harte-Hanks, commented: 'As companies invest more in multiple channels in a bid to acquire customers, and to retain their loyalty, it appears businesses continue to grapple with data management and data insight - and just what the metrics are saying.'

The company is online at www.harte-hanks.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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