The Data Divide: Moving Beyond Disconnected Ecommerce Marketing

The consumerization of technology allows retailers to amass new levels of data beyond marketers’ wildest imagination. This shift, in effect, gives way to a myriad of new technologies that promise marketers that they’ll be able to engage with individuals in new, meaningful ways using that data. But not all data-driven marketing technology is created equal, and we often see unmet promises as marketers seek to enhance customer experience through centralized and actionable data.

Recent Gartner research shows that while CMOs have made customer experience the #1 priority for their brands, it’s the area in which they feel they’ve made the least amount of progress. Data, technology, multiple channels – it can seem overwhelming – but it’s well worth the time to get it right. Consider this – 36% or $1.1T of in-store sales are influenced by digital technologies. This number will likely increase to 50% of in-store sales by year end, according to Deloitte’s “The New Digital Divide” report. If web experiences aren’t stellar and leave consumers with a bad impression of your brand, imagine what type of in-store impact that may have.

So where does this leave you? If you’re using legacy marketing technologies, you’re wasting time and money trying to stitch together data from the multiple channels and then try to understand what that data’s telling you about your marketing actions. This is not sustainable. You must holistically collect, organize and analyze consumer data in order to provide a continuous, personal and relevant experience over time, and that requires moving towards innovative marketing technology solutions that are purpose-built for today’s cross-channel reality.

Driving long-term profitability begins and ends with brands meeting the expectations of individuals. Don’t leave money on the floor; unite your data and capitalize on the impact of contiguous customer experiences.