The research shows that despite popular thought, new innovations are losing out to tried and tested methods. New technology is not top of mind for today’s marketers and there’s a clear disconnect between what is available and what is being implemented. Only 19 per cent of marketers plan to invest in virtual reality and 13 per cent of marketers plan to invest in augmented reality this year. Compared to higher interest in these technologies from marketers in the US and UK, Australian marketers may find themselves behind global counterparts. Further, only 19 per cent of Australian marketers fear redundancy through automation and a mere 27 per cent are concerned about their competitors adopting artificial intelligence.
By contrast, 61 per cent of marketers believe video is king and will be investing in this space in 2018. Other areas of content investment include image-led (48 per cent) and audio (33 per cent). Digital is receiving a great amount of attention, but marketers are only willing to be so adventurous in the tech they’re adopting.
At present, new technologies may not be integral to marketing campaigns, nor central to a business structure, but statistics reveal there is an appetite for it. 44 per cent of marketers believe the number one skill they should bring to their team in 2018 is experience working with various tech platforms. As marketers expand their repertoire and become more digitally-savvy, there is greater opportunity to zero in on what consumers want and grow that relationship through more targeted and efficient measures.
High on the priority list for marketers is also collaboration, with 32 per cent wanting to educate their teams on how to work more effectively with other departments across the organisation. In the past, difficulties in modernising have arisen out of a failure for different sectors to successfully branch out of their silos. Working cohesively is a key point of focus for 2018, especially as different sectors deal with customers at different touchpoints, so unifying this process is key. Digital holds the answer to making this process happen more efficiently, so even though we’re not there yet, the future is in sight.
Anthony Capano, Managing Director for Rakuten Marketing Asia-Pacific says, "The role of the marketer continues to evolve becoming more varied and more complex. As a company committed to driving innovation within the industry, we intend to use the findings from this research to inform how we work alongside our clients and ensure that we’re providing them with the guidance and technology they need to run their businesses effectively."
The survey conducted by Rakuten Marketing consulted over 1,000 marketers across the US, UK, France, Germany and APAC in the past year.
The full "What Marketers Want" research report can be accessed online here: https://rakutenmarketing.com/en-au/what-marketers-want-2018
Rakuten Marketing’s industry leading solutions empower marketers to thrive in their evolved role and achieve the full potential of digital marketing, efficiently and effectively, with data-informed insights that create consistent, engaging and influential experiences across screens. Offering an integrated solution, spanning affiliate and display, along with unique insights and consultative partnerships, Rakuten Marketing delivers the tools that marketers need to increase efficiency, productivity and performance.
Rakuten Marketing is a division of Rakuten Inc. (4755: TOKYO), one of the world's leading Internet service companies. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with offices in Australia, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States. Follow us on Twitter or learn more at http://rakutenmarketing.com.au
Rhiannon Farrar
Rakuten Marketing
Mob: 0407 935 700
Email: [email protected] ---
