Marketers are struggling to keep up with the constantly changing digital landscape and, according to a new Kantar report, they will likely continue to face major obstacles in the year ahead.
Among the findings from the "Getting Media Right: Marketing in Motion" report are that the majority of marketing leaders are planning sharp increases in their digital spending through 2020, alongside continued decreases in print advertising investment. Additionally, nearly half of leaders surveyed feel they have yet to strike the right balance between on- and offline outreach, and more than 75 percent are struggling with cross-channel measurement.
The report also identified five troublesome trends in digital marketing that even the most seasoned experts are still having trouble navigating:
1. Short-term vs. long-term: Though nearly everyone in marketing understands the necessity of balancing short-term sales and long-term brand building, barely half have figured out how to measure both, with more than one-third still relying solely on short-term sales results to demonstrate success.
2. Integrated campaigns: While more than one-quarter of marketers have not yet implemented integrated strategies across media and non-media outreach, another 25 percent have failed to integrate their organizations at all.
3. Programmatic targeting: The vast majority of marketers already use programmatic targeting in campaigns, but around 30 percent still are not confident they are actually targeting the right audiences.
4. Cookieless advertising: Despite the looming threat of cookieless internet browsing, almost 75 percent of marketers have yet to prepare for that seeming inevitability.
5. Creative context: Most marketers know developing custom content is crucial for success, but nearly one-third still do not quite comprehend the impact of context on the execution of that content, and require further insights into the importance of tailoring content to its specific context.
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