Marketers Struggling to Manage Big Data: Survey

Many marketers don’t have a specific strategy in place to handle the tremendous amount of data their organization are collecting, according to a new survey from Neolane and the Direct Marketing Association.

Sixty-percent of the more than 250 mid- and executive-level marketers who responded to the survey said they weren’t ready for the challenges of Big Data, and more than half said they were augmenting their marketing team and technology investments to become better prepared.

Eighty-one percent reported they are either somewhat or not very prepared when it comes to the new rules and regulations of marketing data governance.

“It is clear that our increasingly data-driven world is reshaping how marketers engage consumers,” said Linda A. Woolley, DMA president and CEO in a statement. “However, it is also clear that when it comes to the new rules and regulations of marketing data governance – most organizations simply are not prepared.”

Although marketers are struggling with Big Data and new regulatory concerns, they are embracing social media strategies;62% of marketers surveyed leverage social media profile data, such as likes and interests, and another 62% also use data gleaned from other social interactions like wall posts, shares and comments in online campaigns.

“Marketers are relying more on social media vehicles and location-based information to gain more insight into consumer behavior and drive successful digital marketing campaigns,” said Stephan Dietrich, president, Neolane.

There’s definitely room for growth in mobile, especially when it comes to utilizing location-based data—only 23% reported that they are using this data.

Overall, social and mobile are leading to marketers looking for a new set of skill sets when it comes to new hires, which is why 50% of respondents are considering hiring data scientists to handle the flood of new customer data.