(Direct Newsline)— do U.S. marketers stand in terms of data sophistication?
They lead their global counterparts in technical knowledge, but are frustrated in some other areas, including one surprising one: List and data purchasing. according to a new survey by Alterian.
That chore was described as a headache by 41% of all U.S. marketers surveyed, compared with 32% for the United Kingdom and European Union and 37% for companies worldwide.
How that can be when the U.S. has such a robust list industry?
“The headache is brought on by data volume,” says David Eldridge, CEO of Alterian. “The North American market has physically larger lists with more consumers and businesses to select from.”
And the problem is compounded by the fact that there are “more lists in general and companies who maintain, rent, broker or resell them,” Eldridge added.
As for the top DM-related headache, almost 60% of the U.S. marketers cited customer insight and analysis, compared with slightly lesser percentages overseas.
But only 41% of the U.S. execs were worried about data hygiene, vs. 53% in the United Kingdom and European Union and 45% around the globe.
Why the U.S. advantage?
“Firms like Acxiom and Experian have invested heavily in the data hygiene process, and we’re seeing the fruits of that investment,” Eldridge said. “In the U.K., we’re not at that level of investment, although some of that U.S. technology is now coming to the U.K.”
That’s supported by the fact that 58% of all U.K. and EU vendors also see data hygiene as a headache. In the U.S., the number is 37%.
As for privacy, 22% of all U.S. responders admitted that they do “not have a full understanding” of data legislation and best practices. That number totaled 15% in the U.K. and the EU and 19% around the globe.
And less than a third of all marketers surveyed worldwide claimed they had a full understanding. Moreover, 38% in the U.S. listed privacy as a headache, compared with 37% globally and 36% in the U.K. and EU.
Based on the numbers, vendors have a better grasp of the issue. But only 4% of all U.S. marketers outsource their privacy management, compared with 8% in the U.K. and EU and 5% worldwide.
“To me, that’s pretty worrying on a number of counts,” Eldridge said. “The complexity means only the biggest direct marketing organizations can afford this expertise inhouse. And if they don’t outsource it, how are they going to keep up with the changing dynamics?”
Meanwhile, U.S. marketers lead the pack in technical knowledge, with 47% saying they are “extremely technically aware.” Only 14% stated that their awareness and interest “does not stretch beyond Microsoft office.”
In contrast, only 28% of the U.K. and EU responders claimed they were extremely technically aware.
Who’s in charge of marketing technology in companies? For 52% of the European responders, it is the marketing departments themselves. That number drops to 45% globally and 41% in the U.S. American firms are slightly more likely to outsource it or to assign it to other internal departments.
Meanwhile, more than half the people polled by Alterian worldwide said technology is most valuable when it enables them to analyze, visualize and segment customer data. Roughly a quarter cited chores like campaign management and data generation.
The survey also found that 62% of all respondents expect to increase their marketing expenditures, excluding printing and postage, during the next 12 months. Another 28% said they will remain static. Only 5% predicted a decrease.
For this survey, Alterian polled 687 individuals, including 292 marketers and 395 service providers. Included were 392 U.S. participants who were surveyed in person at DMA05 last October.
Alterian is a provider, through vendors, of analytic and performance
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