Experian Marketing Services' annual global study finds that the top challenge and priority for marketers is knowing their customers

NEW YORK, April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian Marketing Services, a recognized leader in data-driven marketing and cloud-based marketing technology, today released its 2016 Digital Marketer Report. The eighth annual study reveals the challenges, priorities and other key issues impacting marketers worldwide. This year, the top challenge marketers faced also is their top priority: knowing their customers' needs, wants and attitudes. Thirty-eight percent of marketers cited knowing their customers as their top challenge in 2016, and 52 percent named enhancing their customer knowledge as one of their top three priorities.

Other top challenges indicated by marketers include increasing visibility over competitors and staying ahead of new marketing trends. The integration of technology and collecting, linking and managing data also were key priorities.

"The future of marketing is being driven by sophisticated, channel-agnostic consumers who expect exceptional experiences every time. This reality poses a real challenge for organizations, as consumer intolerance for mediocre brand interactions puts more pressure on brands to leverage their data and technology," said Ashley Johnston, senior vice president of global marketing at Experian Marketing Services. "Today's brand marketers realize the significance of knowing their customers, but it's still problematic. Our research found that regardless of the company size or industry, marketers around the globe still find this to be a top challenge."

Findings from the study will be explored in detail during a live Webinar on April 13, 2016, which will include an insider look at how Publishers Clearing House has overcome data and technology challenges to center its marketing programs on the customer. Webinar attendees will receive an exclusive Digital Marketer cheat sheet that highlights the report's top statistics.

To reserve your spot for the Webinar, sign up at https://www.experian.com/marketing-services/digital-marketer-report.html.

Experian Marketing Services surveyed more than 1,000 marketers worldwide to identify the biggest opportunities and challenges for marketers around the world. The annual report benchmarks the key issues that brands face as they try to engage audiences with relevant messages in an often complex digital environment. Additional findings of interest from the 2016 Digital Marketer Report:

• Eighty-one percent of marketers report challenges in achieving a single customer view
• Enterprises cite making messages contextually relevant as their top challenge
• Seventy percent of respondents work in marketing teams that are integrated either fully or somewhat, up from 61 percent in 2015
• Personalization helps achieve a 158 percent increase in click rate
• Sixty-six percent of marketers plan to implement predictive modeling over the next year and 68 percent plan to run mobile campaigns
• Eighty-six percent of marketers build segmented audiences for paid advertising

"Now in its eighth year, the Digital Marketer Report contains key insights and trends that thousands of marketers have come to rely on every year," added Johnston. "Our research and analysis focus on the areas we anticipate being the most impactful for marketers moving forward — particularly for brands that are committed to surprising and delighting their customers with every interaction."

The full 2016 Digital Marketer Report can be downloaded here: http://go.experian.com/dm16report.

Past editions of the Digital Marketer Report have been recognized with awards such as the Killer Content Award (Demand Gen Report) and Stevie Award^® (American Business Awards).

About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services is a leader in data-driven marketing and cloud-based marketing technology. Experian^® is the only company in the world to offer a comprehensive Marketing Suite that unites customer insights, analytics, data quality and cross-channel marketing technology into a single platform. Backed by the industry's highest-rated client services team and the world's largest consumer database, we provide more than 10,000 brands in more than 30 countries with unique competitive advantages through marketing services and technology. Our extended legacy in data security, management and consumer privacy has earned the trust of organizations and consumers from around the world for more than three decades. For more information, please visit http://www.experian.com/marketing-services.

About Experian
We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making.

We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft. In 2015, we were named by Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies."

We employ approximately 17,000 people in 37 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2015, was US$4.8 billion.

To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside Experian."

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Scott Anderson
Experian Marketing Services
1 714 830 3185
[email protected]

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SOURCE Experian Marketing Services

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