LONDON — Hybris, a vendor of multi-channel commerce and communication software, announced research carried out at its e-Commerce Summit in Switzerland which shows that multi-channel marketing is becoming increasingly critical for companies focused on both B2C and B2B to generate new sales. The survey of over 120 international companies that attended the inaugural event, revealed that targeted marketing via multiple channels such as online shops, printed catalogues and POS has the power to identify new sales opportunities and raise market perception at the same time.
Although the majority of Summit delegates (54 percent) admitted that they have already instigated marketing campaigns that use several channels, they were surprised at the complexity of multi-channel marketing overall.
Other key findings of the research:
Although the majority of Summit delegates (54 percent) admitted that they have already instigated marketing campaigns that use several channels, they were surprised at the complexity of multi-channel marketing overall.
Other key findings of the research:
- More than 80 percent of respondents cited increased customer awareness and the opportunity to grow the business as one of the main reasons for implementing a multi-channel marketing campaign.
- A massive 72 percent said they expected multi-channel marketing to deliver new target audiences that are used to using the Internet. Multi-channel marketing is already considered a "must" by many companies, particularly in the e-commerce area.
- Only 45 percent agreed that increased sales were the only reason for implementing a multi-channel strategy. Its role in building successful, long-term customer relationships and securing high customer retention rates, across all channels, was considered significantly more important, particularly in an economic downturn.
- Respondents agreed that for multi-channel marketing to be a success, each channel must be clearly defined and its sales potential carefully explored.
- Overall, summit participants indicated a preference for using a combination of online shops, printed material and marketing at the point of sale as the ideal mix.
- Mobile commerce, where sales are targeted/completed via mobile phones, has yet to be fully explored.
