Editorial

Forrester report predicts tough road ahead for marketers who blindly purchase marketing cloud technology.

A new Forrester report reveals that fewer than half of customers who use marketing cloud technology are “totally satisfied” with their IT investment. Marketing cloud technology has been a real game changer in the world of digital marketing, and its allure is clear: it takes the heavy lifting out of selecting the best of breed marketing automation tools by combining a host of functionalities into one powerful package. But with marketing cloud vendors constantly adding new tools and platforms to their existing technology, marketers face the additional challenge of staying current with the latest advancements and add-ons.

When asked for ways in which their marketing cloud supplier could enhance the user experience, most marketers surveyed asked for better, more streamlined data integration. In fact, integration remains one of the biggest challenges amongst new adopters of marketing cloud technology, particularly if they do not seek outside expertise. Effective data integration offers marketers a unified view of their customers; synchronizing customer data across platforms enables your marketing cloud technology to deliver consistent, relevant communications to your customers in real time. Data integration is a complex process demanding a highly specialized set of skills—marketers who endeavor to do it on their own will likely encounter greater costs in the long run.

All too often marketers jump into purchasing expensive marketing cloud technology without doing the proper research first. At first glance they are enchanted by the product’s promise to revolutionize their business through increased leads, engagement, conversions, and revenue. What these marketers don’t realize is that like email marketing, you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to purchasing marketing cloud technology.  The report confirmed that marketers rarely seek external guidance when it comes to selecting the right technology platform for their business. Forrester analyst Rusty Warner asserts that “isolated technology decision-making is a risky practice, given the difficulty in adopting alternatives after initial implementation.”

Post-purchase, marketers often proclaim to deliver big results on the company’s next email or digital marketing campaign, only to have their chests deflate in disillusionment by the vastly complicated capabilities of their newly acquired technology. What once seemed like a brilliant investment will soon cost their business leads, conversions, sales, and revenue. According to Warner, mismanaged marketing cloud technology results in “redundant tools, unused tools, and a poorly thought out technology stack.” He goes on to argue that “one out of four marketers have not added more capabilities from their enterprise marketing software suite vendor beyond the original bundle,” speaking to the widespread ignorance surrounding best use of this powerful technology.

So what’s a marketer to do? Warner claims that “aligning with the right strategy from the get-go” is smart practice when it comes to maximizing your investment in marketing cloud technology—that’s where a marketing cloud consultancy comes in. Technology alone doesn’t inspire a winning marketing campaign, and an effective marketing strategy doesn’t happen overnight—it takes time, skill, and knowledge to achieve the desired result. Through cost-effective training, efficient implementation programs and advanced consultative techniques, a good marketing cloud consultancy makes the technology work for you so that you can start driving results to your business. A strategic implementation and services partner can empower you to use your marketing cloud technology to the best of its capabilities. From data management and creative design to profiling and segmentation, a marketing cloud consultancy becomes an extension of your marketing team, assisting with both strategic and tactical directives. They enable you to manage your technology expertly, make informed decisions quickly, and become industry leaders through the creation and execution of impactful digital marketing campaigns. With the right consultants on your side, you can be confident that the marketing cloud solutions that they deliver are robust, proven and scalable. Successful management of marketing cloud technology is all about seeing the wood through the trees. Interested in learning more? Get in touch with Bubblebox and let us show you how easy it is to get things done. Period.

Sources
Kaneshige, Tom. “Digital Marketers Face a Suite Challenge.” CIO. CXO Media Inc., 12 May 2015. Web.
Warner, Rusty, Srividya Sridharan, and Samantha Ngo. Fuel Your Contextual Marketing Engine With The Right Enterprise Marketing Software Suite. Rep. Cambridge: Forrester Research, 2015. Print.