“Moneybags” aren’t the only barrier to marketing innovation

presented by

BRITE ’11 conference survey summary: a marketing innovation reality check

BRITE ’11, presented by Columbia Business School’s Center

for Global Brand Leadership, was inspiring and educational

with engaging discussions about today’s best brand stories

and exciting exercises to stimulate innovation. While the

conference buzzed of optimism and innovation, The Halo

Group sponsored a “Marketing Innovation Reality Check”

survey to help today’s marketers identify priorities to better

implement new marketing strategies.

Key Findings: It should come as no surprise that Finance

(aka “The Moneybags” with 30% of the vote) was identified

as the main barrier to getting buy-in for innovative new

marketing strategies. But, the CEO (aka “The Head Honcho”)

was also identified as a barrier with 28%. Even more surprising,

additional survey results show that, in a digitally driven

marketing landscape, many companies did not have some

of the basic knowledge, training or technology to successfully

integrate new marketing ideas.

It’s not justthe moneybags

• Culture of Innovation—75% of the respondents

described their workplaces as “innovation obsessed”

or “innovation encouraged” and the remaining 25%

described receptivity to innovation in their company

as only “baby steps permitted”

• Social Media—While 96% of attendees are currently

using social media as part of their marketing efforts, a

deeper look at their responses suggests that there is

still a long way to go

- 44% have a “basic presence” or less

- Only 9% had internal social media training

programs for their staff

• Mobile—Showing the ever-growing interest in mobile,

97% plan to use mobile marketing technology in 2011

to connect with customers:

- However, 52% of attendees are only in the process

of making plans

- And 53% never used QR Codes prior to this survey

- And only 21% had a mobile-compatible website

• ROI—ROI and transparency have been a major focus

for marketers over the past few years and respondents

indicate some progress. 85% of attendees said they

could tie marketing goals to company goals. However

that’s only the first step

- Only 24% of marketers can produce ROI data for

all their marketing efforts

- The remaining 76% are still struggling to effectively

track more than a few of their efforts

The Halo Group’s mobile survey, accessed via a QR code, and

promoted by an on-site program that included conference

signage and a “street team,” was intended to help understand

the reality of creating, implementing and measuring

innovation for today’s leaders in marketing. And there was

no better place than the BRITE Conference, where attendees

included marketers from top brands, leaders in academia,

and the industries best marketing communications partners.

about the survey

survey vitals • Methodology: A 10-question, multiple-choice mobile

survey accessed via QR code on-site at the BRITE

conference

• Timing: Survey was collected and tabulated in

real-time using Google spreadsheets and delivered

the same day

• Respondents: 109 BRITE Conference Attendees

(roughly one-third of registrants) ranging from

CMO’s from top brands to leading Academia to

the industries best agencies

• One winner was selected at random to win an

Apple iPad

BRITE ’11 brings together big thinkers from business,

technology, media, and marketing to discuss emerging

trends in marketing, innovation, technology, society, and

culture and how these trends can transform the ways that

companies build and sustain great brands.

about the conference

1.Rate your company’s receptiveness to marketing/brand

innovation on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 being very receptive, 4

being very resistant)

44%

32%

24%innovation obsessed

innovation encouraged

baby steps permitted

2.Do you have an internal communications program to help

all levels of your organization deliver a uniform brand

experience for customers?

50%

22%

16%

working on it

sort of

11%highly developed

nope

3.Which of the following best describes your brands’ use of

social media as part of its marketing efforts?

actively managing it

basic presence

43%

40%

13%4% monetizing it

huh? social what?

4.Do you have an internal training program for staff that

manage your brands’ social media presence?

39%

39%

13%we have external partners that do all of this

limited rules and guidelines

9%highly developed training program

none

5.Does your brand have a mobile-friendly website?

33%

38%

21%

it mostly works

not really

8% yes, 100% mobile compatible

don’t even know

6.What is your experience with QR codes?

43%41%

4%

i’m dabbling

today was my first

12%QR is my life

zero

7.How will you use, or plan to use, mobile marketing

techniques—QR codes, shortcodes, mobile applications,

mobile advertising—to connect with your customer in 2011?

just making plans now

8.What amount of your marketing spending can you tie to

ROI metrics (e.g., sales growth, brand awareness, customer

loyalty, etc.)?

52%

27%

18%

3%important part of our plan

a few test efforts underway

who needs mobile?

50%

24%

18% 7%

a few initiatives

virtually all

barely any none

9.Are your company’s business goals clear enough to be

easily tied to your company’s marketing goals?

10.What/who do you think is the biggest barrier to getting

buy-in for innovative marketing strategies?

56%29%

12%3%

agree

strongly agree

disagree

strongly disagree

30%

29%

28%9%

3%2%

the moneybags (finance)

none

the head honcho (ceo)

staff

the computer geeks (it)

the board of directors

The Halo Group

350 Seventh Ave, 21st Floor

New York, NY 10001

P: 212.643.9700

Visit us online @ www.thehalogroup.net

Mobile: thehalogroup.net/mobile/

Facebook: /thehalogroupny

Twitter: @thehalogroup

Media/Press Inquiries please contact

Lara Cohn, lcohn@thehalogroup.net