State of Marketing - SWEDMAmedia.swedma.se/ETMC-2014SOM_Nordics.pdf · Marketers told us that lifecycle marketing is still a key piece of their overall strategy. We define lifecycle

Insights from digital marketers and consumers in the Nordics

State of Marketing

2014 State of Marketing: Nordics 2 exacttarget.com/uk

In April 2014, we surveyed 432 marketers from the Nordic region to learn their top marketing objectives and priorities for the year. At the same time, we surveyed 4,114 consumers to learn about their online behaviors. We’ve analyzed their insights to give you a current snapshot of the state of marketing in the Nordics. From lifecycle campaigns to return on investment (ROI), you’ll find timely recommendations to help you plan your marketing efforts.

Table of ContentsExecutive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 3New Priorities for 2014 ................................................................................................................................... 4Budgets on the Rise ....................................................................................................................................... 8A Shift in Lifecycle Marketing ..................................................................................................................... 10Email is Alive and Well ................................................................................................................................. 13 The Email Consumer .................................................................................................................................... 14Responsive Design is the New Black ......................................................................................................... 17Consumer Digital Morning .......................................................................................................................... 18Consumer Digital Evening ........................................................................................................................... 20Breaking Social Ground ............................................................................................................................... 22The Facebook Consumer ............................................................................................................................ 24The Twitter Consumer .................................................................................................................................. 26The Future of Mobile .................................................................................................................................... 28 Mobile Meets the Family .............................................................................................................................. 32Survey Methodology and Demographics ................................................................................................... 332014 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 34

State of Marketing

http://www.exacttarget.com/uk

32014 State of Marketing: Nordics exacttarget.com/uk

84%

58%

15%

78%66%

21%

81%

64%

17%

88%

53%

13%

The 2014 State of Marketing survey asked marketers about their budgets, priorities, channels, metrics, and strategies for the year. At the same time, we also asked consumers in the Nordic region about their online behaviors. Below is a snapshot of our key findings.

Executive Summary

2014 Priorities

57 % Improving measurement and results of digital channels52 % Collecting, measuring,

and using behavior- based data

Increasing and improving brand awareness 37 %

CoNTENT MANAGEMENT63%

99% of marketers plan to increase or maintain their spend in 2014.

ToP 5 AREAS FoR iNCREASED SPENDiNG:

DATA & ANALyTiCS62%SoCiAL MEDiA

MARkETiNG71% SEM/ SEo65% SoCiAL

LiSTENiNG60%

Sweden Norway Denmark Finland

83% SUBSCRiBERS: Nordic online consumers who have provided their email address to at least one company for the purpose of receiving permission-based emails.

59% FANS: Nordic online consumers with an active Facebook account who have liked at least one company or brand on Facebook.

16% FoLLoWERS: Nordic online consumers with an active Twitter account who follow at least one company or brand on Twitter.

Take a look at the percentage of Nordic consumers in each country who identify as SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, or FOLLOWERS.



According to a recent report from TeliaSonera and Arthur D. Little, the Nordic region is a hotspot for machine-to-machine (M2M) growth, also known as the Internet of Things. In fact, the number of connected things has surpassed the region’s total population and is expected to grow at a rate double that of the global M2M market.1

The Nordic region also has one of the highest broadband internet penetration rates in the world, with approximately 93% of the population online. Norway and Sweden rank highest in internet user penetration in the region with 95% of their respective populations online, followed by Finland (91%) and Denmark (89%).2

Because this is a rapidly evolving region for innovation, Nordic marketers face endless marketing strategy options, often making it difficult to determine what’s most important. We asked these marketers to identify their top three marketing priorities for 2014 and found that the most common priorities were:

As shown in the following chart, 2014 Top Three Marketing Priorities, increasing and improving brand awareness and collecting, measuring, and using behavior-based data are two clear priorities for the current year. Marketers’ focus on brand awareness aligns with traditional marketing department and CMO priorities. With this in mind, we expect to see marketers using social media, mobile, and personalized web experiences to better boost their brand with customers.

Collecting, measuring, and using behavior-based data will support all other marketing objectives. More data enables marketers to build better 1:1 customer experiences and cut through the communication clutter, so it’s now more important than ever to have a plan and process around collecting that data.

The third most popular priority for marketers—improving measurement and results of digital channels—shows that marketers are more focused than ever on getting the most value from their marketing efforts. Formulating a strong digital strategy now will allow marketers to focus on their two biggest lifecycle challenges in the year ahead: increasing subscriber engagement and revenue and acquiring new customers (see “Lifecycle Marketing Challenges”).

New Priorities for 2014

increasing and improving brand awareness

Collecting, measuring, and using behavior-based data1 2 3 improving measurement

and results of digital channels

1 teliasonera.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014/2/the-nordics-at-the-forefront-of-the-m2m-revolution 2 emarketer.com/Article/Mature-Nordic-Internet-Economies-Mobile-Drives-Growth/1009873


http://www.teliasonera.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014/2/the-nordics-at-the-forefront-of-the-m2m-revolution/

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mature-Nordic-Internet-Economies-Mobile-Drives-Growth/1009873


2014 Top Three Marketing Priorities

25%

50%

75%

100%

57% increasing and improving brand awareness

52% Collecting, measuring, and using behavior-based data

37% improving measurement and results of digital channels

30% Subscriber acquisition

29% Data acquisition (improving/expanding data collection efforts)

26% Testing and optimization

26% Channel expansion (adding new digital marketing channels)

24% organizational alignment (increasing collaboration between business units)

16% Campaign attribution (identifying campaigns’ role in sales)

4% other

322 responses



New devices and channels emerge every day to create a more connected and complex brand-to-customer landscape. The Nordic countries are extremely digitally driven with 93% having internet access and 80% owning a smartphone. Leading the way in M2M growth, the Nordic countries are an area where mobile marketers can test new products and technologies with early adopters (15% of all mobile connections in the Nordics are M2M compared to the global average of 3%).3

Keep in mind that Nordic consumers are early adopters, describing themselves as information seekers with the majority stating they’re news junkies and information consumers online. However, marketers need to market to consumers in the Nordics based on the country they live in rather than taking a regionalized approach. As you’ll see in this report, there are vast perceived and behavioral differences noted from one country to the next within the Nordic region.

Here’s how marketers in the Nordic region say that they’re dividing areas of focus and measuring success.

Digital Marketing Organization Areas of Focus

responses responses responsesresponses responses

SEM/ SEo

46%

15%

40%

Display/ Banner Ads

57%

8%

35%

Email Marketing

73%

11%

15%

SMS Messaging

32%

8%

60%

Social Media Marketing

Social Listening

75%

14%

11%

331 326 331329 327responsesresponses responsesresponses

Content Manage- ment

55%

19%

26%

Marketing Automation

17%

18%

65%

Mobile Push Notifi- cations

13%

14%

73%

Data & Analytics

67%

13%

20%

324326 329326responses

63%

16%

21%

331

We use today

Plan to use in 2014

Do not plan to use

3 teliasonera.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014/2/the-nordics-at-the-forefront-of-the-m2m-revolution/




25%

50%

75%

100%

Top Three Success Metrics

302 responses

56% Conversion rate (sales directly attributed to digital marketing campaigns)

65% Engagement rate (opens, clicks)

55% Return on investment

18% Lifetime customer value

47% Audience list growth

44% Social activity (likes, shares, retweets)

15% other

Clearly, marketers in the Nordics have many areas of focus in 2014. For recommendations on where to begin, visit the section “2014 Recommendations” later in this report.



Budgets on the Rise

4 my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=202&mode=2&PageID=5553&resId=1871515&ref=Webinar-Calendar

According to Gartner analyst Laura McLellan, the CMO will spend more on IT than the CIO by 2017.4 So, it’s no surprise that our survey found 99% of marketers plan to increase or maintain their budgets for 2014, while only 1% plan to decrease.

Marketers plan to increase spending in five key areas:

It makes sense that social media marketing tops the list, given that marketers noted increasing brand awareness as their top priority and developing strong relationships with new subscribers as their primary lifecycle challenge for 2014 (see the section “New Priorities for 2014” and “A Shift in Lifecycle Marketing”). Likewise, data and analytics budgets will rise, aligning with marketers’ priorities of collecting, measuring, and using behavior-based data—and improving measurement and results of digital efforts. Social listening and content management will also play key roles as marketers act on the data they’ve collected to power 1:1 customer experiences and enhance brand relationships.

The next chart shows a more complete picture of how marketers plan to spend their budget in 2014.

1

2

3

4

5

Social media marketing, posting content to social media channels (71% plan to increase)

SEM/SEo (65% plan to increase)

Content management (63% plan to increase)

Data and analytics (62% plan to increase)

Social listening (60% plan to increase)


http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt%3Fopen%3D512%26objID%3D202%26mode%3D2%26PageID%3D5553%26resId%3D1871515%26ref%3DWebinar-Calendar


2014 Digital Marketing Budget

increase

Stay about the same

Decrease

Don’t know

responses responses responsesresponses responses

SEM/ SEo

Display/ Banner Ads

Email Marketing

SMS Messaging

Social Media Marketing

Social Listening

271 131 286196 207

responsesresponses responsesresponses

Content Management

Marketing Automation

Mobile Push Notifications

Data & Analytics

11891 255239

responses253

56%

38%

3%

4%

44%

47%

3%

7%

60%

34%

1%

5%

65%

27%

3%

6%

71%

26%

1%

2%

42%

45%

8%

5%

63%

30%

2%

6%

51%

27%

2%

19%

62%

32%

1%

6%

49%

36%

3%

12%



Marketers told us that lifecycle marketing is still a key piece of their overall strategy. We define lifecycle marketing as the tactics that reach customers across four core stages:

While marketers still report focusing on lifecycle marketing, we’ve uncovered a notable shift. IBM’s The State of Marketing 2013 found that marketers’ greatest lifecycle challenge was acquiring new subscribers; however, this is no longer the case in the Nordics. In fact, our research found that developing a strong relationship with new subscribers (46%) and driving engagement and revenue (40%) have edged to the forefront of their lifecycle concerns.

Marketers shifting their focus to customer relationships is a solid strategy. Our research shows Nordic consumers are driven by connections they create with companies—by subscribing to emails or following on Facebook and Twitter—more than any other geographic audience we’ve studied globally.

The top three lifecycle marketing campaigns that marketers currently use are newsletter (69%), post-purchase (51%), and promotional (47%). A significant gap exists between the importance marketers place on lifecycle marketing campaigns and the number of campaigns they actually implement, as shown by the gap between the top three campaigns and the many other underutilized campaigns.

For example, only 29% of marketers use loyalty campaigns; however, these campaigns have the highest reported success rates (42% rate loyalty campaigns as excellent or very good) compared to other lifecycle marketing efforts. Along with testing other lifecycle strategies, a loyalty campaign can help differentiate your brand, increase engagement, and drive results—all with minimal effort.

A Shift in Lifecycle Marketing

onboardAcquire Retain

Acquiring new audience members and converting potential customers into subscribers (whether to email, social, or mobile communications).

Onboarding subscribers and making them accustomed to the cadence and content of your interactions.

Engage

Engaging subscribers with automated, personalized campaigns.

Retaining existing subscribers with targeted reengagement and win-back strategies.

46% of marketers say that building a strong relationship with new subscribers is their primary lifecycle challenge. Engage customers with a welcome series as soon as they opt into messages from your brand, and they’ll be more likely to become brand advocates as time goes on.



A Shift in Lifecycle Marketing

40% increasing subscriber engagement and revenue

38% Acquiring new subscribers

34% Getting the attention of subscribers that are no longer engaging with your messages

46% Developing a strong relationship with new subscribers

262 responses

Lifecycle Marketing Challenges

25%

50%

75%

100%

13% Don’t know



responses

Win-Back

23%

17%

60%

261responses

Transactional

12%

12%

75%

261

Lifecycle Marketing Campaigns

responses responses responses responses responses responses responses

Promotional

47%

20%

33%

Event- Driven

34%

22%

44%

Newsletter

69%

18%

13%

Web opt-in

25%

18%

58%

Social opt-in

18%

18%

63%

Mobile opt-in

11%

18%

72%

Welcome Series

34%

18%

48%

261 261 261 261 261 260 261

We use today

Plan to use in 2014

Do not plan to use

responses responses responses responses

Post- Purchase

51%

22%

27%

Loyalty

29%

18%

53%

Abandoned Cart

11%

15%

74%

Campaign Landing Pages

44%

19%

37%

261 261 261 260



Annual Email Send Volume

47% Less than 100,000

24% 100,001-500,000

7% 500,000-1 million

9% 1 million-5 million





1% More than 100 million

Eighty-three percent of online Nordic consumers surveyed identify themselves as subscribers, and 84% use email on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, 57% of marketers in the Nordics say that email marketing is core to their business because:

• Email is a critical enabler of products/services your business provides (63%)

• Email indirectly impacts your business performance (28%)

• your business primary revenue source is directly linked to email operations (9%)

Although 63% of marketers report that email is a critical enabler of products/services their business provides, only 39% have a dedicated email marketing team (compared to 59% worldwide5). Just 29% send more than 500,000 emails annually—a stark contrast to the 49% of marketers worldwide who send more than 500,000 emails annually.5

In the increasingly prevalent demographic of smartphone owners, 65% of Nordic consumers report checking email via the device at least once per day (68% in Sweden, 62% in Norway, 68% in Denmark, and 58% in Finland). Compare these numbers with the 37% of marketers who say they’re unsure if subscribers read emails on a mobile device and you see a large gap to address (refer to the “Responsive Design is the New Black” section).

Email is Alive and Well

179 responses

Email Team Size

69 responses

9% 4-5 people

9% More than 5 people

52% 2-3 people

30% 1 person

5 2014 State of Marketing, ExactTarget Marketing Cloud, January 2014



Email is the clear first-place winner when it comes to a particular channel’s total number of users. So, what do subscribers in the Nordic region want to receive in their inboxes?

When asked how they use email, 84% of Nordic consumers said they check their email at least once a day (80% in Sweden, 85% in Norway, 87% in Denmark, and 85% in Finland). The email inbox is also the first place that 47% of Nordic consumers go to start their digital day with nearly 35% accessing email via their smartphone.

Our data shows that 56% of Nordic marketers will increase their email spend over the next year—a spend that seems justified when you consider that 76% of marketers believe email marketing does or will produce ROI. Supporting that belief, 56% of Nordic consumers state they have made a purchase as a result of a marketing message received via email (58% in Sweden, 58% in Norway, 49% in Denmark, and 57% in Finland).

To be successful, digital marketers must approach email with the same mindset as Nordic consumers. For example, 48% of consumers in the Nordics view email as a means for communicating with personal contacts (30% in Sweden, 48% in Norway, 63% in Denmark, and 66% in Finland) while 47% view it as a work tool (26% in Sweden, 70% in Norway, 55% in Denmark, and 56% in Finland).

So, what do Nordic consumers hope to receive when they subscribe to a brand’s email program? What brand messages are they most likely to open and read? When we look at the top motivations to subscribe across the Nordics, the differences are vast:

• In most countries we have surveyed worldwide, the attribute “to receive free stuff or giveaways in exchange for my email address” is a top motivator; however, this is not the case for any of the Nordic countries.

• Swedes’ top three motivations to subscribe are all information-focused. They are twice as likely as other Nordic consumers to rate “receive alerts related to development within the company, association, or organization” as a primary motivator.

• Although Nordic consumers are not motivated by receiving free stuff or giveaways in exchange for their email address, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish consumers rate “to receive discounts and money-off promotions” as their number one reason for subscribing to email. Swedes, however, rank this motivation sixth.

Let’s take a closer look at how consumer motivations to subscribe to email vary from country to country within the Nordic region.

The Email Consumer

83% Subscribers

Subscribers are online consumers who have provided their email address to at least one company for the purpose of receiving permission-based emails. 83% of the online Nordic consumers polled (aged 18 and older) are subscribers.



The Email Consumer Consumer Motivations to Subscribe

To keep up-to-date with a company’s products, services, or offerings

I shop with this company or buy this brand on a regular basis

To receive alerts related to developments within the company, association, or organization

To receive discounts and money-off promotions



39%

34%

31%

47%

38%

44%

SwedenN = 1,057 consumers who subscribe to at least one brand

Norway







40%

39%

37%

48%

29%

33%

Denmark

Finland

84% Subscribers

78% Subscribers N = 1,050 consumers who subscribe to at least one brand

N = 1,007 consumers who subscribe to at least one brand81% Subscribers

N = 1,000 consumers who subscribe to at least one brand88% Subscribers



We asked marketers from the Nordics which email marketing communication tactics were most effective, and here’s what they had to say:

Email Lifecycle Marketing Campaigns Success

Good

Fair / Poor

Excellent / Very good

responses

Win-Back

37%

22%

41%

63responses

Transactional

26%

34%

40%

35

responses responses responses responses responses responses responses

Promotional

42%

40%

17%

Event-Driven

40%

40%

20%

Newsletter

37%

42%

21%

Web opt-in

25%

51%

24%

Social opt-in

26%

39%

35%

Mobile opt-in

21%

38%

41%

Welcome Series

38%

43%

19%

68 51 32 93 125 90 180

responses responses responses responses

Post- Purchase

33%

45%

21%

Loyalty

42%

33%

24%

Abandoned Cart

22%

34%

43%

Campaign Landing Pages

42%

42%

16%

135 78 32 117



By 2017 there will be nearly 1.4 mobile devices per capita.6 Despite growing mobile adoption, when asked how often they use mobile responsive design in emails, 26% of marketers in the Nordics said rarely or never. This could be due to the fact that 37% are unsure if their subscribers read their emails on a mobile device. However, 65% of Nordic consumers say they use their smartphone to access email at least once per day.

With an ever-expanding array of internet-enabled devices on the market and the Internet of Things becoming fully integrated into our daily lives, consumers now have the option of checking email and social networking messages on not only computers, but also tablets, smartphones, and even televisions. The number of connected devices has already surpassed the region’s total population and the market is expected to grow roughly twice as fast as the global M2M market.7 Therefore, it’s imperative for marketers to understand how Nordic consumers are using digital devices to connect to brands. We expect mobile email opens to increase alongside mobile device saturation, so now is the time to commit to mobile-friendliness.

Responsive Design is the New Black

179 responses

Mobile Responsive Design for Landing Pages

6 Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012–2017, February 2013, Cisco 7 teliasonera.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014/2/the-nordics-at-the-forefront-of-the-m2m-revolution/

25% Always

15% often

13% Sometimes

12% Rarely

16% Never

19% Don’t know

178 responses

20% Less than 30 percent

24% 31-50 percent

11% 51-70 percent

3% 71-80 percent

3% 81-90 percent

2% More than 90 percent

37% Don’t know

Marketers Tracking Emails Read on Mobile Devices




What is the first thing you check online in a typical day?

As the sun rises across the Nordic region, where and how do consumers start their online day? We find this topic fascinating, as it reveals not only the priorities and motivations of consumers in each country—whether focused on business, social, or news—but also provides an indication of how and when marketers can communicate with them.

Email is the most popular place to start the digital day; however, when compared to most other countries worldwide, the Nordics rank email as a considerably lower priority (49% in the Nordic region vs. 70% on average worldwide). Nordic consumers crave news with their morning coffee. News sites edge out Facebook as the morning runner-up in Sweden, Norway, and Finland; however, consumers in Denmark rank Facebook second (24%) followed by new sites (11%).

Consumer Digital Morning

Email

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

instagram

News site

My company’s website

Search engine

Entertainment site

other

responses

47%

18%

1%

4,114

0%

2%

19%

4%

5%

2%

2%

responses

48%

17%

1%

1,057

1%

3%

18%

4%

4%

3%

2%

responses

38%

20%

0%

1,050

0%

2%

32%

3%

1%

1%

2%

responses

52%

24%

0%

1,007

0%

1%

11%

4%

4%

1%

3%

responses

51%

15%

1%

1,000

0%

1%

16%

3%

10%

2%

2%

First Digital Stop of the Day

Nordics Total Sweden Norway Denmark Finland



Consumer Digital Morning Just as interesting as what Nordic consumers do online in the morning is where they access their first online content of the day. Mobile has taken the lead from the personal computer in both Sweden and Norway, but Finland lags behind the rest of the region in embracing new technologies. In nearly the entire Nordic region, consumers aged 18-44 prefer mobile devices for their first check-in while PCs are still the dominant device for older consumers.

To develop a strong relationship with new subscribers, marketers need a mobile-friendly experience that engages customers on the channels they prefer—throughout the day and into the evening.

Device Used for First Online Check of the Day

40%

15%

35%

9%

responses4,114

responses1,057

responses1,050

responses1,007

responses1,000

34%

15%

43%

8%

33%

15%

37%

14%

40%

12%

37%

11%

58%

19%

16%

7%

Personal computer

Work or school computer

Mobile device

Tablet




What is the last thing you check online in a typical day?

Just as studying morning behavior yields important information about consumer preferences and priorities, examining how consumers end their online day also sheds light on how channel usage changes throughout the day.

As evening rolls around, consumer priorities tend to shift from business to leisure, as noted in the sharp increase on time spent on entertainment sites (9% in the evening compared to 2% in the morning). This often translates to a decrease in email activity (as email is often used for work purposes) and an increase in social media activity—but there are interesting differences to note between morning and evening across the Nordic region:

• Consumers in Sweden (30%) and Finland (38%) are most likely to end their day where they started it—checking email. Unlike most countries that start and end their day with email, Norway (33%) and Denmark (35%) turn to Facebook for their final online check-in of the day.

• Consumer behavior stays fairly consistent from morning to evening with email, Facebook, and news sites remaining the preferred destinations. However, Facebook and email are more popular than news sites for the day’s final check-in.

• Much like their first online check of the day, consumers in Sweden and Norway prefer their smartphones (43% and 38%, respectively), while consumers in Denmark and Finland rely more heavily on personal computers (45% and 61%, respectively) for their final online check of the day.

• With the exception of Facebook, most social media sites maintain consistently low activity from morning to evening. We see higher usage across all social media sites with consumers aged 18-44 across all countries surveyed in the Nordic region (in most cases, four times as much as the older consumer base).

• Older consumers access news sites more frequently than younger consumers—nearly twice as often.

• As one might expect, older Nordic consumers gravitate towards using their personal computers, while younger consumers overwhelmingly use smartphones for digital connections. Consumers aged 65 and over use tablets more frequently than smartphones.

Understanding how to connect with different generations of consumers at various times throughout the day is key to building a solid marketing strategy. Knowing which devices each audience uses and building your communication to optimize for these experiences is essential to keeping your customers engaged. To get the most return on your marketing investment, market to younger consumers through mobile-optimized content and Facebook, and to consumers aged 45 and over through email and news channels.

Consumer Digital Evening

31% say email is the last thing they check online in a typical day,ending their day where 47% started it.



Email

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

instagram

News site

My company’s website

Search engine

Entertainment site

other


Consumer Digital Evening

responses

31%

29%

1%

4,114

0%

3%

20%

1%

3%

9%

3%

responses

30%

29%

1%

1,057

0%

3%

18%

1%

3%

10%

3%

responses

21%

33%

1%

1,050

0%

3%

27%

0%

2%

8%

4%

responses

32%

35%

1%

1,007

0%

3%

12%

1%

5%

7%

4%

responses

38%

22%

1%

1,000

1%

1%

23%

1%

2%

8%

3%

Last Digital Stop of the Day



Fifty-three percent of Nordic marketers agree that social marketing is core to their business. They chose the following explanations for why social is important:

• Social is a critical enabler of products/services your business provides (74%)

• Social indirectly impacts your business performance (24%)

• your business’ primary revenue source is directly linked to social marketing (2%)

With marketers naming social media as their most popular area for budget increases, it comes as no surprise that dedicated social teams are now more common in the Nordic region than dedicated email teams (43% of respondents have a social team; 39% have an email team). Those social teams are roughly the size of most email teams (typically three people or less).

While marketers devote substantial time and resources to social, they don’t agree on its impact: 24% of marketers say they’re currently seeing ROI from social media marketing, while 43% believe these efforts will eventually produce ROI. Just 26% think that their social listening is fully effective, and 20% find their social advertising effective.

To produce more ROI from social, marketers need a strong strategy in place to drive measurable results. Starting with one or two social channels and firming up a strategy on a small scale can help maximize social resources, and also lead the way towards joining those 24% of marketers who currently see ROI from social marketing.

Breaking Social Ground

185 responses

79 responses

Social Media Marketing ROI Social Media Team Size

24% Social media marketing is producing Roi

43% Social media marketing will eventually produce Roi

30% Social media marketing is unlikely to produce Roi

3% other

10% 4-5 people


39% 2-3 people

43% 1 person



Breaking Social Ground Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn are the most popular social channels for Nordic marketers. But from the consumer side, our research shows that Instagram is more popular than both LinkedIn and Twitter across the entire region. Marketers have taken note and are looking to focus more time and effort on these increasingly popular channels:

• instagram (18% plan to use in 2014)

• youTube (14% plan to use in 2014)

• Google+ and podcasts (13% plan to use in 2014)

responses responses responses responses responses

responses

Podcasts

15%

13%

72%

SlideShare

6%

9%

84%

Flickr

8%

4%

88%

Pinterest

14%

9%

77%

Foursquare

3%

5%

92%

instagram

43%

18%

38%

Linkedin

61%

11%

28%

Blogs

45%

11%

44%

185responses

185responses

185 185 185 185 185

185

83%

6%

10%

57%

10%

32%

65%

14%

21%

Google+

23%

13%

64%

185responses

185responses

185responses

185responses

Facebook Twitter youTube

Marketers’ Use of Social Channels

We use today

Plan to use in 2014

Do not plan to use



Why do Nordic consumers like a company, association, or organization on Facebook?

Facebook poses unique opportunities—and challenges—for digital marketers. It’s an inherently social channel where consumers are open to interacting with brands. However, consumers typically think of Facebook as their personal space, so tread lightly with hard-sell messages.

Unlike email, where purchase behavior is reasonably consistent across age segments, younger Nordic consumers are more likely to have made a purchase based on a Facebook post than their older peers. In all countries, with the exception of Norway, consumers aged 45 or younger are twice as likely to have made a purchase based on a Facebook post when compared to their older peers. Although we see no difference among age segments in Norway, there’s a sizable difference between male (10%) and female (19%) consumer likelihood to make a purchase based on a Facebook post.

Seventy-five percent of consumers report liking at least one company or brand (72% in Sweden, 76% in Norway, 75% in Denmark, and 80% in Finland). Facebook, to a much greater extent than email, satisfies the need for consumers to stay social and connect:

• 56% use Facebook to communicate with personal contacts (42% in Sweden, 57% in Norway, 68% in Denmark, and 66% in Finland)

• 49% use it to reconnect with old friends or people who live far away (48% in Sweden, 54% in Norway, 48% in Denmark, and 46% in Finland)

• 44% use it to coordinate their social life (43% in Sweden, 40% in Norway, 39% in Denmark, and 54% in Finland)

• 38% use it to alleviate boredom (36% in Sweden, 42% in Norway, 41% in Denmark, and 33% in Finland)

• 38% use it stay in touch with friends (35% in Sweden, 41% in Norway, 39% in Denmark, and 38% in Finland)

Nordic consumers like companies on Facebook primarily to show support. They are more driven by the desire to be affiliated with a brand than to save money. Think of these as non-celebrity endorsements—everyday consumers who exert influence over their social circles, whether directly or indirectly.

The reason consumers like a company on Facebook varies by country; however, “to show my support for the company to others (including friends and family)” is a top motivator that’s unique to the Nordics. Nordic consumers consistently expressed an interest in product-related updates—in fact, these information-based motivations appear higher in the Nordics than in other regions.

While Swede (24%), Danish (19%), and Finnish (21%) consumers are interested in keeping a finger on the pulse of a brand or company, Norwegians (7%) show very little interest.

Twenty-eight percent of Nordic consumers admit to ignoring posts from companies on their Facebook News Feed (31% in Sweden, 29% in Norway, 25% in Denmark, and 26% in Finland), and 45% have become more selective about the companies they like on Facebook (45% in Sweden, 46% in Norway, 43% in Denmark, and 49% in Finland). Rather than always aiming for a conversion, concentrate on demonstrating value and deepening the overall relationship with your brand. Post content that is fun, engaging, and helpful—Nordic consumers are looking to make connections and are willing to support your brand publicly.

The Facebook Consumer

59% Fans

Of the online Nordic consumers polled (aged 18 and older), 59% are fans, having liked at least one company or brand on Facebook.



The Facebook Consumer Consumer Motivations to Like

To show my support for the company to others (including friends and family)


For more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.




44%

31%

26%

48%

32%

41%

SwedenN = 609 consumers who like at least one brand

Norway



To receive advance notice of new products or future releases




38%

37%

32%

38%

29%

38%

Denmark

Finland

58% Fans

66% Fans N = 687 consumers who like at least one brand

N = 647 consumers who like at least one brand64% Fans

N = 533 consumers who like at least one brand53% Fans



Why do Nordic consumers follow a company, association, or organization on Twitter? Twitter commands a significantly smaller audience than either email or Facebook. However, more than other channels, Twitter is a circle of influence. Since Twitter profiles are generally more public outlets than Facebook and email, the most active Twitter users tend to have influence outside of the network itself. These users are often online content creators who blog, rate products, comment on websites, and make recommendations to family and friends. And while the measureable impact of Twitter on sales is fairly small, the real impact may be its ability to connect with influencers.

Twenty-five percent of all Nordic consumers surveyed say they have a Twitter account, and only 1% report having made a purchase as a direct result of a marketing message received via Twitter. Although they aren’t likely to purchase via Twitter, consumers using this channel are more likely to recommend a company after following them on Twitter (7%) vs. subscribing to their emails (3%).

Consumers are considerably less likely to ignore a branded tweet (18%) than a Facebook post (28%) and more likely to read their favorite companies’ tweets (24%) vs. Facebook posts (16%). Even though Twitter users represent a much smaller portion of the overall Nordic population, they are a niche group worthy of investment because they can drive influence across this smaller network of people.

Of the 25% of Nordic consumers who report having a Twitter account, 26% describe themselves as “active Twitter users,” reporting they check their accounts at least once a day.

• of those consumers who have an account on Twitter, 48% follow at least one brand, company, or association on Twitter (50% in Sweden, 51% in Norway, 49% in Denmark, and in 39% Finland)

• 33% use Twitter to relieve boredom (32% in Sweden, 35% in Norway, 29% in Denmark, and 33% in Finland)

• 22% use it for work purposes (19% in Sweden, 26% in Norway, 20% in Denmark, and 22% in Finland)

Twitter users are less likely to be selective in the companies they follow on Twitter (25%) vs. both email and Facebook (45%). This may be due to the nature of Twitter or because consumers view following as less of a commitment than liking a brand on Facebook.

Twitter is viewed as an important place for gathering information—including alerts related to developments within the company, product and service updates, information related to personal interests and hobbies, details to help them keep a finger on the pulse of a brand, and advance notice of new products or future releases.

Show the lighter side of your brand on Twitter by being informal and friendly. This is the place to test new content and push the limits of your brand. Consumers want to be heard—especially the influential Twitter users who follow you. Provide them with an intimate view of your brand, timely customer service, and exclusive content, and they’ll feel incentivized to share their insider information with the rest of the world.

The Twitter Consumer

16% Followers

Followers are online consumers with an active Twitter account who follow at least one company or brand on Twitter. 16% of the online Nordic consumers polled (aged 18 and older) are followers.



The Twitter Consumer Consumer Motivations to Follow



For a quick and easy way to keep my finger on the pulse of the brand/company




59%

42%

40%

54%

37%

52%

SwedenN = 160 consumers who follow at least one brand

Norway







53%

50%

34%

48%

36%

36%

Denmark

Finland

15% Followers

21% Followers N = 222 consumers who follow at least one brand

N = 173 consumers who follow at least one brand17% Followers

N = 127 consumers who follow at least one brand13% Followers



Globally, more people have access to mobile phones than electricity or safe drinking water.8 Seventy-one percent of Nordic marketers who use mobile marketing say they believe mobile efforts do or will produce ROI, and 19% have a dedicated mobile team.

An overwhelming 80% of Nordic survey respondents indicated that they own a smartphone. Consumers in Norway and Sweden report using their mobile devices more frequently than any other device to access online content (refer to the Device Used for First Online Check of the Day chart). Finnish consumers aged 35 and over are considerably less likely to own a smartphone than their counterparts in other Nordic countries. Taking age into consideration, the numbers paint an even broader picture, with preference for smartphone usage skewing heavily towards the younger demographic.

Make sure to understand your consumer based within each country. If you cater towards consumers aged 55 and over, it’s less likely that they will interact with your brand via a mobile device; they’re more likely to use a tablet or personal computer. However, if you target a younger demographic, optimizing your content to be mobile friendly should be a top priority over the next year.

Mobile Marketing ROI

77 responses

The Future of Mobile

8 businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-putting-global-mobile-in-context-2012-4

14 responses

Mobile Marketing Team Size

26% Mobile marketing is producing Roi

45% Mobile marketing will eventually produce Roi

23% Mobile marketing is unlikely to produce Roi

5% other

0% 4-5 people


36% 2-3 people

64% 1 person


http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-putting-global-mobile-in-context-2012-4#!JxoM3


Mobile Lifecycle Marketing Campaigns

We use today

Plan to use in 2014

Do not plan to use

Cross-Channel Engagement

35%

23%

42%

Win-back

14%

18%

68%

Loyalty

27%

19%

53%

77responses

77responses

77responses

Mobile Welcome SMS

26%

23%

51%

Exclusive Deals

40%

21%

39%

Holiday or Event Campaign

36%

21%

43%

SMS to Email

26%

17%

57%

77responses

77responses

77responses

77responses

Consumers Owning a Smartphone by Age

18-24 years old

25-34 years old

35-44 years old

45-54 years old

55-64 years old

65+ years old

25%

50%

75%

100% 94% 90% 91%80%

73%

55%



Fifty-one percent of marketers don’t plan to implement SMS in 2014, yet the case for mobile is strong, based on consumers’ adoption of mobile devices across the Nordic region. Mobile lifecycle campaigns prove highly successful (compare the chart below with the Email Lifecycle Marketing Campaigns Success chart on page 14), so perhaps SMS implementation will increase throughout 2014 as marketers consider SMS as a mobile communication solution. Mobile messaging is also relatively easy to implement, as an SMS doesn’t require design expertise like an email.

Check out some of the most popular mobile campaigns for inspiration:

• Exclusivedeals (40% of marketers currently use; 21% plan to introduce)

• Cross-channelengagement(35% of marketers currently use; 23% plan to introduce)

• Holidayoreventcampaign (36% of marketers currently use; 21% plan to introduce)

Mobile Lifecycle Marketing Campaign Success

Good

Fair / Poor

Excellent / Very good

Cross-Channel Engagement

27%

55%

17%

Win-back

23%

46%

31%

Loyalty

30%

52%

17%

29responses

13responses

23responses

Mobile Welcome SMS

29%

43%

29%

Exclusive Deals

48%

35%

16%

Holiday or Event Campaign

43%

39%

18%

SMS to Email

40%

25%

35%

21responses

31responses

28responses

20responses



25%

50%

75%

100%

Note that 21% of mobile marketers don’t know if they’re using location-based functionality, while 21% are currently implementing the technique, which is designed to better reach on-the-go consumers when they enter a specific geographic area.

Four out of five minutes on a smartphone are spent engaging with an app9, and marketers in the Nordics are beginning to follow the app trend: 47% of marketers who use mobile say their company has an app. Getting an app off the ground is one thing, but keeping customers engaged long-term is another. Push messaging can help bridge the gap between initial download and consistent reengagement, prompting app users to check out updates, visit certain areas in the app, and more.

9 comScore. “Mobile Future in Focus,” Mark Donovan, February 2013

83% ioS

78% Android

47% Windows

14% Blackberry

6% other

36 responses

21% yes

57% No

21% Don’t know

75 responses

Mobile App Support for Operating Systems

Location-Based Functionality



Effectiveness of Mobile Integration into Overall Marketing Programs

Twenty-five percent of marketers from the Nordics say they haven’t integrated mobile marketing into their overall programs, and 19% say they don’t know if they have. Mobile integration is foundational to marketing success, as mobile adoption grows and customers spend more time with mobile devices. To continue shepherding mobile integration efforts in the direction of success, recall that customers may do all of the following via mobile device: browse products on your site, access customer service portals (like web contact forms and forums), email, engage with social media, watch branded videos, download and explore your app, receive in-app alerts and SMS messages, and much more.

These activities must be designed with both mobile and desktop users in mind. Consider how you can make every brand interaction more mobile-intuitive in the next year.

Fortunately, of the 56% of marketers who did integrate mobile marketing into their overall programs, 78% said the integration was at least somewhat effective. So, it’s worth the effort to learn your customers’ mobile preferences and reach them on the channel they prefer, when they prefer it.

42 responses

Mobile Meets the Family

2% Extremely effective

24% Very effective

52% Somewhat effective

14% Not very effective

0% Not at all effective

7% Don’t know



27% other

The 2014 State of Marketing: Nordics marketers survey was conducted online from April 9, 2014, until April 14, 2014. A total of 432 marketers from the Nordic region responded to the survey with 87% having 500 or fewer employees. Our consumer research (conducted between March 21 and April 7, 2014) consists of 4,114 consumers from Sweden (1,057), Norway (1,050), Denmark (1,007), and Finland (1,000).

A note on methodology: due to rounding, not all percentage totals equal 100%.

28% Media and entertainment

17% Agency

11% Services

7% Education and non-profit

6% Technology and manufacturing

5% Retail and e-commerce

4% Financial services

3% CPG

1% Healthcare

1% Travel and hospitality

1% Telecommunications and utilities

Survey Methodology and Demographics

430 responses

Industry: Nordic Marketers Role: Nordic Marketers

16% other

430 responses

20% Project coordinator

16% Marketing

16% CEo

5% Business unit manager

5% Analyst

7% Designer/developer

5% Sales manager



No matter the size of your marketing team or programs, you can use these recommendations to help lead the conversation in your business:

Focus on customer engagement.

• Map your customer journey to understand at exactly what points your customers engage with you.

• Develop a plan around how you manage those engagement touchpoints and think through how you could improve each.

Develop a clear data strategy.

• Take inventory of the data you have today and the data you need to collect.

• Create a plan to collect that data over time and across multiple customer interactions, because asking for a lot of information at once can be a barrier to engagement.

Consider your channel options.

• Use this report to compare the channels you’re using to the channels other marketers are using. When planning marketing efforts to engage consumers through multiple channels, adopt an approach that layers them on top of each other. Consumers don’t silo their interactions with brands, so brands can’t afford to silo interactions with consumers.

• Form a strategy around your presence on those channels, whether you flock to the most common channels or choose to stand out by using an underutilized but rapidly growing channel like mobile.

Email

Consumers generally remain receptive to email messages from companies they’ve authorized to contact them. It’s worth noting that consumers are increasingly selective with those permissions. Focus on gaining permission and maintaining trust with your target consumers. Attaining email permission does not grant companies carte blanche to inundate the inbox with whatever they are trying to promote. Excessive or irrelevant emails will cause consumers to revoke permission and disengage.

Evaluate your lifecycle campaigns.

• Take inventory of your programs across all four lifecycle stages: acquire, onboard, engage, and retain.

• Identify gaps across the lifecycle stages and implement campaigns to ensure that you have some form of engagement with your customers during each of these critical stages.

Roll out responsive design.

• Determine how many of your subscribers open your emails on a mobile device.

• If you have a substantial amount of mobile opens, put a responsive design plan into action right away.

Customer Journey

Take a deep look at how customers are currently experiencing your brand.

• Whether online or offline, and whether it’s a function of marketing or another department entirely, examine and document the current brand experience your customers have at every touchpoint.

• Remember that these touchpoints transpire anywhere from call center to social media to brick-and-mortar and beyond.

• What are your gaps and areas for improvement? These should be addressed in your new activation plan to both establish the ideal customer journey and develop a strategy for incrementally getting there.

2014 Recommendations



Social

Brand advocates are looking to your social presence for a consistent stream of truly valuable content. These advocates can help promote you if you answer their questions and contribute meaningfully to social conversations. Social media alone may not fill your sales funnel, but a social strategy is necessary for a well-rounded brand voice that meets customers wherever they spend time online.

Start small.

• Evaluate the social media channels available and create a pros and cons list for each.

• Choose one or two channels to focus your efforts on first, so you can easily scale successful strategies to other channels later on.

Zero in on clear objectives.

• Establish measurable goals to avoid feeling unsure of whether your social media efforts are performing well.

• Create metrics around how often you will post content, how quickly you’ll respond to customer messages, etc.

Mobile

Don’t ignore the importance of mobile.

• For most businesses, mobile is still a largely untapped opportunity. Evaluate if mobile is right for your company.

• Use this report to see what pioneers in mobile are already doing and decide if any of those strategies are relevant to your customers. Since mobile marketing is still in its infancy, don’t be afraid to try out a few of your own ideas, too.

integrate your mobile efforts.

• Map your broader marketing strategies alongside your mobile strategy to determine areas where the two can work together.

• Bring your email and mobile efforts together for an instant return as you pilot the success of mobile integration.

Personalization

Start communicating 1:1 with your customers.

• Collecting behavior-based data is the best way to start working toward high-quality personalized messages.

• Launch a more robust preference center to give customers the opportunity to voluntarily share the data they’d like to shape future messages.

Think about personalization beyond email.

• When building your digital strategy, remember that the same call to action likely will not be as effective on both Facebook (an innately personal channel) and email (a channel used frequently for the hard-sell). Likewise, an infographic may yield thousands of shares on Twitter, but not be the best choice for an email image.

• If your email personalization is already top-tier, work toward cross-channel personalization for social, mobile, and web.

As media theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said, “The medium is the message.” This holds true even for digital marketing. While consumers generally don’t expect vast differences in communication across channels, they quickly tire of the same recycled content appearing on their screens every day. Strike a balance between playing to each channel’s strengths while ensuring a consistent brand image and messaging.

As consumers in the Nordics switch between devices, social channels, and inboxes, your brand can remain a constant voice. Build meaningful relationships by developing content that suits the unique nature of each channel and country, always keeping in mind individuals’ preferences, motivations, and behaviors.

2014 Recommendations


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Documents

State of Marketing - SWEDMAmedia.swedma.se/ETMC-2014SOM_Nordics.pdf · Marketers told us that lifecycle marketing is still a key piece of their overall strategy. We define lifecycle