The success of Donald Trump and the Brexit victory may have sent huge swathes of the population into deep depression but there is an unlikely upside; the rise of populist sentiment is forcing brands to think twice about whether their campaigns are relevant and – consequently – should see the demise of the constant bombardment of marketing communications.
That is according to a new study commissioned by independent agency Greenlight Digital, which claims that, as a result of two-thirds (66%) of marketers questioning how well they understand their brand’s audience, an overwhelming majority (94%) now intend to make moves to better understand what their customers are looking for.
The research also shows only 57% admitted to feeling as though they were tailoring their campaigns correctly, resulting in 37% now planning to target subsets of their audiences to ensure their brand is always on message and tapping into the right conversations that suit their business.
However, most marketers will continue to collect insights on their customers based on more traditional demographics such as age (47%) and location (45%), while a growing number will also consider online activity (44%).
Marketers may be keen to find out more, but digging deeper is a step too far for many in the industry, Greenlight claims. Only 19% of marketers feel comfortable targeting consumers based on ethnicity, while only a few marketers are tailoring campaigns based on their target audience’s religious beliefs (13%) or sexuality (17%).
For marketers wanting to take their analysis a step further than limiting their campaign to just age and location, many have reservations about doing so:
– 31% of marketers said that they would like to find out exactly who their audience is and what they are doing but they simply don’t have the time to do so
– 28% of marketers have fears over red tape and regulations preventing them from getting the insights they really need
– 27% don’t want to overstep the mark, with these marketers worried about seeming ‘creepy’
– and 33% of marketers are worried that if they get too specific they may alienate people
Greenlight Digital chief operating officer and co-founder Andreas Pouros said: “The events of last year may have come as surprise for many people, however, with marketers possessing greater access to audience data and insights than ever before, developing a deeper understanding of target audiences is fast becoming a top priority.
“As this year progresses, the ever-turbulent political agenda will continue to keep everyone on their toes, so marketers should consistently collect the necessary data insights and information on their customer. It may seem daunting but if marketers take advantages of data services that are out there to support them and take the time to dig a little deeper, they will be closer to guaranteeing their brand is participating in the right conversations.”
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