User data: Utilization often falls by the wayside

Many companies don't know what to do with their data.Nowadays, 97% of marketing experts in Germany believe that nothing works in marketing without data. However, over a third of those surveyed state that they have only actually used a fraction of the data collected to date. Their strategy for data generation is based on the slow and controlled collection of data for better customer understanding and more targeted advertising. This was the result of the annual trend survey of 147 marketing experts conducted by Hamburg-based digital agency Eprofessional.Using the head start of the big playersA quarter of survey participants (25.5%) believe that large internet companies such as Google and Facebook have an enormous advantage when it comes to data usage. They see collaboration with these giants as absolutely essential and work closely with them as part of their data strategy. They want to benefit from the data-driven solutions they offer.Companies are aware of the relevance of dataThere are also pioneers when it comes to data analysis: at least one in ten respondents see their own data strategy in the fast lane and are already using extensive IT solutions to handle user data. Only three out of 100 marketers see the topic of data strategy as a hype that won't upset them; the existing systems are sufficient for them.Ben Prause, CEO of Eprofessional: "The importance of data-driven marketing is now clear to everyone, but anyone who does not approach the topic of data professionally will not be able to derive any relevant benefits. In addition to a fundamental strategy, an appropriate infrastructure for evaluation must also be in place. This requires, on the one hand, efficient technology that fits the company's framework conditions perfectly and, on the other hand, analysts who can interpret and process the data correctly. It is only through this combination that companies can make a real profit, regardless of whether they work with large internet companies or not."Study ProfileIn August 2016, the digital marketing agency Eprofessional surveyed 147 marketing experts about their data strategy using an online questionnaire. download here available.

Source: Eprofessional