Swiss still show too little confidence in digital competence
One in four companies in Switzerland plans to hire a marketing agency with greater expertise in digital media over the next 12 months or has already done so in the past year. This is shown by the results of the latest study on the «Agency of the Future,» which was conducted on behalf of the global consulting firm Sapient in collaboration with Redshift Research.
One in four companies in Switzerland intends to hire a marketing agency with greater expertise in digital media in the next 12 months or has already done so in the past year. This is shown by the results of the latest "Agency of the Future" study, which was conducted on behalf of the global consulting firm Sapient in collaboration with Redshift Research. The study involved 500 companies with more than 1,000 employees in England, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In Switzerland, 100 companies were surveyed, as Markus Spiller from Sapient explained to Werbewoche in an interview (see next print edition of Werbewoche on October 16). According to the study, the use of digital media will increase the most in Switzerland compared to other countries, together with Germany. With an expected growth rate of 42% (compared to the current 14%), Switzerland has the second highest growth rate of all the countries surveyed.
In a country comparison, Europe still lags behind the USA when it comes to digital marketing. However, the considerable growth rates also show that companies are increasingly focusing on interactive and digital channels in their marketing and are also demanding this expertise from agencies.
In a European comparison, Swiss companies currently have the least confidence in their current agency when it comes to digital media: 35% of the companies surveyed were unsure whether their current agency is well positioned in the area of digital/interactive. In Germany, for example, the majority of companies are confident that their current agency is well equipped for interactive and digital media (65% extremely confident).
Creative services (83%), understanding consumer behavior (68%) and branding (58%) are among the top three requirements for agencies in Switzerland, as in the other countries. Interactive/digital ranks fifth on the priority scale, but has already overtaken direct marketing, for example, and is only just behind print media.
Increased use of "pull" interactions and virtual communities
In order to get in touch with their consumers, 75% of marketing professionals expect agencies to use "pull" interactions - for example online communities such as Facebook - instead of traditional "push" campaigns. The study shows that the interest of marketing professionals in the use of social networks is currently lowest in the UK (22%), while companies in Switzerland (42%) and Germany (35%) see the greatest potential in marketing via social networks.
(Image: Markus Spiller, Group Account Director Continental Europe at Sapient)
In a country comparison, Europe still lags behind the USA when it comes to digital marketing. However, the considerable growth rates also show that companies are increasingly focusing on interactive and digital channels in their marketing and are also demanding this expertise from agencies.
In a European comparison, Swiss companies currently have the least confidence in their current agency when it comes to digital media: 35% of the companies surveyed were unsure whether their current agency is well positioned in the area of digital/interactive. In Germany, for example, the majority of companies are confident that their current agency is well equipped for interactive and digital media (65% extremely confident).
Creative services (83%), understanding consumer behavior (68%) and branding (58%) are among the top three requirements for agencies in Switzerland, as in the other countries. Interactive/digital ranks fifth on the priority scale, but has already overtaken direct marketing, for example, and is only just behind print media.
Increased use of "pull" interactions and virtual communities
In order to get in touch with their consumers, 75% of marketing professionals expect agencies to use "pull" interactions - for example online communities such as Facebook - instead of traditional "push" campaigns. The study shows that the interest of marketing professionals in the use of social networks is currently lowest in the UK (22%), while companies in Switzerland (42%) and Germany (35%) see the greatest potential in marketing via social networks.
(Image: Markus Spiller, Group Account Director Continental Europe at Sapient)
