Adobe Digital Roadblock Report 2015 - UK

© Copyright 2015 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DIGITAL ROADBLOCK:
2015 EMEA Refresh
June 2015

2ADOBE | DIGITAL ROADBLOCK REFRESH 2015
• Online survey among a total of 1,311 European marketers
• Research managed by Edelman Berland
• Fieldwork: March 31- April 16, 2015
• This study is a refresh of research conducted with a comparable audience (350
European marketers) in May 2014
Methodology
FRANCE GERMANY U.K.
Language: French
Margin of Error = +/- 4.7
Sample n=433 Sample n=427 Sample n=451
Language: German
Language: U.K. English
Margin of error (total sample) = +/- 2.6

KEY FINDINGS
UK marketers see the industry changing dramatically and the change is only
accelerating; they’re optimistic and see it as an opportunity
• Eighty-five percent of Marketers see the changes in marketing as an opportunity (UK 85%)1 ; nearly half (47%) feel optimistic and are
excited (46%) about the changes2.
• While optimistic, UK marketers worry about their ability to keep up (48%, 37% EMEA)3; they feel underprepared for the changes within
their industry (41%)4 and feel they are along for the ride rather than driving change (51%)4.
• Marketers believe they are expected to adapt to tech advancements to keep pace with the industry (73%)5 , yet only 19% describe
themselves as tech savvy (early adopter)6
New technologies are transforming how marketers interact with their
audiences and how marketing effectiveness is measured
• 3 in 5 marketers believe new technologies are the driving forces of change (UK 61%, FR 50%; DE 63%)7
• Marketers believe that internet-connected devices enable marketing to permeate every aspect of consumer life (70%)8. Marketers must
become skilled in mobile5 (63%) and in delivering consistent customer experience across mobile and IoT devices to reach these
consumers9
• New technology is contributing to the change in consumer expectations – consumers now expect immediate responses (79%),
compelling content (74%), uniquely tailored marketing (62%) and brands to communicate directly to them (73%)10.
• 58% agree capturing and applying data to inform and drive marketing activities is the new reality8.
• 57% agree that data (metrics from digital ads, campaigns, website, etc.) are informative in evolving their company’s marketing
creative8.
Questions Referenced: 1 (Q19) 2 (Q20) 3 (Q26) 4 (Q19) 5 (Q27) 6 (Q4) 7 (QT5) 8 (QT12) 9 (Q28/Q29) 10 (Q22)

KEY FINDINGS (2)
British marketers recognize that a fundamental change to marketing is
needed (59%, FR 54%, DE 42%),1 but technological changes haven’t
enticed them to abandon traditional marketing approaches
• Holding onto old methods continues to be the trend as British marketers are less likely to implement new technologies (UK 58%, FR
68%, DE 67%)2 and are more likely trust their gut when making decisions3 (UK 55% ,FR 41%, DE 38% )
• Areas identified as most critical in the future, such as IoT and mobile marketing, are also the areas where performance is weakest4
Marketers worry about their company’s ability to keep up (51%)5, as
resources and lack of training in new skills are barriers to success
• UK marketers see marketing’s influence on strategy decreasing (UK 61% strongly/very strongly in 2015 vs. 70% in 2014)6
• UK marketers are less likely than their European counterparts to believe that the marketing functions is increasingly responsible
for contribution to future revenue (UK 64% vs, FR 73%, DE 71%)7
• Lack of resources (41%) and training in new marketing skills (30%) are named as the top barriers to success8
• Mobile Marketer, Data Analyst and Digital Marketer are the most underrepresented roles (29%, 28%, 27% respectively)9 – and these
roles continue to be the top areas for hiring need year over year10
Questions Referenced: 1 (Q27) 2 (Q1) 3 (QT12) 4 (QT9a) 5 (Q24) 6 (QT1) 7 (Q16) 8 (QT20) 9 (Q12) 10 (T14)

68% believe marketing is at
the beginning of a golden age
72% of EMEA believe marketing is at
the beginning of a golden age

7ADOBE | DIGITAL ROADBLOCKREFRESH 2015
45%
15%
55%
85%
Dramatically
Most agree the pace of change in marketing is accelerating,
they are divided on how that change is happening
Q18. How do you feel about the pace of change within the marketing industry? Please choose 1 from each pair
The pace of change in marketing is…
Gradually
AcceleratingSlowing
…and that change is happening
86% of EMEA describe
the pace of change as
accelerating and 51%
of EMEA describe it as
dramatic

8ADOBE | DIGITAL ROADBLOCKREFRESH 2015 Q19. Which of the followingbest describes how you feel about the changes happening within the marketing industry?
85% see the changes in marketing as
an opportunity
87% of EMEA see the changes
in marketing as an opportunity

… with nearly half feeling challenged and optimistic
about industry changes
Q20. Which of the following adjectives best describes how you feel about the changes happening within the marketing industry today? (Select up to 3 adjectives)
49%
47% 46%
35%
17%
Challenged Optimistic Excited Encouraged Struggling to
keep up
Top Descriptions Around Industry Changes
56% 55% 44% 32% 16%EMEA

61%
51%
40%
34%
30%
23%
New technologies impacting
both how we reach audiences
and analyze marketing
effectiveness
New ways of thinking about
audience engagement
Challenge of "breaking
through the noise" to reach
target audiences
Increased recognition of
marketing's contribution to
business success
Competition is driving a shift in
my company's marketing
organization and strategies
Transformation of the
marketing function
responsibilities
58% 48% 38% 30% 38% 20%
New technologies are a driving force behind industry
change
QT5. What are some of the driving forces behind the change in the marketing industry? (Select all that apply)
Forces of Change
EMEA

These technology changes affect personal approaches
to marketing…
70%
66%
63%
60%
60%
58%
58%
Internet-connected devices enable marketing to permeate every aspect of consumer’s
life
I am more comfortable adopting new technologies once they become mainstream
Traditional marketing is more about driving brand awareness, brand differentiation, &
creating demand
Digital marketing is more about driving and rewarding engagement
Marketers need to embrace ‘hyper-personalization’ (i.e., using data to provide the right
products, services and content at the right time)
Capturing and applying data to inform and drive marketing activities is the new reality
Mobile is a critical element for marketers to get right
EMEA
69%
56%
61%
62%
60%
60%
57%
T12. Below are some statements that may reflect the extent to which your personal approach to marketing may have changed over the last 12 months.
Please indicate how much you either disagree or agree with each statement.
Changes in Personal Approaches – Trended (% Top Two Box)

…And feed the expectation that marketers should keep up
with advancements in tech, mobile, and social
Q27. Please indicate whether you disagree or agree with the following statements
53%
53%
59%
60%
63%
70%
73%
Marketers need reassurance in their ability to deliver results
Marketers need to be more data-focused to succeed
Succeeding today involves a fundamental change in the approach to marketing
We won’t succeed unless we have a successful digital marketing approach
It is critical for marketers to become skilled in mobile
The younger generation of marketers brings greater understanding of social and
mobile marketing
Marketers are expected to adapt to tech advancements to keep pace with the industry
Attitudes on Marketers (% Top Two Box) EMEA
74%
70%
70%
61%
52%
58%
56%

Consumer expectations are higher than ever –immediate
responses and delivery of compelling content are key
Q22. How much do you disagree or agree with each of the following statements relating to consumer expectations today?
Changes in Consumer Expectations (% Top Two Box)
62%
62%
65%
66%
73%
74%
79%
Industry leaders are setting the bar high in terms of consumer expectations
for all brands
Consumers demand marketing that is tailored uniquely to them
The rise of mobile and wearable technology has taken marketing where it has
never been before
Consumers expect to engage with brands 24/7
Consumers expect brands to communicate directly to them
Consumers expect more compelling content
Consumers expect an immediate response to any post or query
EMEA
78%
77%
69%
65%
72%
69%
62%

Marketers are prepared to implement new technologies
to meet these demands
Q16. Please indicate whether you disagree or agree with the followingstatements about the state of your industry.
40%
53%
54%
54%
64%
70%
71%
71%
73%
Marketing is shifting from interruptive to welcomed according to consumers
Marketing has changed more in the past year than in the previous 5
Marketing is changing faster than any other business function
Marketing today is all about mobile and internet-connected devices
Marketing is increasingly responsible for revenue contribution
Marketing is entirely different today than when I started my marketing career
Marketing is increasingly permeating every aspect of consumers’ lives
Digital tools and proliferation of channels are fundamentally changing the
nature of marketing
Marketers need to be prepared to implement new technology to succeed
Attitudes on Marketing/Marketers (% Top Two Box)
EMEA
78%
71%
72%
70%
69%
52%
55%
58%
39%

The marketing function has increased in influence in
the past five years
Q17. In your opinion, in the past 5 years has the marketing function:
Influence of Marketing
68%
Increased
7%
Decreased
25%
Unchanged
79%
Increased73%
Increased
73% of EMEA
note an increase in
marketing function
influence in the past
five years

43%
26%
11%
7%
6%
4%
Sales Marketing New product
development
IT Finance Human resources
Strongly/Very Strongly
Moderately
Slightly/Not At All 7%
13%
23%
27%
70%
61%
Influence on company strategy remains strong, with a quarter
saying marketing contributes most to future revenue
QT1. How much does your marketing department influence your company’s overall business strategy? (Please select one only)
Q6. At your company, which function has the largest role in delivering future revenue for the company? (Select one)
Marketing Influence on Strategy Largest Contributor to Business Revenue
2014 2015
EMEA
41% 25% 17% 7% 4% 4%
EMEA
Strongly/Very Strongly 68% 65%

Q26. How do you feel about your own ability to keep up with the changes happening in marketing?
48% of marketers worry about their
ability to keep up
37% of EMEA worry
about their ability to
keep up

Marketers are worried about their ability to keep up,
more so than their company’s ability to do so
Q24. How do you feel about your company’s ability to keep up with the changes happening in marketing?
Q26. How do you feel about your own ability to keep up with the changes happening in marketing?
49%
Not
worried
51%
Worried
How worried are you about your company’s ability to keep up
with changes in marketing?
How worried are you about your ability to keep up with changes
in marketing?
52%
Not
worried
48%
Worried
37% of EMEA is
worried about
their own ability
to keep up
43% of EMEA is
worried about
company’s
ability to keep up

While struggles vary, nearly a quarter name big data
and marketing measurement as challenges
Q10. Which of the followingtrends and technologies is most challenging for you as a marketer? (Select up to 3)
Trends and Technologies Challenges
24%
20%
19%
18% 17%
16%
15%
14%
Big data and
Marketing
Measurement
Social Marketing Real-time marketing Mobile marketing E-Commerce Media Mix Planning Personalization and
Targeting
Creativity and
Innovation in
marketing programs
24% 19% 18% 17% 16% 12% 18% 17%
EMEA

13%
12%
12%
12%
10%
13%
10%
12%
10%
21%
22%
22%
23%
25%
25%
27%
28%
29%
1 in 3 cite shortages in tech and data related roles. Digital Marketers and Data
Analysts are still highly sought after
Q12. Are the followingroles underrepresented or overrepresented within your company today?
T14. Where does your company need to hire more or less marketing talent in the next 12 months?
Representation of Roles
Underrepresented
Underrepresented
22% 23%
28% 22%
26% 24%
17% 22%
16% 16%
12% 22%
18% 19%
16% 13%
11% 15%
Need for Hires
2014 2015
Overrepresented
Mobile Marketer
Data Analyst
Digital Marketer
Creative Services
eCommerce Manager
Direct Marketer/Sales
Content Producer
Content Marketer
Events Marketer
EMEA
33%
31%
31%
28%
27%
25%
23%
23%
23%

A successful marketer is seen as tech savvy, but only a fifth of
marketers describe themselves in such terms
Q3. Think about the ideal, successful marketer today. How would you describe them?
Q4. How would you describe yourself?
45%
47%
6%
1% 1%
19%
56%
22%
3%
0%
Tech savvy - early adopter of
new technologies
Tech regular - regular user of
current technologies
Tech challenged - find it hard to
keep up with changing
technologies
Tech indifferent - uninterested in
new tech trends
Other
Ideal, successful marketer Yourself
Perceptions of Ideal Marketer vs Self
57% 30% 38% 56% 4% 11% 1% 2% 1% 0%
EMEA

Q28. How important is it to deliver a consistent customer experience for each of the following devicesor channels today?
Q30. Which of the followingdevices and channels do you currently solve for (i.e., deliver content and consistent customer experience)?Select all that apply.
54% of marketers say it’s important to deliver a
consistent customer experience on wearables
Only 8% are currently
solving for it
53% of EMEA says it’s important to deliver
a consistent customer experience on
wearables however only 9% are currently
solving for it

A disconnect exists between importance of cross-
platform consistency – and ability to solve for it
Q28. How important is it to deliver a consistent customer experience for each of the following devicesor channels today?
Q30. Which of the followingdevices and channels do you currently solve for (i.e., deliver content and consistent customer experience)?Select all that apply.
Importance vs. Use of Devices/Channels (% Top Two Box)
93%
88% 86%
83%
69%
54% 51% 51%
75%
48%
35%
51%
21%
8% 9%
17%
A laptop or a desktop
computer
Mobile websites for a
smartphone or tablet
Mobile apps for a
Mobile social media sites
(Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
POS screens Wearables Embedded screens Internet-connected
devices and appliances
Importance Use
88% 65% 89% 51% 87% 41% 81% 49% 66% 20% 53% 9% 55% 10% 50% 15%
EMEA

2/3 see consistent customer experience on wearables as
important in three years
Q29. How important will it be to deliver a consistent customer experience for each of the following devicesor channels three years from now?
89% 88% 87%
84%
71%
67%
64%
61%
computer
Mobile apps for a
Mobile social media sites POS screens Wearables Internet-connected
Embedded screens
Future Importance in Customer Experience Delivery Across Devices (% Top Two Box)
85% 89% 90% 83% 71% 69% 64% 64%
EMEA

The need to adapt is immediate: mobile marketing, e-
commerce, and content management are projected to be less
important in 3 years
Q9. Please select the marketing tactics you believe will be most critical for marketers to be focusing on 12 months and three years from now.
Future Marketing Tactics
40%
37%
39%
45%
43% 45%
54%
49%
52%
44%
40% 40% 39% 39% 39% 38% 37% 36%
Big data and
Marketing
Measurement
IoT marketing Digital Asset
Management
Personalization
and Targeting
Media Mix
Planning
Cross-channel
marketing
E-Commerce Mobile marketing Content
Management
Next 12 months Next 3 years
46% 45% 40% 41% 44% 40% 52% 36% 48% 37% 52% 37% 55% 36% 49% 38% 57% 32%
EMEA

23% 24%
26% 26% 26%
27% 28% 28%
30%
IoT Marketing Native advertising Personalization and
Targeting
Mobile marketing Real-time marketing Big data and
Marketing
Measurement
Creativity and
Innovation in
marketing programs
Media Mix Planning Digital Asset
Management
Areas identified as critical in the years to come are the
areas where performance is lowest
QT9a. Please tell us how well you feel your company is currently performing on each of the following.
Company Performance – Bottom 9 (% Top Three Box)
23% 23% 28% 25% 27% 26% 31% 28% 28%
EMEA

Lack of resources and budget are the key barriers
holding marketers back
QT20. What are some of the barriers to becoming the marketer that you aspire to be?
Barriers to Success
13%
16%
16%
17%
18%
19%
30%
41%
My company not experiencing market success
Company resistance trying new programs that may fail
Dysfunction and friction over priorities across the company
My marketing skills falling behind
Organizational inability to adapt
Demands outside of work
Lack of training in new marketing skills
Lack of resources/budget
Lack of resources/budget was
also the top concern in 2014
EMEA
42%
28%
14%
15%
11%
19%
22%
12%

51%
41%
32%
15%
49%
59%
68%
85%
Changes are seen as an opportunity and the beginning
of a golden age of marketing…
Q19. Which of the followingbest describes how you feel about the changes happening within the marketing industry?
Feelings Towards Changes in the Marketing Industry
I see the marketing changes as…
OpportunityThreat
Are we at the beginning or end of a golden age in marketing?
BeginningEnd
Well prepared
How prepared are you for the changes in marketing?
Underprepared
Driver
Are you a driver or passenger of change?
Passenger
Opportunity: 87%
Beginning: 72%
Well prepared: 64%
Driver: 54%
EMEA

Marketers feel they have the skills and are prepared to
implement new technologies
Q1. How well does each of the followingstatements apply to you and your career as a marketer?
31%
33%
47%
50%
53%
55%
58%
61%
I feel intimidated by marketers with more advanced digital marketing skills
I worry about my ability to keep up with new technology
I primarily rely on data when making decisions about marketing strategies
I primarily rely on my intuition when making decisions about marketing
strategies
I am proud to introduce myself as a marketer
I am very happy in my career as a marketer
I am prepared to implement latest technology into everything I do as a
marketer
I feel I have all the necessary skills to perform my job successfully
Self Assessment (% Top Two Box)
EMEA
65%
64%
61%
52%
45%
47%
30%
24%

1 in 2 claim to have heard about a new marketing
channel or term within the past month
Q2. When was the last time you heard about a marketing channel or term (technology, social media site, etc.) that you were not familiar with?
13%
37%
33%
14%
3%
Never
Past year
Past month
Past week
Yesterday
Familiarity with New Marketing Terms
35% of EMEA claim to
have heard about a new
marketing channel or
term in the past month
or year

Many see organizational structures as not well set up
to meet marketing changes
Q25. How well is your company’s organization structure set up to meet the changes happening within marketing today? What about for the changes in marketing 3 years
from now?
68%
Well set up
32%
Not well set up
How well is your company’s organization structure set up to meet marketing changes?
42%
29%
32%
66% of EMEA
believe company
structures are
well set up

70%
64% 64%
56%
46%
39% 39%
35%
56%
52% 54%
49%
55%
67%
53%
57%
computer
Mobile social media
sites (Twitter,
Facebook, etc.)
Mobile apps for a
POS screens Embedded screens Internet-connected
Wearables
Confidence Performance
For new technologies, marketers’ confidence in preparedness
to deliver falls below actual performance
Q31. In your opinion, how well do you deliver a consistent customer experience across each of the following devicesor channels?
Q32. How confident are you that you are prepared to deliver a consistent customer experience across each of the following devices or channels?
Performance vs. Confidence in Devices/Channels (% Top Two Box)
77% 53% 66% 49% 73% 52% 68% 54% 49% 50% 44% 53% 39% 54% 43% 54%
EMEA

42%
39%
34% 34% 34%
33% 32%
30% 30%
Brand Building Customer Response
Management
Public Relations Events Social Marketing Content
Management
E-Commerce Cross-channel
marketing
Digital Advertising
Traditional marketing is where marketers feel
performance is strongest
QT9a. Please tell us how well you feel your company is currently performing on each of the following.
Company Performance – TOP 9 (% Top Three Box)
44% 37% 35% 35% 29% 33% 30% 31% 31%
EMEA

2 in 3 marketers feel they have the necessary skills to
perform successfully
Q33. Do you feel you have all the necessary skills and tools to perform your job successfully?
Do you feel you have the necessary skills and tools to perform your job successfully?
60%
Yes
40%
No
66% of EMEA
believe they have all
the skills and
resources needed
for success as a
marketer

While many realize the need for skill development, 41%
plan to learn from experimentation
Q35. How do you plan to acquire the skills, tools, and resources needed to perform your job successfully? Select all that apply.
4%
14%
26%
29%
32%
33%
39%
39%
41%
Other
Follow established process - "how things have always been done"
Learn from marketing colleagues in my company
Learn from industry analysts/research reports
Learn from professional industry associations/communities
Learn from industry publications/websites
Learn from industry peers from other companies
Learn from attending training seminars
Experimentation or trial and error
Skills Training
EMEA
36%
44%
37%
29%
26%
28%
28%
12%
3%

Communication across channels and talent recruitment rise
to the top as key for effectiveness
QT28. Which specific behavior do you think will make the biggest difference in determining marketing effectiveness for your company 12 months from now? (Please select one only)
6%
6%
7%
8%
8%
8%
9%
9%
11%
16%
Ability to develop campaigns faster
Elevating the visibility and influence of marketing within the company
Ability to train on new skills
Willingness to take more risks
Ability to measure and learn from campaign effectiveness
Better methods/data
Openness to engaging directly with customers
Change the way we communicate with our customers
Hire the right talent to fill in gaps in experience or expertise
Ability to work better across channels - web, mobile, social, etc.
Future Determinants of Marketing Effectiveness
EMEA
14%
9%
11%
9%
8%
7%
7%
7%
9%
5%

Over 1 in 3 believe that partnerships with sales are
critical in making digital marketing work…
34%
32%
15%
10%
6%
3%
Sales IT New product development Finance Human resources Other
Most Critical Partners in Digital Marketing
Q37. Which is the most critical business partner or business function you need to work with to make sure your digital marketing works? (Select one)
37% 30% 16% 9% 6% 2%
EMEA

…And integration across business functions can be
improved
Q38. How is your marketing department’s current working dynamic with each of the following businessfunctions?
7% 11% 14% 13% 15%
38%
44% 43% 47%
49%
55%
45% 43% 40% 36%
Sales New product development IT Finance Human Resources
Poor Average Excellent
Dynamic between Marketing and Other Departments
54% 44% 42% 33% 30%% Excellent
EMEA

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