Some 44% of direct marketers say they will increase their investments in agencies to face the mounting challenges presented by data-driven marketing, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s Q3 Business Review. Another 31% say they would maintain their employment of agencies.
Agency priorities named by the more than 500 DMA members surveyed by the Winterberry Group for the report were creative services, data analytics and modeling, and unique marketing or industry expertise.
In turn, four out of 10 marketers say they’d like to see agencies invest more in data-related functions like segmenting and predictive modeling. A third hoped their outside partners would increase focus on digital marketing execution, developing better strategies for audience engagement, and honing their mar-tech skills.
Customer acquisition is the primary goal, according to 72% of respondents. This is a marked rise from the 61% naming this as a top priority in Q2. Following close behind were improving customer loyalty and evaluating their efficacy in using marketing technology.
