Forrester Research recently published its Five-Year Interactive Marketing Forecast report and shared information about its results with the readers of Advertising Age. In an article titled, “Advertising Will Change Forever,” Josh Bernoff, an analyst with Forrester Research, explains how interactive marketing methods have proven more effective than traditional advertising.
The report predicts that interactive marketing activities including social media, e-mail marketing and mobile marketing will reach $55 billion in 2014 and represent approximately 21 percent of overall marketing spend. For many, the focus on interactive marketing comes as no surprise as strategies involving social media are providing companies with new and improved ways to engage directly with customers.
Further research from IPG’s Universal McCann and AOL also supports this trend citing one out of every seven minutes of media consumption today takes place via mobile devices. In fact, research from these two companies points out that there are 63 million mobile Web users in the U.S. It’s no surprise that brand managers rely more heavily on interactive channels like mobile versus more traditional avenues such as print advertising.
*The above Forrester graph illustrates the increase in mobile marketing, social media and e-mail marketing analyst predict through 2014.
Clearly, interactive marketing tools and strategies are paving the way for the future of marketing. Brand managers are now transitioning away from traditional tools and are taking a blended approach, rely more heavily on interactive marketing strategies that incorporate viral functionality.
Remember the T-Mobile UK Dance for its “Life is for Sharing” campaign? On January 15, 2009, 350 dancers spontaneously started dancing at the Liverpool Street Station in London. The event not only grabbed the attention of onlookers, but the video quickly became a viral online force as consumers captured the dance on their mobile phones and uploaded content online. The YouTube video has received more than 13 million views and there is a Facebook profile page dedicated to the T-Mobile Dance.
This was a great example that illustrates how leading organizations are introducing social media and interactive marketing into their strategies. Real change is happening in the way organizations are using marketing and PR and according to Bernoff, “If you’re in advertising, you’d better learn to speak digital, because that’s the way the world is going.”