Where is Australian Marketing going?
By Marissa Candy
The Australian Marketing Institute recently conducted research based on the future outlook for the marketing industry. They formulated a survey that was run online and is based on 259 responses from senior marketers. The survey was administered in December 2012 and is the fourth annual Senior Marketers Monitor conducted by the Australian Marketing Institute, here are some of the results;
Marketing budgets continue to grow Overall, budgets are expected to record another increase in 2013, although only at around an average 1% (against the 3.5% recorded in the previous survey, and the 4% growth of 2011). One third (34%) of marketers are anticipating their 2013 budgets to increase, against 38% expecting expenditures to remain largely unchanged. Marketers continue to feel positive about their profession and its role Similar to the previous two years, most senior marketers (76%) feel ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ about the role and influence of marketing in Australia today. Marketing Priorities No major changes over 2012, but emerging shifts in the use of social networking and Web 2.0. • Measures to increase sales • Customer acquisition • Maximising efficiency of marketing expenditure • Maintaining, building brand/s • More profitable market segments Challenges faced by marketers • Effectively getting messages to market • Acquiring new customers • Maintaining current customer base • Demonstrating the contribution of marketing to senior management • Maintaining pricing/margins Changes in media expenditure In terms of use of media the top five increased channels are: • Social networking and web 2.0 applications • Online advertising • Public relations • Viral marketing • Direct marketing “Traditional media is being used more by a minority of marketers,” comments Mark Crowe, “with the stand-out examples being Print (12%), radio (8%) and Free to Air TV (4%).”