Target marketing priorities shifting to web strategies

Web strategies are becoming more important to retailers in target marketing programs, according to “Target Marketing Priorities Analysis—2007 Key Trends,” a study conducted by CSO Insights for marketing services firm Harte-Hanks Inc. The report notes that e-mail marketing is cited by the largest percentage of retailers, at nearly 50%, for producing the highest return on investment among web-based marketing strategies. Retailers ranked e-mail marketing second only to direct mail for ROI among all offline as well as online marketing programs, though they said direct mail was becoming less of a priority. In addition, retailers cited web sites/microsites, search optimization and e-mail marketing, in that order, as the most important web-based programs for achieving overall success in target marketing. More than 50% of study respondents, however, said web-based marketing accounted for 25% or less of their overall target marketing budgets. A move toward more web-based target marketing, the study concludes, supports a need for more accurate customer data.

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