Real Time Marketing - Survey Results

The use of realtime marketing techniques improved the results for each of five different outcomes that matter to marketers: an increase in positive perceptions; interest in a product; likelihood to seriously consider, choose or try a product or brand; and likelihood a consumer will recommend the brand to others. Each of these outcomes improved with the use of realtime marketing techniques. The most impressive improvement was a 22 point increase in customers’ likelihood to seriously consider trying a product/brand.

The study measured the effectiveness of several marketing investments–including brand websites, social media, search marketing, media receptivity and word of mouth programs–before and after the use of realtime marketing, revealing marked lifts in performance with the addition of realtime to the marketing mix. Word of mouth campaigns and media receptivity both improved by 17 percentage points when realtime marketing initiatives were added to the mix.

The study also compared before and after realtime marketing impact scores for different types of brands – market leaders, legacy brands, and challengers - in several product categories: lower cost, lower involvement products such as coffee, and higher cost, higher involvement products such as cars. Realtime marketing delivered a significant uptick in desirable behaviors across every brand and product category investigated. The most dramatic impact was for product categories that require higher levels of involvement from consumers, such as automotive brands.

Communications delivered through realtime marketing had significantly more impact when a brand was clearly defined. Brand-specific realtime marketing saw a 54% increase in positive behaviors toward brands, while non-brand specific realtime marketing created only a 41% increase. In other words, brands that create high-value realtime content and interactions for customers shouldn’t be shy about attaching their brand to that content.