Our 2020 Digital Marketing Trends report delivers far-reaching insights into digital transformations happening across Europe. Our report compares European marketing trends with the rest of the world and highlights the key differences between European markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Nordics.
The greatest leaps forward for European businesses are happening in three main areas: customer experience, data management and personalisation using AI. Produced in collaboration with Econsultancy, our 2020 Digital Marketing Trends report reveals the strategies and talking points that will shape the future of marketing in Europe.
1. Customer Experience
Europe is keeping pace with the global trend towards personalised customer experiences. However, we found that some countries are more committed to CX than others. 22% of businesses said that it’s their number one opportunity for 2020. France and Italy showed the most confidence (16% described themselves as being ‘very advanced’ in customer experience compared with only 5-6% of businesses in the UK and Germany making the same claim). But do their actions match their words? We found that customer experience is the top digital priority for 38% of UK businesses. Businesses in Germany (27%) and France (28%) also place it high on the agenda. Meanwhile, Italian companies report that it’s a low priority, which conflicts with their earlier claims and raises questions about the maturity of the market. Want to see the benefits of committing to customer journey management? We recommend the case study of Heathrow Airport, which shows an increased average spend of 60% through their laser-focus on customer experience.
2. Data Management
Consumer awareness around data privacy has resulted in more regulation around what brands can and can’t do with their customers’ information. Since many marketers are using data to make business decisions, leading brands are now developing new permission-based strategies to increase trust and transparency. So, how does this compare with the rest of the world? 36% more businesses in Europe said they are excited about data that focuses on the individual compared with businesses in other regions. France and the Nordics are investing the most in first-party data while Germany is the slowest to adapt, with only one in 10 of their organisations adopting new strategies. Consumer data management has risen from being a silo of IT to becoming a powerful strategic asset that is essential to improving the customer experience. Now for the decade ahead, businesses will continue to look beyond the data to connect with the individual. Learn more about Adobe’s Data Management Platform to understand how organisations in Europe are managing data at scale and using it to make smarter business decisions.
Return to the beginning of Digital Trends and follow a decade of digital transformation that led to where we are today.
3. AI and Personalisation
Putting data to work takes a huge investment of time and resources. But what if AI could run campaigns and do more of the heavy lifting? For many larger organisations, the trend towards personalised experiences is driving them to invest in AI and even recalibrate how they do business. However, European organisations are slower to adapt to this use of AI compared with the rest of the world (23% in European, 33% in Asia Pacific and 29% in North America). For countries in Europe, real-time personalisation is highest in the UK (26%), which is almost double that of privacy-conscious Germany (13%). Despite these obstacles, the appetite for personalised experience is clearly there because 28% of European marketers said they are making this one of their top priorities for 2020. Interest in Italy and the Nordics is highest with almost 50% of companies planning to use AI. Although Europe is still behind Asia when it comes to AI adoption, companies like Swisscom (see case study) are a shining example of what’s possible when companies are prepared to invest in AI and machine learning.
Customer Journey Management
Customer journey optimisation is the top digital-related priority for 2020, narrowly ahead of social media engagement and analytics (29% vs 28%).
Consumer Data Management
52% of companies in Germany are planning to increase their investment in consumer data management, compared to 32% in the UK and 22% in France.
Artificial Intelligence
Real-time personalisation is highest in the UK (26%), double the figure for Germany (13%).
