Real-time marketing takes hold

1. Summary

Is there a more polarizing topic among brands than real-time marketing?

Real-time marketing is expanding beyond its roots as brand-related content synced to events and spread via social media. Early results have been mixed. Its supporters point to its potential for creating engagement for brands like Coca-Cola and Visa. Its naysayers roll their eyes at well-publicized real-time marketing blunders that have tarnished brands such as Kenneth Cole and Epicurious. Praise or curse it: real-time marketing is not going away.

In fact, 76 percent of executives surveyed by Evergage use real-time marketing, and 40 percent of consumer-packaged goods CMOs surveyed by Accenture believe real-time marketing campaigns are the future of marketing. An examination of real-time marketing best practices, new tools and techniques indicates the following:

• Real-time marketing is becoming more measurable, predictive, and influential across the entire marketing funnel, from awareness building to customer retention.
• Brands that connect real-time marketing to their strategies across the customer lifecycle will maximize its value.