Consumer Forum Recap: Clients Share Their Challenges

[Posted by Neil Strother]

I enjoyed the many conversations I had with clients this week at Forrester's 2009 Consumer Forum in Chicago. It was interesting to listen to some of the best in the interactive marketing business. They shared with me the challenges they face regarding mobile strategy, budget issues and campaign measurement. Key takeaways from my discussions:

• Most understand that mobile marketing is here to stay, but they struggle with a clear strategy. The right way is to first understand how your customers use mobile phones, and not jump straight to a technology choice. (We can help you with that. If you're a Forrester client, see my report on mobile marketing best practices).
• Many budgets are under stress, but not all. Some people said that getting money for proven interactive campaigns or innovative projects wasn't as hard as you'd think. For others, it's more of  an issue; if that's you, and you're a client, there's help in my report on securing budget from a CMO.
• Measuring campaign effectiveness in newer areas like social media and mobile is still evolving. And even leading companies using these tactics don't have it figured out, but they are working to get the right metrics in place.

If you attended the Forum in Chicago, what were your takeaways? If you did not attend, do you face some of these same challenges as a marketer? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Comments

[Steve Furman]

Neil,

Really enjoyed meeting you and spending time discussing where Mobile is now and where it's going. My key takeaways and summary of the forum can be found here.

http://bit.ly/2NGVDn

Steve