Marketers struggle with the amount of data

Recent research by DVJ Insights among marketing professionals in Europe reveals that 72% of all marketers see the increasing availability and application of data as the biggest challenge for the future. Compared to previous surveys among marketers by the marketing research and analytics agency for brand growth, the most impactful “driver” for growth in 2021 is the way companies are able to support organisational decisions with data. To successfully integrate Data-Driven Decision Making, the challenge lies in finding the right people to apply data in a targeted way. These are the first results of the 5th edition of the Brand Growth Study by DVJ Insights among more than 2,000 marketing professionals in Europe and thus the largest study among marketers on growth.

Main results and conclusions

Google trends already show that there is an increasing focus on data. If we list the search volume of the last 10 years, we see increasing attention to data. In recent years, it is not so much the quantity of data that has been trending, but the way in which this data should be handled.

Central to the study is the retrieval of the key drivers of success. 72% of the successful companies (‘winners’) make more use of Data-Driven Decision Making compared to 39% of the companies that don’t do so, or less, and also perform less well (‘losers’). Never before has the difference between winners and losers been so great. The correct application of data appears to be more important than ‘consistent’ marketing policy, innovation and choosing the right media policy and is therefore certainly not a hype. This was also shown by other research carried out by DVJ among marketers where the same percentage, 72% of all marketing professionals, indicated that the increasing complexity of the use of data will have the greatest impact on the marketing profession in the future.

Interestingly, of all the challenges marketing professionals face when integrating data, having the right people is the greatest. In the evolution from “experience and gut feeling” to “fully data-driven”, it is no longer about finding the right data or using the right tools, but about making the right decisions from the vast amount of data out there. “Determine what is really important, dare to choose and focus mainly on those KPIs,” said Lucas Hulsebos, CEO DVJ Insights.

About the study

DVJ conducts annual research among marketers to better understand the drivers for growth. The goal is to learn how marketing can best organise itself for growth. The study was carried out for the 5th year and this time it was conducted among more marketers than ever before. Over 2,000 marketers in Europe participated in the study. In addition to this quantitative research, DVJ Insights conducts hundreds of vision interviews throughout the year with Chief Marketing Officers and Insights Managers about what is going on in the market and the challenges they face. These vision interviews are used to understand the reasons behind the findings.

All results on how marketers from across Europe view brand growth and the role of data will be presented at the Brand Growth Event on Thursday 30 September. In a two-hour virtual programme, interesting speakers from science and practice will share their vision and best practices in relation to Data-Driven Decision Making. You can register via the website.