SAN JOSE, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2014)—With mobile device dependency central to today’s digital lifestyles, enlightened brands are creating new mobile relationship marketing strategies that go well beyond simple app and mobile advertising delivery.

In a new study from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, conducted in partnership with SAS, 61 percent of marketers surveyed reveal they have deployed some form of mobile engagement. Furthermore, 54 percent of respondents say the mobile channel has become critical to customer interaction, retention and brand differentiation.

The criticality of mobile should not surprise marketers considering that the world’s mobile device population is estimated to swell to more than 7.7 billion devices this year (BusinessInsider.com), including smartphones, tablets, phablets, laptops and connected devices.

Developing comprehensive mobile relationship marketing strategies largely remains an area for improvement as only 17 percent of marketers have mobile strategies that are fully integrated and aligned with their overarching marketing strategies. Some 31 percent admit that they either have no strategy or simply view mobile as a campaign and not a business strategy.

Interestingly, when marketers were asked to identify a brand that stood out as a leader in mobile relationship marketing, no single organization emerged, and many respondents felt that while some brands were making strides, no one brand had yet proven to be the mobile champion. “Savvy marketers are still perfecting how and where mobile integrates with their strategies, yet a number of them have figured out that mobile is the channel their customers have defined as critical. Therefore, it must lead as a business strategy and not simply remain a less expensive, faster, readily available advertising vehicle,” noted Liz Miller, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the CMO Council.

As marketers look to advance mobile, budgets and confidence in data are key challenges holding back advancement. Key findings from the study reveal that:

• For many organizations, the place for mobile in the overall customer engagement strategy remains undefined.

• Measurements must take on a decidedly business focus and move away from campaign metrics in order to match the strategic opportunity inherent in mobile.

• Mobile is an underfunded area, as reported by about half of the respondents, possibly leading to mobile initiatives falling short of expectations.

• One mobile size should not fit all, with an overwhelming majority of respondents developing one mobile experience for use across all operating systems. Yet less than one-third are creating unique experiences based on device type, OS or behavior.

“What is so clear from this research is that mobile is a big game-changer for marketing organizations that can see mobile as a business strategy and not as just another channel,” commented John Balla, Principal Marketing Strategist at SAS. “Mobile is digital—it generates data that is too valuable not to analyze because whether you use analytics or not, your competitors surely will. And the multi-functionality of mobile devices and the advent of wearables provides marketers with an unprecedented opportunity to personalize engagements and to be relevant in ways that evolve into lasting relationships.”

The CMO Council has released a 19-page white paper—“Getting in Sync With Mobile Customers”—summarizing data and findings from an online survey of more than 200 marketers fielded during the second and third quarters of 2014. The strategic brief and accompanying infographic are available to download today at https://www.cmocouncil.org/thought-leadership/reports/getting-in-sync-with-mobile-customers. A companion brief including best-practice summaries from one-on-one interviews with brand leaders from Marriott, Cisco, AIG, Wells Fargo, Trip Advisor, Men’s Wearhouse and more will also be coming soon.

About the CMO Council

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council is the only global network of executives specifically dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior corporate marketing leaders and brand decision-makers across a wide range of global industries. The CMO Council's 7,500 members control more than $400 billion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures and run complex, distributed marketing and sales operations worldwide. In total, the CMO Council and its strategic interest communities include more than 35,000 global executives in more than 110 countries covering multiple industries, segments and markets. Regional chapters and advisory boards are active in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, India and Africa. The council's strategic interest groups include the Coalition to Leverage and Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE), Mobile Relationship Marketing (MRM) Strategies Forum, LoyaltyLeaders.org, CMOCIOAlign.org, Marketing Supply Chain Institute, Customer Experience Board, Digital Marketing Performance Institute, GeoBranding Center and the Brand Inspiration Center. More information on the CMO Council is available at www.cmocouncil.org.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services and is the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 70,000 sites in more than 130 countries worldwide improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW.®

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2014 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.