Marketing technology, or MarTech, has come a long way with a landscape that is steadily growing. In 2016, the MarTech landscape has nearly doubled in size, with no signs of stopping. The number of vendors entering the scene continues to grow.
Below are some trends to look out for in 2017, which is set to be a banner year for MarTech
The popularity of online interactive channels along with the continuous need to improve customer engagement is driving the market for chatbots. While the technology is still new for customer service, it is advancing fast due to progresses made in AI and in Machine Learning.
According to a recent study by Oracle, Can Virtual Experiences Replace Reality?, it is predicted that by 2020, 80% of brands will be using chatbots for customer interactions.
Nordstrom is an example of a retailer that offered a chatbot around the holidays last year. Users were able to engage with the bot, and receive personalized gift ideas based on the recipient.
Last year was particularly robust in regards to mergers and acquisitions. Overall, the marketing industry witnessed over 200 M&A deals in the first half of 2016, totaling an estimated $6.8 billion. Over 60% of the deals involved digital marketing capabilities. This trend should continue well into this year.
Some of the most prominent deals of last year included Salesforce acquiring Krux, a data-management platform, for $700 million and Abode acquiring TubeMogul, a video demand-side platform, for $540 million.
MarTech and AdTech will continue to work closely together. This convergence will especially become more popular among B2B marketers. In the past, B2B and B2C companies had distinct approaches to marketing. However, as the lines between martech and adtech continue to fade, expect to see more B2B companies behaving more like B2C ones.
Artificial intelligence has been one of the hottest topics in marketing technology. A valuable use of AI in marketing is to allow for increased personalized conversations with the end client, understanding their needs, goals, and pain points. AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it will be further integrated into martech – making the possibilities endless.
According to ZenithOptimedia’s recent report, Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, it is predicted that mobile advertising will overtake desktop ads by 2018. Mobile advertising will account for close to $115 billion by next year, up from $50 billion in 2015.
The need to improve upon the customer experience is nothing new. Over the past few years, a wide array of technologies has been introduced that has changed the customer experience. Gartner predicts that technologies that utilize personalize and customer journey analytics will help with future customer journeys and engagements.
The customer experience will rise to the top in priority for many marketers; it is slowly taking over price and product as a brand’s key differentiator.
By Joya Scarlata
