Digital technology is pushing past the PC, according to research from VoucherCodes.co.uk’s parent company RetailMeNot, which claims that 87% of retailers plan to make mobile marketing their key priority for 2015.

More than half of senior decision makers in the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands consider that their digital marketing efforts are not sufficient, with 92% of those planning to increase expenditure on digital marketing in the next three to five years.

74% of executives surveyed said that their decision was primarily focussed on driving sales, 72% said that their strategy would focus on new customer acquisition. Just over a third (37%) said that they were looking to generally increase web traffic.

Digital marketing and retail is clearly recognised as a priority to retail businesses, with 66% of those surveyed saying that more than half of their marketing budgets were already dedicated to digital channels. The report found that e-mails are seen as the leading option in terms of marketing, followed by social media and paid search results.

Traditional marketing avenues are falling out of favour, with only 30% using physical billboards and 25% employing radio. Eight out of ten marketers stated that digital marketing methods provided a notably higher return on investment that physical resources.

Giulio Montemagno, SVP of RetailMeNot, said:

“European retail has been characterised by strong growth in online and mobile shopping in recent years. As a result, marketers are racing to discover the most efficient means to attract and satisfy new customers in the digital environment, all the while enriching and personalising the customer experience across all channels.”

Mobile marketing has proven particularly popular, with 71% of surveyed marketers planning to drive sales directly through tablets and smartphones. Fewer than 10% of businesses still have no mobile marketing strategy.

More than half (56%) of UK retailers think that they are trailing their competitors when it comes to utilising mobile website marketing, and 70% feel that their apps are less advanced than their industry rivals. Comparatively, two out of three businesses are of the opinion that their more “traditional” desktop digital services put them ahead of the competition.

A similar figure (63%) confirmed that they could take better advantage of digital marketing options to increase their market share, and just over half (52%) said that they were willing to invest in innovation for new technologies even before concrete ROI results had been returned simply in order to prevent other businesses from beating them to the punch when it came to mobile marketing.

Giulio Montemagno concluded:

“The survey results confirm the marketers’ enthusiasm for the potential of current and future digital marketing opportunities, despite the fact that almost two thirds of the respondents feel that they’re not yet using these technique to their full potential.

“Targeting consumers with offers on their mobile device, which can be redeemed in store or online, can help marketers effectively drive sales and differentiate themselves from their competitors in a way that is highly relevant for their target audience. The retailers who deliver a consistent and compelling shopping experience across the customer journey will win the hearts and minds of consumers.”

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Words: Peter Cribley