UK marketers have named the internet of things (IoT) as the main technology they plan to include in their marketing strategies this year.
This is according to a survey carried out by Marketo which looked at the technologies marketers plan to use in 2017. The IoT was selected by 42% of those questioned.
Virtual reality (VR) was the next most popular development with 39%, followed by artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics (both with 24%). Machine learning – where computers develop without specific programming – was chosen by a fifth of respondents.
While the IoT – the addition of internet connectivity to everyday objects – was a priority for those in the UK, France and Germany, predictive analytics was highlighted as the most exciting technology by US marketers.
Technology research firm IHS predicts 30.7 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2020, and last year analysts at Gartner reported 5.5 million devices were being connected every day.
Managing the data generated by these new technologies also represents a challenge for UK marketers in the year ahead. Some 38% of those surveyed said they needed a solution to keep up with the speed and number of interactions to maintain customer relationships in the year ahead, and the same proportion wanted improved reporting and analytics.
Conor Shaw, MD of EMEA at Marketo, said: “Marketers are focusing more on their role as storytellers and exploring the ability of these tools to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with customers. As they fall under the marketer’s digital ownership, the next great challenge will be how these elements coalesce to deliver an end-to-end immersive experience.”
The survey canvassed 620 marketers in Australia, France, Germany, the UK and the US.
The top five technologies UK marketers plan to include in marketing strategies in 2017
- Internet of things (42%)
- Virtual reality (39%)
- Artificial intelligence (24%)
- Predictive analytics (24%)
- Machine learning (20%)