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Marketing has never been better at optimization.

Campaigns can now be targeted by behavior, adjusted in real time and measured across dozens of performance indicators. Algorithms help brands decide which message appears where, when and to whom. Every impression can be counted.

But in this era of perfect optimization, something important has quietly eroded. Presence.

Most modern marketing happens on screens. These are fleeting exposures that appear, scroll by and disappear. We’ve built a system that excels at delivering impressions, but impressions alone rarely create the emotional ties that build long-term awareness and affinity.

That’s where tangible marketing still holds unique power.

Physical touchpoints, whether products, experiences or environments, place brands directly into people’s lives. They aren’t consumed and forgotten in seconds. They remain visible, useful or memorable over time: that becomes a personal signal; that makes one night last a decade.

And because of that persistence, they create something every brand covets: lasting connections.

For many marketers, the challenge isn’t understanding the value of tangible engagement. It’s remembering to design it into campaigns from the start rather than adding it later.

Why Tangible Marketing Sticks

The advantage of physical brand experiences aligns with simple human behavior. People remember what they hold, use, wear and interact with repeatedly. Tangible objects, such as your brand merchandise, occupies real space in daily routines, and that repetition strengthens positive associations over time.

Consumer research reinforces this pattern. Studies examining branded merch consistently show that these physical touchpoints generate high recall and favorability among recipients. In research conducted by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), recall rates for branded merchandise , with favorability scores even higher.

More broadly, PPAI research shows that more than half of consumers keep promotional items for . In other words, people aren’t just keeping merch because it’s useful. They keep it because these pieces represent experiences, memories or relationships with the brands behind them.

That emotional dimension is difficult to replicate in other channels.

It also helps explain why well-designed tangible marketing often outperforms expectations when it comes to brand recall and loyalty.

When Brands Build Lasting Connections

Several brands have leaned into merch not as a novelty but as a core part of their brand ecosystem.

Take Liquid Death, the canned water company that has built an entire lifestyle identity around its merchandise. The brand’s sells everything from bomber jackets to Spotify-enabled urns. It generates revenue streams that rival its beverage sales, but more importantly the merchandise transforms customers into visible advocates. This is how everyday items like t-shirts and hats can become conversation starters.

We’ve all experienced the unexpected cultural momentum of drinkware. These are statement pieces today. They go everywhere with us. The giant Stanley Quencher tumbler alone has been the subject of , limited edition and that reinforced the physical product as a centerpiece of the brand experience.

Even legacy brands are rediscovering the power of tangible engagement. generated enormous attention in part because of the grownup-approved figurines included with the meal. The collectibles transformed a standard promotion into a physical experience that consumers wanted to own, share and display.

Each of these examples illustrates the same principle. When tangible elements are central to the strategy, they amplify attention and extend engagement far beyond the momentary. A product kept and shown off or treasured personally is a campaign extended for more impressions (and therefor a lower CPI and greater ROI).

From Instance To Impact

Of course, not every branded product or physical activation delivers that kind of impact.

The difference often comes down to design and intentionality.

�ʱʴ���’s , which examined consumer reactions to promotional products, found that design is the most important factor determining whether people keep a branded item. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said design influences whether they hold onto a product. Quality materials ranked next, valued by 68% of consumers, while nearly half said a personal touch like personalization or messaging makes an item more memorable or bound to be kept.

Those findings reinforce a critical lesson for marketers. Tangible marketing works best when it is thoughtful. A poorly designed keepsake can undermine brand perception just as quickly as a great one can strengthen it. But when quality and relevance are prioritized, physical items become part of a consumer’s routine rather than a disposable artifact of a campaign.

That’s where tangible marketing moves from promotional to experiential.

The Media Mix Needs Weight

None of this suggests that digital marketing is losing its importance. On the contrary, digital channels remain unmatched in their ability to deliver reach, targeting and real-time performance data.

But digital works best when paired with something that provides campaign oomph.

Physical touchpoints like merch provide that weight. They transform abstract messaging into something consumers can interact with. They extend brand visibility beyond the moment of exposure. And they reinforce the idea that there is a real organization, with real people, behind the brand.

The most effective marketing strategies today combine both approaches.

Digital media drives discovery and scale. Merch marketing deepens connection and memory. Together they create a more balanced ecosystem that serves both short-term performance and long-term brand equity.

Designing Presence From The Start

The key for marketers is to treat tangible marketing as a strategic channel rather than an afterthought add-on.

Too often, physical elements appear late in campaign development and get added as giveaways, event swag or promotional extras. By that stage, they have limited opportunity to reinforce the central brand narrative. Marketers are so cognizant of attributing metrics that show the effectiveness of their work, and digital media offers each to obtain scorecards. It’s always among the first considerations in any campaign. But the real ROI of merch is no different if we’re clear on the intent and audience of the piece.

If we’re deliberate, we can track the recipient’s behavior, the buying actions they take, and the lasting connection that results. When tangible elements are designed into campaigns from the beginning, they play a major role. They anchor experiences, encourage sharing, spark conversation and extend brand visibility into everyday life.

In a marketing landscape increasingly dominated by digital impressions, that kind of presence matters more than ever.

Optimization may drive efficiency. But presence drives connection.

And the brands that succeed in the next era of marketing will likely be the ones that recognize both are essential.

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A finds that ALN is effective—but only under specific conditions. Some businesses experience significant increases in sales, while others see little to no impact. The key factors determining success include the nature of the sales cycle, deal complexity, and whether the customer is new or returning.

We uncover a critical insight: ALN enhances lead interactions and improves the quality of sales conversations, but it does not guarantee higher conversion rates across all industries. ALN works best when used for new leads, short sales cycles, and lower-value deals. However, its benefits decline in high-ticket purchases or industries where buyers conduct extensive independent research.

ALN works best when used for new leads, short sales cycles, and lower-value deals. However, its benefits decline in high-ticket purchases or industries where buyers conduct extensive independent research.

This distinction has major implications for businesses investing in ALN. Many companies measure ALN success using vanity metrics—email opens, click-through rates, and engagement levels—without assessing whether those interactions lead to actual sales. Our findings suggest that firms should rethink how they evaluate automation success and shift their focus to measuring ALN’s impact on meaningful outcomes like sales meetings and conversions.

When ALN Works—and When It Doesn’t

For companies selling relatively simple products or services with shorter sales cycles, ALN can be a powerful tool. By delivering targeted content at the right time, ALN reduces uncertainty for potential buyers and ensures that sales teams engage with more informed prospects. Our research finds that in such cases, ALN can lead to a 23 percentage point increase in conversion rates.

However, for industries with long and complex sales cycles, such as B2B enterprise software or industrial equipment, ALN’s impact is less clear. In these cases, buyers rely on detailed research, peer recommendations, and in-depth consultations rather than automated content. ALN may increase engagement but does not necessarily lead to more closed deals.

Returning customers also respond differently to ALN compared to first-time buyers. Since they already have a relationship with the brand, they are less likely to need automated content to guide their purchase decision. This means companies must differentiate how they nurture new versus existing leads, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Are Businesses Measuring the Wrong Metrics?

One of the biggest mistakes we observe is companies focusing too much on engagement metrics rather than true business outcomes. Many firms evaluate ALN success on the basis of email opens, website visits, or social media interactions. Although these indicators suggest interest, they do not necessarily translate into revenue.

Our research suggests that businesses should measure ALN effectiveness by tracking:

• Lead-to-sales meeting conversion rates (Does ALN drive actual conversations between buyers and sales teams?)
• Sales cycle speed (Does ALN shorten the time it takes to close a deal?)
• Revenue impact (Does ALN increase the number of closed deals and overall profitability?)

Shifting to these meaningful metrics will help businesses make informed decisions about ALN’s true value.

How Companies Can Use ALN Strategically

We find that ALN works best as an enhancement—not a replacement—for human sales interactions. Companies that rely too heavily on automation risk alienating high-value prospects who expect personalized, consultative selling. Instead of viewing ALN as a standalone solution, businesses should:

• Segment their leads and tailor ALN for different customer groups (e.g., new vs. returning buyers).
• Use ALN to complement human interactions, rather than replace them, particularly for complex sales.
• Refine ALN strategies over time by tracking real business outcomes rather than engagement metrics.

For marketing leaders, the takeaway is clear: ALN can be a powerful tool, but only if it is applied strategically. Businesses should test its impact before fully committing, ensuring that automation aligns with their sales process rather than relying on industry hype.

Source: Johannes Habel, Nathaniel Hartmann, Phillip Wiseman, Michael Ahearne, and Shashank Vaid, “,” Journal of Marketing.

Go to the Journal of Marketing

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For marketers, it can sometimes feel like there aren’t enough hours in a day.  With all of the marketing activity that comes along with the job, from managing lead generation and sales tasks to planning your digital marketing efforts and monitoring social media, marketing is a full-time job and then some.

But, there is a way to steal back more hours of your day.

Savvy marketers know that automating tasks and workflows can streamline marketing efforts, free up valuable time, maximize efficiency, and, in the end, help to increase a company’s bottom line.  

With that in mind, we have created a list of repetitive marketing tasks that you and your marketing team should be automating.

Email Tasks

Since is such a critical component of a successful digital marketing campaign, it stands to reason that email marketing automation is one of the most effective ways that a marketer can use automation to ease their load.

Here are five ways you can make email marketing automation work to your advantage:

Use email marketing automation to deliver content downloads.

Setting up automated emails to deliver content opt-ins such as reports or ebooks allows you to instantly provide your subscribers with valuable content while keeping them engaged and automatically growing your email list.

Use a newsletter automation tool to save time and deliver valuable content.

Automated , like rasa.io, take email marketing automation to the next level. Not only can marketers streamline the creation and delivery process but, with the latest AI technology, they can deliver personalized content to meet the interests of individual subscribers. Think: email segment of one.

Use automation to manage your email drip campaigns.

Email drip campaigns are essential to any email marketing effort. With email automation software, you can trust that emails are being sent to your audience automatically based on changes in their status or specific actions they may take.

Use task automation to send email follow-ups.

It’s easy to get fed up when you manually chase people who haven’t gotten back to you. Thankfully, most CRM software enables users to automate follow-up emails after a set amount of time so that you don’t have to spend hours on this tedious task. Write the email one time and forever be available to follow up without even realizing it.

Use automation software to send cart abandonment emails.

You know the importance of tracking those sales leads on the verge of conversion but need a slight push across the finish line. If you have an eCommerce site, set up an automated cart abandonment email to do the job. Even if you are not in eCommerce, you can set up automated emails to users in other marketing and sales funnels you create as well.

Social Media Tasks

These days, social media marketing is crucial to brand success, but it can eat up a lot of your marketing team’s valuable resources.

Here are two ways that workflow automation can help:

Use marketing automation tools for social media scheduling.

An incredibly effective way to save valuable time and resources within your social media marketing efforts is to employ software that helps you schedule social media posts in advance using a marketing automation system.

Some popular tools:

• Buffer
• MeetEdgar
• Lately.ai
• Hootsuite

Use Facebook bots to increase engagement.

An incredibly personalized and impactful way to lead generation is through the use of a Facebook bot that guides your new sales leads through the conversion process.

Sales Tasks

Marketing automation tasks aren’t limited to email campaigns and social media marketing efforts. Ease the burden on your sales team by employing a marketing automation strategy specifically tailored to increase sales.

Here are three ways.

Use a marketing automation tool to upsell your customers.

Marketing isn’t only about lead generation. It’s about continued engagement with your existing customers. Marketing automation software can be a powerful tool in helping to upsell customers at the ideal time by offering products and services similar to those they already value.

Use a live chat marketing automation platform to engage customers.

Offering a live chat feature has become a must-have for companies doing business online. Existing and potential customers are looking for ways to get in touch with you quickly and easily. Using live chat apps, marketers can create automated chatbots configured to bring in new leads and assist existing users, which will undoubtedly supercharge your customer service efforts.

Use a sales automation tool to extend free trials and enhance the customer experience.

When a user signs up for a free trial of your product or service and fails to convert, you can set up an automation tool that will automatically send them a trial extension offer and keep them in the game.

Automated Marketing is the Key to a Successful Marketing Strategy

When you automate the steps involved in the marketing process and the sales process, and everything in between, you give your sales team and your marketing team time to focus on nurturing promising leads and big picture strategies. Automation will result in more prospects, more customers, and more sales. The use of marketing automation can also give you a more detailed picture of existing and potential customer data that can help you in the long run.

Whether you are part of a team in charge of marketing for a small business or a larger one, there are countless marketing automation tools to help you get the job done.

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Understand Behavioral Data to Provide a More Personalized Marketing Experience

Sending emails, using social media, and many other tasks are made easier with marketing automation, but it’s not just about making routine jobs more streamlined. It’s about multiplying the results. The real power lies in the ability to forge more authentic and meaningful relationships through personalization.

According to recent research, the majority of prospects () say they feel frustrated with impersonal brand experiences. Moreover, are more likely to purchase from a company that provides personalized experiences.

For example, allows companies to focus campaigns on very specific prospects who are identified ahead of time. Take Computer Sciences Corporation, which provides information technology and professional services. Using marketing automation, the company built various ad campaigns that were tactically designed to target — and then retarget — specific accounts, using strategically developed content across a variety of channels. Overall, this campaign led to a increase in page views and moved more prospects along the sales cycle.

The role of marketing automation in creating these types of personalized experiences will be even more important in the future. Marketers can get very precise about understanding prospects’ and customers’ behaviors by tracking behavior and deploying strategies to act on insights faster.

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will Continue to Connect the Dots

If you’re stuck at {First.Name} personalization, you’re not alone. Over half of digital marketing leaders () struggle with personalization. However, only 17% use AI and to assist in the process, so it’s no wonder the effort stalls out. Gartner recommends that companies should “focus on addressing long standing personalization challenges by channeling their existing collection and use of customer data toward customer needs that align with business goals.”

Machine learning allows you to capture data about users and online behaviors. Automation empowers you to sort that data. Various areas can be improved through machine learning and marketing automation, including:

• Harnessing real-time responses. Marketing automation platforms like Act-On can predict the best times to engage with specific types of buyers, leveraging previous behaviors and actions to pinpoint the optimal time for send an email, for example
• Identifying “micro-segments” of customers. Machine learning allows you to spot patterns faster and at scale. It can find small micro-segments of customers with shared interests and needs, connecting the dots in areas that traditional marketing methods are slow to recognize.
• Testing conventional wisdom. Machine learning allows you to test conventional wisdom and assumptions, and tap into prescriptive advice. It does the “heavy lifting” so that you can focus more energy on creative and strategic tasks.

Capabilities around machine learning and marketing automation will only become more sophisticated in the future, allowing marketers to engage with the right audience, at the right time, and with the right level of personalization.

Live Video is Exploding and Crosses Over Into Automation

Live video has become a in B2B content marketing with the increase in social media platforms that offer this feature. A about this type of video include:

• The live streaming industry grew 99% between April 2019 and April 2020.
• 96% percent of people report they’ve viewed an explainer video to discover more about a product or a service.
• 47% of live streaming video viewers worldwide are watching more live videos than a year ago.
• Companies that use video report 41% more traffic from searches.
• Nearly half of consumers (40%) report that video increases the chance that they’ll purchase a product on their mobile device.

B2B companies can start to experiment with using live video in conjunction with marketing automation, putting out the content that prospects demand and gleaning valuable insights from how they watch and interact with that content. As a result, you can make marketing efforts more precise, further driving more leads and sales for your company.

Automation Fosters Greater Channel Integration

Customers today have more channels to choose from when engaging with a brand, and while using these channels, they expect to receive a consistent brand experience. In fact, multi-channel campaigns that integrate four or more digital channels are shown to outperform a single- or dual-channel campaign by, according to Gartner Research. But the key is getting these interactions right.

Marketing automation helps push out consistent content through all channels and reach customers with greater impact. What’s more, you can gain insights and capture a detailed story about what’s going on with your customers in the moment of relevance, to create even better content in the future.

As a result, every customer experience can be tailored to the channel that customers prefer and to where they are in the buying cycle, delivering a more personalized and relevant experience through the power of automation.

Content Marketing and Automation Create an Unstoppable Duo

Marketing automation and content marketing are a powerful duo which allow you the opportunity to expand the effectiveness of your content, capture more leads, improve conversion rates, and drive higher return on investment.

Marketing automation provides the tools required to get to know customers better. Using this information, you can segment customers into different groups and then start to develop content strategies for each set of customers.

Tapping into specific data on each group ― from understanding where they access content about your products and services to the types of search queries they’re creating ― is very valuable. Having the ability to generate these reports and make changes in a more efficient manner empowers marketers to stay nimble and better meet customer needs. As a result, you can nurture leads or move customers more effectively through the sales cycle.

Equally important, once you truly understand a group of buyers, you can modify and fine-tune marketing strategies to respond to their demands. The right content is delivered quickly, and sometimes you can even deliver the content slightly before the need, which helps move the sales cycle forward.

User Experience is Shaped Through Marketing Automation Insights

No matter how trends in B2B marketing automation change, user experience remains at the heart of every product’s success. When marketing automation works well, it enhances the user experience. For example, let’s say that you recently sent out an email blast to prospects, encouraging them to visit your website and learn more about your product. If they click on the email link, it’s important that they view website content that is most relevant to their needs, such as case studies about their specific industry or other valuable details.

plays an important role in ensuring that what the customers view is customized to their needs, and in ensuring that the experience on the website is relevant to where the customers are in the buying cycle.

Gathering data about prospects, and better understanding that data, helps leverage the power of personalization so that you only present the most relevant content.

B2B Marketing Automation Trends: A Few Last Words

Marketing automation has proven itself to be a powerful asset in the marketer’s toolbox, but in the future, it won’t be enough to have the tool itself; you’ll need to implement best practices and optimize your use of the full power of your marketing tech stack.

These trends in B2B marketing can help inspire your strategy moving forward, as you integrate and test different methods for using marketing automation to connect with, engage, and delight your customers in new ways. As a result, you’ll gain the ability to manage leads and improve demand generation with greater impact.

Learn more about how efforts across the entire customer lifecycle.

To learn more marketing automation trends and insights, download our .

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The Challenge

BMO is one of the top banks in North America, and this means they run a lot of campaigns at a fast pace. Their marketing team places a strong focus on being customer advocates and in-tune with customer needs and preferences. And with that, they recognize the importance of maintaining objective, customer-centric thinking in marketing decisions.However, they were seeing some inefficiencies in their research approach, with some teams unaware of what tools were available, when to use them or how to use them. BMO needed a solution that would standardize the research approach across teams, with common/repeatable tests readily available for quick and efficient use. They also needed to make sure there was cross-team transparency, so every marketer knew when and how to use the tools available to them.

The Solution

We took BMO through our onboarding process, which began with BMO conducting an internal audit to uncover what research their teams use, how often, and at what points teams wished they had more data to support their decisions.

From there, BMO worked with Methodify to determine the key opportunities for automated research and standard approaches (aligned to specific stages of the campaign development process). These turn-key repeatable methods were implemented on the Methodify platform for use at those critical points in the campaign development process.

Preparing these research tests in isolation wasn’t going to fully solve the problem. We also partnered closely with BMO to put together comprehensive training that was delivered across marketing, to ensure everyone was aware of and understood the tools available to them.

The Results

3 BMO-specific automated methods were rolled out on Methodify, covering approximately 80% of the team’s research needs for campaign development. For the other 20%, we continue to work with BMO to design custom methods as new needs arise. This two-prong approach assisted in democratizing access to the means of testing throughout the process to all marketing team members – over 60 of which have been onboarded and trained. Each team member is now able to set-up their own tests and get results back in a matter of days instead of weeks. Methodify continues to onboard new marketing team members as they join, and will be continue to integrate new technologies for them to use.

Methodify’s standardized reporting has enabled the data used for marketing decisions to be easier to share and understand across different groups in the organization. BMO marketers now have easy-to-use and efficient research tools at their fingertips, ensuring they can continue to keep up with their business, their market and, most importantly, their customers.

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The answer is yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Recently, our firm  

We wanted to see just how well marketers in retail, banking, and travel/hospitality engage consumers, connect positively with them, and make good relationships stick.

Why these industries? As a group, they make up a big slice of the economy. They also serve as a pretty good proxy for other consumer-facing sectors and industries.

So, what do consumers most want? Convenience and personalization. They want shopping experiences that are easy, swift, pleasant. And they want those experiences tailored to them.

Yet, when it comes to personalizing customer experiences, is any industry getting it right?

Our findings show that, to date, no industry has. Fewer than half (44%) of consumers surveyed say their retail shopping experiences—online and in-store—feel very or extremely tailored to them. Even fewer respondents say the same about their interactions with banks (38%) and travel and hospitality providers (28%).

A closer look at what we found, starting with consumers of retail goods, reveals even more actionable insights.

In retail, convenience and personalization rule

What do we mean by consumer convenience? For shoppers, it’s the ability to:

• Find products and services easily and quickly  
• Learn more about those offerings with ease
• Get needed information in real time
• Complete a transaction expediently through their preferred channel and payment method, anytime and from anywhere

We describe personalization as a relevant interaction with a business tailored to the individual shopper based on information the business has about that person. Consider the shopper who wants to refresh her weekend wardrobe. It’s a good bet she’ll think first of the retailer who knows her favorite brands and alerts her to upcoming sales.

Indeed, convenience and personalization are crucial elements of customer engagement today, across every channel and point of contact.

Online shopping and its growing appeal

Respondents cite convenience, free shipping, and saving time as the main reasons they shop online. These factors can guide brand managers when designing and prioritizing their online channels.

Here’s a breakdown of online buying patterns:

• Directly, on store or brand websites (65%)
• Search-engine websites (Google, Bing, and others) (43%)
• Via offers, deals, or links (35%)
• Mobile apps (30%)

Another reason brands need to get it right with their online channels: Competitors’ online assets will only grow in number, functionality, and sophistication, including AI-enabled, highly personalized interactions with shoppers.

In-store retail shopping. Dead? Alive? Somewhere in between?

Has the growing preference for online shopping dampened consumers’ interest in browsing and buying in stores? Based on our findings, not really.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents say they plan to do the same amount of in-store shopping today as they did a year ago. Among the in-store draws they cite: the ability to try on clothing, see its quality and features, avoid shipping costs and delivery times, and take items home immediately.

They also identify the singular experience of shopping on site as another big draw. Many consumers we polled like to shop in-store and online, sometimes simultaneously.

For marketers—and not only those in retail—the research supports a sure prediction: As shoppers engage with brands across multiple channels, brands will feel more pressure to deliver a seamless, cohesive omnichannel experience.

Abandoned shopping carts—stubborn reality or fertile opportunity?

Marketers seeking to make every consumer interaction as positive and “sticky” as possible [and what marketer doesn’t], should find our study of shopping-cart abandonment especially interesting. The term describes shoppers who add items to their online carts but exit the page/site without completing the purchase.

Consumers we polled cite these reasons (in descending order of frequency):

• Needing more time to decide (37%)
• Changing their minds (33%)
• Unexpected shipping costs (29%)
• Waiting for a sale or discount (21%)
• Getting distracted (20%)

Marketers should take heart, though. Here’s why:

• Employing “persistent” carts or reminder messages can be very effective in nudging consumers back to their carts to complete the purchase.
  • 42% of shoppers say that receiving a reminder (through email, SMS, etc.) would make them more likely to go back and complete the purchase.
  • Four of five shoppers tell us that, after abandoning their cart, they’d be more likely to go back and complete the purchase if they received a follow-up discount or coupon code (email, SMS, etc.)
  • Getting a follow-up email with similar cart items also would woo them back.

• To convert even more customers, brands could use special limited offers to prompt a return to the point of purchase.

• One more thing: Don’t underestimate the role of email in driving shoppers back to their abandoned carts. More than two-thirds of respondents (68%) say they prefer email prompts/reminders about those carts. That far outpaces the number of shoppers who’d rather receive notification through text messages, mobile in-app push notifications, and reminder ads on social media.

Of shopping-cart abandoners, 42% agree that getting a reminder (email, SMS, etc.) about their abandoned cart would make them more likely to complete the purchase.

These ways to resuscitate retail shopping-cart activity can work in other categories, too—such as travel/hospitality, banking, and B2B businesses.

The banking arena

In general, banks do a great job of “getting it right.” Nearly three-quarters of respondents say they’re extremely or very satisfied with their bank. The chief reasons they stay with their bank? Convenience, being a longstanding customer, and good customer service.

What motivates the 12 percent of consumers who say they’ll likely change banks within six months? The research points to the poor service they get now and the lure of greater convenience and better promotional offers elsewhere. The likeliest age cohort to switch banks? People 18-34 years old. (This same group uses debit cards more often, too.)

When choosing a credit card, consumers cite as their chief considerations cash back, annual fees, and loyalty points/rewards. Here, too, differences among age groups emerge.

For example, younger consumers express more concern about additional charges and fees, as well as minimum-repayment options. Older generations appear to attach more importance to annual percentage rates.

Two near-certainties come into view: If banks recognize and prioritize the right messages to their target audiences, they’ll likely see higher credit-card conversion rates. Also, as more consumers use mobile and online channels to conduct their banking, financial institutions need to ensure a seamless customer experience, especially in delivering customer service.

What can banks do better?

Nearly a third of consumers in our survey express high levels of interest (extremely or very) in a more personalized banking experience. So, despite the increasing commoditization of financial services, there’s still room for banks to differentiate themselves.

In brief, banks can keep their customers happy—and loyal—by:

• Making convenience and customer service a priority across all potential touch points and interactions
• Personalizing every banking experience, offer, and message based on the priorities of each customer

Hospitality/travel consumers

Our study reveals that, unlike banks, hotels need to work harder to get customer service right. Of the three verticals in our study, travel/hospitality appears to create the least tailored customer experiences.

When it comes to accommodations, hotels remain the most popular option despite the entry of less traditional providers of lodging. A full 40 percent of respondents say they often stay in hotels. Yet, of travelers who frequent them, only 23 percent indicate they are extremely or very loyal to a particular brand or family of hotels.

This suggests that each piece of the customer journey—online searches, booking, on-site/in-person experiences—can play a pivotal (even outsized) role in boosting loyalty to hotel brands. And, of course, from loyalty come higher revenues and a more positive reputation. 

One McKinsey study*** showed that the average purchase journey for finding a hotel room lasts 36 days and hits 45 touch points. With endless options and multiple touch points, hoteliers need to innovate new strategies to continue converting, engaging, and retaining loyal hotel guests across touch points and channels.

Key takeaways

From the opinions and views shoppers shared with us, we draw these concluding observations:

Consumers want to be acknowledged, respected, understood. They prize convenience and personalization. And they want a consistently good experience in every interaction with a product or service provider. That includes via websites, text messages, mailings, face-to-face communication, and every other point of connection.

Successful brands—and the teams behind them—will be the ones that remain constantly aware of the fragility of customer satisfaction and loyalty, and the need to keep winning that loyalty in every interaction, through every medium.

If a brand can ensure that customers experience enjoyable, seamless, and personalized paths to purchase, it’s doing things right.

*To order a copy of our report, please click here:

**This report is based on a survey conducted November 8-12, 2019, and commissioned by Resulticks. Respondents were sourced from OpinionRoute. Our objective was to better understand shopping plans and trends in customization across retail, banking, and travel. The survey covered 1,001 consumers and is nationally representative. Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

***How to serve today’s digital traveler, Alex Dichter, McKinsey senior partner, 2018

���������t Resulticks

Resulticks is a real-time, big-data-driven marketing cloud solution built from the ground up by experts in marketing, technology, and business strategy to deliver top-line growth. Outcomes-focused and enabled by the world’s first customer data blockchain, Resulticks equips brands to make a transformational leap to true omnichannel engagement. With its AI-powered, customer-centric approach and attribution at the segment-of-one level, Resulticks is changing how brands worldwide reach, acquire, and retain satisfied customers.

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Discover how these five top crm solutions compare when it comes to:

• Sales force automation
• Marketing integration
• Customer service and support
• Help desk automation

In addition to the guide, you will receive a free phone consultation with a Software Advice system expert, who can provide a shortlist of vendors that best fit your unique needs.

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This guide will help you to better understand key aspects of accurate marketing automation software pricing, including:

• Learn about relevant pricing models
• Understand common price ranges
• Budget by desired applicants
• Account for additional cost factors
• Compare prices of popular systems

Plus, with your download, you will receive a free phone consultation with one of our system experts. Software Advice makes software selection easy by matching you with their expert advisors, who provide a shortlist of vendors that best fit your unique needs.

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