Only 54% of ‘High-performing’ Marketers Lead Customer Experience Initiatives

Customers want to be treated like humans and not numbers, according to a recent report from Salesforce, but only 54% of high-performing marketing teams lead customer experience initiatives

Most customers—84%—say that they want to be treated like humans and not a number, but only 54% of high-performing marketing teams lead customer experience initiatives, according to the fifth edition of Salesforce’s “State of Marketing” report.

The report, which surveyed more than 4,100 marketers, finds that 49% of marketing leaders believe that they provide an experience that’s aligned with what customers expect. Marketing leaders say that their No. 1 priority is “engaging with customers in real time,” but also responded that their No. 1 challenge is the same—”engaging with customers in real time.”

“High-performing organizations stand apart by embracing strategies that consider customers’ entire journeys, and therefore enable truly personalized engagement,” the Salesforce report says, adding that 56% of high-performing marketers are actively mapping the customer journey across the company. “These same high-performing marketers have managed, to a much greater degree than their competitors, to foster collaborative relationships across their organizations, effectively apply customer data and ultimately engage their customers and prospects in real time.”

Salesforce finds that:

• 30% of all marketers are satisfied with their ability to use customer data to create more relevant experiences.
• 29% are satisfied with their ability to deliver the right message on the right channel at the right time.
• 28% are satisfied with their ability to create a shared, single view of customers across business units.
• 28% are satisfied with their ability to create personalized omni-channel customer experiences.

Although many marketers are still unsatisfied with their ability to create a great customer experience, many seem to be on the path to get better. Salesforce’s report finds that 65% of marketing leaders say that team members share both metrics and a common goal, while 62% say that “individuals and teams are more aligned with each other than ever before.”

“Customers see one company—not separate departments,” the report says. “As customer experience leaders, marketers must look outside their hallowed walls for new opportunities to drive superior engagement.” The Salesforce report, which also includes responses on AI and data, can be read in-full here.