• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, November 8, 2018

Mass marketing made it easy for marketers to build and target paid-search advertisements to consumers. The message simply needed to appeal to the masses. Then along came the “custom experience,” and brands scrambled to understand the technology that allowed marketers to collect the data required to create the most personalized experience possible.  

And while I may be stating the obvious, data released Thursday shows a major disconnect between marketers and consumers. The numbers are not insignificant. In fact, nearly half of customers believe brands aren’t meeting their expectations for a great experience.

While 87% of marketers feel they deliver consumers an engaging experiences, four in five of those same marketers polled feel disappointed as consumers by their own experiences with the brands they love.

The findings come from a global survey Closing the CX Gap: Customer Experience Trends Report 2019 that was commissioned by Acquia and conducted by Regina Corso Consulting, surveying more than 5,000 consumers and 500 marketers across Australia, Europe and North America.

Some marketers point to sophisticated technology they don’t understand, and 74% of marketers feel technology makes it more difficult rather than easier to offer customers personalized experiences.

Marketers say that being overwhelmed and inundated with technology makes it difficult to retrieve the data that is often stuck in silos, preventing them from gaining a clear view of what customers really want.

But retailers and brands that can leverage their customer data will gain a greater share of consumers, especially during the upcoming holidays.

Although 65% of marketers acknowledge that complex technology actually makes personalizing experiences more difficult, 62% said they plan to spend more on marketing technology in 2019. 

Marketers also indicate they are confident in their data privacy practices with respect to personal information, and 85% feel they do a good job ensuring compliance with data regulations.