A Forrester Consulting Thought Leadership Paper Commissioned By Dell

Listening And Engaging In The Digital Marketing Age

Companies Progress Their Customer-Centric Approaches And See Positive Business Outcomes July 2011

Forrester Consulting

Listening And Engaging In The Digital Marketing Age

Table Of Contents
ExecutiveSummary.....................................................................................................................................................................................................2 TheShiftToCustomerCentricityIsRealAndPermanent......................................................................................................................3 ListeningAndDigitalEngagementInitiativesReflectProgress...........................................................................................................4 IntegrationWillBeTheCatalystForReinvention.......................................................................................................................................7 CompaniesWithSharpFocusWillLeadTheDigitalMarketingAge..............................................................................................10 KeyRecommendations...........................................................................................................................................................................................19 AppendixA:Methodology.....................................................................................................................................................................................20 AppendixB:SupplementalMaterial................................................................................................................................................................20 AppendixC:Demographics..................................................................................................................................................................................21

2011,ForresterResearch,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Unauthorizedreproductionisstrictlyprohibited.Informationisbasedonbestavailable resources.Opinionsreflectjudgmentatthetimeandaresubjecttochange.Forrester,Technographics,ForresterWave,RoleView, TechRadar,andTotalEconomicImpactaretrademarksofForresterResearch,Inc.Allothertrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespective companies.Foradditionalinformation,gotowww.forrester.com. 1IW7QG9

About Forrester Consulting Forrester Consulting provides independent and objective research-based consulting to help leaders succeed in their organizations. Ranging in scope from a short strategy session to custom projects, Forresters Consulting services connect you directly with research analysts who apply expert insight to your specific business challenges. For more information, visit www.forrester.com/consulting.

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Executive Summary
Today,anincreasingpercentageofbusinesstobusiness B2B andbusinesstoconsumer B2C customersare empoweredtouseavarietyofsocialtechnologiestohelpthemmakecomplex Companies are evolving purchasingdecisions.Thisnewageofempowermenthasalteredtheway their approaches to manycompaniesarenowapproachingcustomercentricity.Companiesare customer centricity by implementing listening learninghowtoeffectivelylistentotheircustomersbyempoweringtheir and digital engagement employeestoutilizevarioussocialmediatacticsintheirmarketingmix.These initiatives socialmediatacticshavehelpedcompaniesbuilddeeperengagementswith theircustomersbyallowingthemtomonitor,measureandparticipatein onlineconversations.Companiesalsoexperiencederivativebenefitsfromtheirlisteninganddigital engagementeffortsastheyachieveorganizationalefficienciesfromembeddingtheseactivitiesintheir marketing,customerservice,andsalesfunctions. InJune2011,DellcommissionedForresterConsultingtoevaluateandarticulatehoweffectivelycompanies listenandengageonlinewiththeircustomers.Forresteralsoanalyzedthewaystheseinitiativesareimpacting companiesinternalprocessesperformancemetrics. Inconductingindepthsurveyswith200USbasedmarketersatmediumandlargecompanies,Forresterfound thatorganizationsacrossvariousindustriesthathaveimplementedlisteninganddigitalengagementinitiatives arestartingtoseeimpressivebusinessreturns.Accordingtothisstudy,manycompaniesareprogressingtheir socialmediaefforts,whicharebeginningtodeliversolidquantitativeandqualitativebusinessresults. Organizationscanincreasethevalueandefficiencyoftheirexistingsocialmediaeffortsbyevolvingtheir approachestocustomercentricityandbyimplementinglisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesthat empowerthemtoengageonlinewithcustomersthroughtheirmarketingefforts.

Key Findings
Forrestersstudyyieldedthefollowingkeyfindingsaboutcompanieslisteninganddigitalengagement initiatives:
Initiativeshavehighcorporatevalue.Theinformationcollectedbytheseinitiativesisusedtocreate

strategiesandprogramsacrossallareasoftheorganization.Datafromlisteningandengagement initiativeshavehighcorporatevalue,astheintelligencetheyprovideenablesfunctionstoincorporate additional,andinsomecasesrealtime,customerfeedbackintointernalprocesses.

Socialmediagainssignificantground.Althoughcompaniesutilizeawiderangeoftraditionaland

nontraditionaltacticstolistentocustomers,socialmediahasgainedsignificantgroundandinsomecases hassurpassedtraditionalmethods.Companiescontinuetofocuseffortsintheirsocialmediastrategies andincludesocialmediareachobjectivesintheirkeyperformanceindicators KPIs .

Ibelievethegreatestbenefithasbeenthatourcustomerswhousesocialmediaandinteractwithour effortsseeusasamoreprogressivecompanybecauseweareusingmultiplechannelsfor communicating. Marketeratenterprisebankingcompany

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Thereisopportunitytomaximizebusinessreturns.Despiteevidencethatcompaniesandcustomersare

experiencingbusinessbenefitsfromlisteninganddigitalengagementinitiatives,thereisstillroomfor improvementifcompanieswanttoreapfullpotentialreturns.Manycompanieshavechallengesto overcome,suchasmeasuringcustomerinsightsandtyinginitiativestocorporateobjectives,beforethey canfullyoptimizeeffortsandmaximizeresults.

Fornow thebenefitis justvisibility,butwearehopingourdigitalengagementstrategywilldrive realbusinessimpactoverthenexttwoyears. Marketeratenterpriseretailcompany Wearestillattheearlystagesofourlisteninganddigitalengagementactivities.Thegreatestbenefitto datehasbeentheevolutionofourlisten/actframeworktoassureweareunderstandingcustomer preferences,issues,andconcernsandtakingaction. Marketeratenterprisemanufacturingcompany

Industriesutilizeuniqueapproaches.Thisstudyfocusedonthreekeyindustries:utilitiesandbanking

services UBS ,media,entertainment,andleisure,andhightechnologyandfounddistinctdifferencesin howtheyareusinglisteningasawaytoengagewithanddrivevaluetocustomers.UBSorganizations focustheirsocialmediaeffortsoncustomerservice,whilemedia,entertainment,andleisurecompanies focusonreach,andhightechnologycompaniesfocusondemandgeneration.

Companiesareincreasinginvestment.Overall,companiesareincreasingorplanningtoincreaseheadcount

andbudgetallocatedtolisteninganddigitalengagementinitiatives,indicatingthehighinfluencethese initiativeshaveoncorporatesocialmediastrategiesthatdelivervaluetocustomers.
Companiesarecreatingdeeperengagements.Companiesaremovingbeyondsimplymeasuringand

monitoringcustomerconversations.64%ofrespondentsindicatethattheyareincorporatingcustomer ideasintoprocessorproductimprovementsandothercompaniesarecreatingevendeeperengagements throughcustomcommunitiesandincentiveprograms.

The Shift To Customer Centricity Is Real And Permanent

Theideaofcustomercentricityisnothingnew.SinceWroeAldersonandothersfirstsuggested,50yearsago, thatbusinessshouldorganizearoundcustomersandtheirneeds,multipleapproachesforachievingcustomer centricityhavecomeandgone,allfailingtoproducelastingresults.Thereasonsbehindthesefailuresarealmost asnumerousasthemanagementbookspromisingsimpleschemestoachievecustomercentricnirvana: relentlesspursuitofshortertermfinancialresults,lackofpowerinmarketingfunctions,andinabilitytoscale engagementmodelscenteredoncustomers,tonameafew. Butsomethingischangingintodaysmarkets,somethingthatwontabidebusinessfadsorfailuretoact.Social mediaisprovidingcustomerstheopportunitytoleanoneachotherformarketmakingandutilizationinsight, effectivelydiminishingtraditional,suppliercentricinformationpathways.Today,socialmediasourcesof informationareusedbymorethan70%ofB2Bdecisionmakers,afigurethatwillonlyincreaseassocialtooling improves,socialmediaadoptionescalates,andmorecustomersareempoweredtoconnectandcollaborate whenfacingcomplexdecisions.

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Againstthisbackdropofchange,toomanycompaniescontinuetoignoretheimpactofempoweredcustomers, treatingsocialmediatechnologyandhowitgeneratesnewmarketpowersforcustomersastemporary.Indeed, accordingtoForrestersresearch,whilemorethan80%ofmarketersmonitorcustomercommentsand conversationsonline,only20%ofcompaniestodayorganizemarketingeffortsaroundcustomercentricsocial mediastrategies.Thisdisparitywillnotcontinue.Whilethefullmeasureofsocialmediasimpactonbusiness willplayoutovertheyears,companiesthatstayabreastofcustomerssocialmediaadoptionwillenjoysuperior resultsnowandbebetterpositionedinthefutureasfurthercustomercentricchangesunfold. Wheretostart?Assupplierssortoutsocialmediarelatedchange,twosuggestionsbecomeobvious.First, companiesneedtobeabletolistentocustomersonline,dippingintotheconversationsbetweenpeersthatare mostcatalyzingmarketchange.Second,companiesshouldplaceapremiumonsocialstrategiesthatcan generateimmediatereturnsandsetthestageforfuturereturns. Bytakingacloserlookathowcompaniescurrentlyuselisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesaspartof theiroverallsocialmediastrategy,onegetsaclearerpictureofthelevelofprogresstheyhavemadewitheachof thesesteps.

Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives Reflect Progress

Companieshaveevolvedtheircustomercentricapproachesovertimebyimplementingsocialmediastrategies thatincreasethelevelandqualityofengagements.Socialmediahasempoweredorganizationstoemphasize interactionsthatdrivebusinessoutcomes,insteadofsimplypushingoutnewproductfeatureshopingtheywill meetcustomersneeds.Listeninganddigitalengagementinitiativesplayacriticalroleinthisevolutionby providingthedataandanalysisrequiredtocreatestrategiesbasedoncustomerspreferences.Asaresult, marketershavetakenactionastheyincorporatetools,processes,andresourcestosupporttheseefforts.

Thegreatestbenefitoflisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesis movingtherelationshipwith thecustomerfromproductbasedtorelationshipbased. Marketeratenterprisetelecommunications

company Forresterdefineslisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesasprogramsthatutilizesocialmediatomonitor, measure,andrespondtocustomerconversationsandfeedbackonline. Morethan80%ofthemarketerswhorespondedtothissurveymonitorcustomercommentsandconversations online,revealingthat:
Companieshavebecomeseriousabouttheirsocialmediaefforts.Nearlyallrespondents 97% indicated

thattheyhaveadoptedsocialmediatactics,and50%claimthatalthoughnotacorefunction,theyare seriousabouttheirsocialmediaefforts.Companieshavemovedpastthewaitandseeand experimentationphase,reflectingthattheyunderstandtheimportantrolesocialmediatechnologyplays asaninformationsourcetheirbuyersturntowhenmakingpurchasingdecisions.Ninetysevenpercentof respondentsindicatethattheyhaveadoptedsocialmediatactics,while50%ofmarketersclaimthat althoughnotacorefunction,theyareseriousabouttheirsocialmediaefforts seeFigure1 .

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Figure 1 Companies Are Growing More Serious With Their Social Media Efforts
What is the current status of your social media efforts? Wait and see Experimentation Serious but not a core function At the core of our marketing efforts Other 2% 27% 50% 20% 2%
Base: 200 US marketers (percentages may not total 100 because of rounding) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Initiativesinfluenceallcorporatefunctions.Listeninganddigitalengagementinitiativeshavepermeatedall

areasoftheorganization,reflectingthehighvaluethathasbeenplacedontheintelligencethatis generatedfrommonitoringandmeasuringonlineconversations.Eachofthe19corporatefunctionscalled outinthesurveycreatesstrategiesbasedonthedatatheyreceivefromlisteningandengagement initiatives seeFigure2 .

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Figure 2 Listening And Engagement Initiatives Influence All Corporate Functions

Which of these functions create strategies and programs based on information obtained from listening and digital engagement initiatives? (e.g., use data, set strategy, set resources, etc.)
Market strategy Web-interactive marketing Brand management Public relations Product marketing Market research Product management Direct marketing Competitive intelligence Events Channel marketing Sales support Integrated demand management Field enablement Industry marketing Channel enablement Human resources and talent acquisition Telesales Other 74% 74% 72% 64% 63% 53% 42% 40% 36% 33% 28% 22% 20% 14% 14% 12% 12% 7% 2%

Base: 200 US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Companiesarecreatingdeeperengagements.Companiesaremovingbeyondsimplymeasuringand

monitoringcustomerconversations.Sixtyfourpercentofrespondentsindicatethattheyareincorporating customerideasintoprocessorproductimprovements,andothercompaniesarecreatingevendeeper engagementsthroughcustomcommunitiesandincentiveprograms seeFigure3 .

Listeninginitiatives ...raiseawarenessthatweneedtobepresentinthechannelsthatour customersare;enhancedcustomerengagementdrivesincrementalsaleswewouldnothaveotherwise seen. Marketeratenterprisemanufacturingcompany

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Figure 3 Companies Experience Many Benefits From Listening And Engagement Initiatives
Which of the following ways do you listen to and engage with customers online? Monitor online feedback and conversations Respond to customer feedback Distribute customer feedback internally Incorporate customer ideas into process or product improvements Have created a custom community for long-term engagement with customers Incentive programs for customers who engage with us online, including deals and/or discounts Reward customers whose ideas we use 16% 36% 31% 64% 80% 76% 88%

Base: 200 US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Popularsocialmedianetworkssurpasstraditionaltactics.Marketershavebeguntofullyembracesocial

networksasalisteningandengagementtactic.Thecurrentuseofsocialmedianetworkshassurpassed sometraditionalmarketingtactics,includingphoneinteractionsandinpersonevents.

Byusingsocialmediaformarketing,thisillustratesthatourcompanyisaleaderinbothtechnology andthepracticaluseofsocialmediatechnologytoreachouttothemarket.Thisestablishesourbrand asaleanandprogressivecompany. Marketeratenterprisemanufacturingcompany

Integration Will Be The Catalyst For Reinvention

Whilenearlyalloftherespondentssurveyedhaveadoptedsocialmediatactics,only20%ofrespondentsclaim thatsocialmediaisatthecoreoftheirmarketingefforts,leavingroomforimprovementifcompanieswanttobe betterpositionedtoreapthepotentialreturnsfromtheirlisteninganddigitalengagementstrategies.Many companieshavesomechallengestoovercomebeforetheycanoptimizetheireffortsandmaximizetheirresults. Thesechallengesshowthat:
Insightsaresharedbutnotmeasured.Whilemorethan90%ofcompaniesaresharinginformationwith

otherinternaldivisions,theyarenotmeasuringimpactacrosseachdiscipline.Only6%ofrespondents claimthattheircompanieslisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesareveryintegrated seeFigure4 .

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Initiativesareoftennottiedtocorporateobjectives.Listeningandengagementinitiativesaremostly

emphasizedatthebusinessunitlevel,insteadofthecorporatelevel.Although22%ofrespondents indicatethattheyembedeffortsintotheirmarketing,sales,andsupportprocesses,only8%of respondentsclaimthattheseeffortsaretiedtocorporateobjectives.Inaddition,only8%ofrespondents indicatethattheircompanieshaveaformalrewardprogramforemployeeswhodrivelisteningand engagementinitiatives seeFigure5 .

Resourceavailabilityforadvancement.Althoughcollectively,companiesareincreasinginvestmentin

listeningandengagementinitiatives,itmaynotbeenoughforsomeofthemtofullyexecutetheir objectives.Availabilityofbudgetandheadcountrequiredfordeploymentaretopinternalchallenges. Companiesalsostrugglewithdeployingprogramsacrossmultiplechannelssuchasmobile,Web,and email seeFigure6 .

Figure 4 Companies Have Not Fully Integrated Their Listening And Digital Engagement Efforts
How integrated are your listening and digital engagement initiatives across marketing, sales, and customer service? Not integrated: Each division operates in isolation Not very integrated: We inform other divisions about activity but do not share insight or results Somewhat integrated: We share insights or results with other divisions Very integrated: We track and measure the impact that listening has on each discipline 6% 4% 28% 62%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure 5 Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives Are Mostly Emphasized At The Business Unit Level
Regarding the emphasis your company places on listening and digital engagement initiatives, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements: 1 Strongly agree "2" "3" "4" 5 Strongly disagree

Listening is a part in our marketing, sales product development, and customer service processes

22%

37%

28%

10%2%

Individual marketers, as well as management, are rewarded for driving listening and digital engagement initiatives

8%

17%

36%

28%

12%

Listening and digital engagement initiatives are corporate objectives set by executive management

8%

28%

30%

25%

8%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Base: 200 US marketers (percentages may not total 100 because of rounding) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure 6 Resource Availability And Technical Complexity Are Hurdles For Advancement
What are the greatest internal challenges preventing your deployment or preventing further advancement of your deployment of listening and digital engagement initiatives?
Availability of budget required for deployment Complexity of managing campaigns and programs across multiple technologies (email, Web, mobile, social, etc.) Availability of skilled headcount required for deployment Ability to respond and take action on customer feedback Getting support and buy-in from executive team Coordination of internal groups or external agencies Learning curve associated with technologies (e.g., listening platforms, social media tools) Privacy issues (e.g., using customer information obtained through social media) Security issues (e.g., loss of control of your company's information) Lack of technical features available to meet our business objectives Other

42% 34% 30% 28% 28% 24% 20% 17% 15% 11% 9%

Base: 200 US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Companies With Sharp Focus Will Lead The Digital Marketing Age
Agrowingnumberofcompaniesareoptimizingtheirlisteninganddigitalengagementeffortsasthey proactivelylisten,intercept,respond,andtakeactiontocustomerconversations.Thesecompanieswillbethe leadersinthedigitalmarketingageastheyfocustheireffortsonsocialstrategiesthatimpactreturnon investment ROI andcustomerbusinessoutcomes. Ideally,aformalcorporatelisteningandengagementinitiativewillhavethefollowingcomponents:
KPIsthatmeasurecustomercentricity.Companiesuseamultitudeofmetricstotracktheeffectivenessof

theirlisteningandengagementinitiatives,includingthosethatmeasurecustomercentricityandbusiness returns.Respondentsfromavarietyofindustriesindicatethattheyaremeasuringdirectbusiness outcomesoftheseinitiativesthroughcustomersatisfactionandrevenueKPIs,inadditiontoquantity metricssuchasimpressionsandreach seeFigure7 .

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Thebenefitoflisteningandengagementisthe immediateresponsetocustomersproblemsand needsaroundourproducts.Theimmediacyofdigitaliswhatisdrivingbetterbrandloyaltyandimage.

Marketeratenterprisebankingcompany

Figure 7 Companies Set Customer KPIs To Measure Success

What are the top key performance indicators (KPIs) your organization uses to measure the success of your listening and digital engagement initiatives?
Number of impressions/reach Number of social network fans' "likes" Customer satisfaction scores Brand sentiment Lead-related metrics Number of microblogging followers Brand awareness Company revenue Launch results Customer loyalty Market share Channel and partner satisfaction We don't track the success of listening and digital engagement initiatives Other Product-technology adoption rate 8% 4% 6% 9% 9% 6% 10% 24% 25% 14% 18% 22% 16% 18% 16% 13% 15% 19% 13% 19% 23% 25% 26% 36% 26% 32% 46% 42% 30% 34% 47% 57%

39%

High-tech (N = 38) Media, entertainment, and leisure (N = 68) Utility and banking services (N = 69)

8% 6% 8% 12% 10% 3% 3% 3% 4%

Base: US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Initiativesthatimpactcustomermetrics.Listeninganddigitalengagementinitiativesstillhavethegreatest

impactoncorporatebrandmetrics;however,respondentshaveindicatedthattheyarealsoseeing positiveresultsoncustomercentricmetrics.Fourteenpercentindicatetheyareseeingsignificantpositive resultsonmetrics,suchassatisfactionscoresandloyalty seeFigure8 . Furthermore,respondentsindicatethatlisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativeshelpthemin influencingcustomerperception,buildingcustomerengagement,andrespondingtocustomerfeedback, anothersignthattheireffortsareleadingtohigherlevelsofcustomercentricity seeFigure9 .

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Ourlisteningandengagementinitiative hasgreatlyhelpedincreatingasincereandvalueadded dialoguewithcustomers,especiallyinthelongtailcustomerbase,whichtendstoyieldgreatermargin.

Marketeratmidsizemanufacturingcompany

Figure 8 Companies See Positive Results On Customer Metrics From Their Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives
How are your listening and digital engagement initiatives impacting each of these business metrics? Significant positive results Modest negative results Brand awareness Brand sentiment 9% 8% Modest positive results Significant negative results 54% 49% 46% 40% 40% 34% 30% 27% 22% No impact Don't know 18% 20% 30% 1% Launch results Customer loyalty Customer satisfaction scores 8% 7% 7% 28% 24% 30% 33% 34% 42% 42% 46% 25%
Base: 200 US marketers (percentages may not total 100 because of rounding) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

19% 1% 22% 20% 24% 29%

My overall business' success 4%

2% 1% 1% 1%

28% 32% 36% 33% 35%

Leads 4% 2% Channel and partner satisfaction 2% Company revenue

Product-technology adoption rate 4% 18% 2% Market share 18% 0%

1% 50% 75%

34% 100%

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Figure 9 Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives Help Mostly With Customer Perception And Engagements
"What business areas do you think your listening and digital engagement initiatives will most help you with?" Influencing customer perception in the market place Building long-term relationships with customers and partners Responding to customer feedback in a timely matter Creating marketing campaigns based on customer preferences Resolving negative buzz in the marketplace Decreasing costs to market products and/or services Improving time-to-market for products/services Other 2% 58% 56% 42% 42% 37% 16% 12%

Base: 200 US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Customersystemsthatdirectlyreceiveinformation.Companiesarecollectingdatafromtheirsocialmedia

platformsandfeedingitdirectlyintointernalcustomerservicesystemsandprocesses,whichinturn,is influencingtheirstrategiesforcustomerengagements.Fiftypercentofrespondentsindicatethattheir customerresolutionsystemreceivesinformationfromlisteningandengagementinitiatives.

Resourcesthatarefullydedicatedtoefforts.Companiesplantoincreaseresourcesforeffortsandalsoneed

toensurethattheyhavetheappropriatefunctionsinplaceforimplementation.Althoughcorporatebrand departmentsareprimarilyusedforsettingstrategy,itisthededicatedsocialmedia/Web2.0teamsthat areresponsibleforimplementation seeFigure10 .

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Figure 10 Dedicated Social Media Teams Set Strategy For Deployed Initiatives
Regarding your approach to listening and digital engagement, which of the following functional areas has primary responsibility for setting strategy for these initiatives? Please rank up to two. Primary area Social media/Web 2.0 team (dedicated) Corporate marketing, marketing communications, and/or PR Web-interactive marketing Brand or product marketing Marketing operations 9% 8% 9% Secondary area 35% 27% 18% 13% 12% 13% 11% 22%

Customer services and support 4%

Executive team 4% 8% 1% Field marketing 2% 1% Events 2%

Base: 98 US marketers that have already implemented a formal listening and engagement initiative Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Industries Use Unique Practices For Listening And Engagement

B2BandB2Ccompaniesinthehightech,media/entertainment/leisure,andutilityandbankingservices industriesalluselisteningasawaytoengagewithcustomers,yettheirapproachesarequitedifferentandare impactedbywheretheyareonthesocialmediaadoptioncurve.Companiesintheseindustriesareestablishing bestpracticesastheyoptimizetheirlisteningandengagementefforts.Thesurveyresultsrevealunique characteristicsforeachindustry,forexample:
Utilitiesandbankingservices UBS focustheireffortsoncustomerservice.UBScompaniesarebehind

hightechandmedia,entertainment,andleisureindustriesintermsoflisteninganddigitalengagement adoptionandinvestmentduetotheirconservativeapproacheswithcustomerengagement,aswellas securityandprivacyissues.UBScompaniesuselisteninganddigitalengagementinitiativesprimarilyasa waytorespondtocustomerfeedbackquicklyanddrivebrandawareness seeFigure11 .Customer satisfactionscoresarealsousedmoreinUBSthaninotherindustries seeFigure7 .Securityandprivacy issuesareagreaterchallengeforutilityandbankingservicesthanhightechand

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media/entertainment/leisurecompaniesintermsofadvancingtheirlisteninganddigitalengagement initiatives seeFigure12 .

Media,entertainment,andleisurecompaniesfocustheireffortsonreach.Companiesinthemedia,

entertainment,andleisureindustriesarefurtheralongtheadoptioncurve,primarilydeployingsocial mediastrategiestoreachwideaudiences.ReachKPIs,suchasimpressionsandsocialnetworkfanslikes, mattermoretomedia,entertainment,andleisurecompaniesfortheirlisteninganddigitalengagement initiativesthanintheotherindustries.Media,entertainment,andleisurecompaniesarealsomorelikelyto usecustomerincentiveprogramsthanhightechorutilityandbankingservicescompanies seeFigure 13 .Theseexpensivestrategiesareaninhibitortocompaniesadvancementoftheirsocialmedia strategies,with57%ofrespondentsinthemedia/entertainment/leisureindustriesindicatingthat availabilityofbudgetrequiredfordeploymentisamajorinternalchallenge seeFigure12 .
Hightechnologycompaniesfocustheireffortsondemandgeneration.Byintegratingsocialmediaprograms

withdemandmanagementatnearlydoubletherate 39% asmedia,entertainment,andleisure industries 21% ,andmorethanoneandahalftimesthatofutilityandbankingservices 14% ,hightech companiesshowthattheyarefartheralongthesocialmediaadoptioncurve.Leadrelatedmetricsmatter moreinhightechthanintheotherindustries,againreinforcingthathightechcompaniesareusingreal businessreturnstomeasureresults.Hightechcompaniesbiggesthurdletoadvancetheirlisteningand engagementinitiativesisthecomplexityofintegratingtheirprogramsacrossmultipletechnologies see Figure12 .Thisagainreflectsthathightechcompaniesarefurtheralongtheadoptioncurve,asthey stumbleuponnewchallengesassociatedwithbeingsocialmediapioneers.

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Figure 11 Industry Use Of Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives

What business areas do you think your listening and digital engagement initiatives will most help you with? Influencing customer perception in the market place Building long-term relationships with customers and partners Creating marketing campaigns based on customer preferences Responding to customer feedback in a timely matter Resolving negative buzz in the marketplace Decreasing costs to market products and/or services Improving time-to-market for products/services Other 3% 3% 10% 11% 7% 21% 19% 19% 32% 37% 32% 29% 36% 44% 44% 58% 53% 62% 55% 57% 54% 50% High-tech (N = 38)

58%

Media, entertainment, and leisure (N = 68) Utility and banking services (N = 69)

Base: US marketers

(multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure 12 Industry Internal Challenges In Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives

What are the greatest internal challenges preventing your deployment or preventing further advancement of your deployment of listening and digital engagement initiatives? Complexity of managing campaigns and programs across multiple technologies Availability of budget required for deployment Ability to respond and take action on customer feedback Availability of skilled headcount required for deployment Getting support and buy-in from executive team Coordination of internal groups or external agencies Learning curve associated with technologies Privacy issues Security issues Lack of technical features available to meet our business objectives Other 25% 45% 57%

35% 34% 33% 32% 29% 29% 32% 32% 28% 29% 25% 28% 29% 21% 17% 21% 19% 25% 16% 10% 26% 13% 7% 23% 8% 18% 9% 8% 3% 14%

High-tech (N = 38) Media, entertainment, an d leisure (N = 68) Utility and banking services (N = 69)

Base: US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure 13 Ways In Which Industries Listen And Engage With Customers

Which of the following ways do you listen to and engage with customers online?" Monitor online feedback and conversations Respond to customer feedback 95% 84% 91% 87% 85% 77% 68% 75% 74%

Distribute customer feedback internally Incorporate customer ideas into process or product improvements Reward customers whose ideas we use Incentive programs for customers who engage with us online, including deals and/or discounts Have created a custom community for long-term engagement with customers 18% 19% 21% 14% 34%

86%

62% 55%

High-tech (N = 38)

10%

53% 61%

Media, entertainment, and leisure (N = 68) Utility and banking services (N = 69)

25%

Base: US marketers (multiple responses accepted) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Customer-centric approaches will become even more imperative as customers seek efficient engagements that drive tangible business outcomes from the companies they do business with. The good news is that many companies across various industries are headed in the right direction with their existing listening and digital engagement initiatives. Those who focus, improve, and extend their efforts on these initiatives will ultimately get ahead of the competition. Those that establish social media strategies that generate business returns will stand above the rest as leaders in the digital marketing age. Organizations can get there by focusing on the following: Executive-sponsored programs. Initiatives that have executive sponsorships and are tied to corporate objectives are more likely to successfully permeate throughout the corporation and gain the visibility, focus, and attention required for optimal results. Integration of functions, systems, and platforms. Initiatives touch many horizontal and vertical functions, but integration is required to get the most ROI out of social media platforms and the internal systems and processes that utilize the data they produce. Companies that measure the impact listening has on each internal organization will be able to generate the big picture that their initiatives have on their business, which ultimately lead to customer benefits. Employee empowerment. Empower employees by providing them the education, tools, and resources they require to listen and engage with customers in their day-to-day roles. Training programs are effective in providing employees with guidance and best practices to ensure consistency in employees approaches to listening and engaging with customers. Dedicated resources. The complexity required to implement corporate social media strategies requires a dedicated team that fully understands how to get the most out of listening platforms and how to integrate them with internal systems and processes. Once social media strategies are fully defined, implementation should be left to dedicated teams who can execute and measure results.

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Appendix A: Methodology
Inthisstudy,Forrestersurveyed200USmarketerstoevaluatehoweffectivelycompanieslistenandengage withtheircustomersandhowtheseinitiativesimpactinternalprocesses,performance,andmetrics.Survey participantsincludeddecisionmakersandinfluencersintheirorganizationslisteninganddigitalengagement initiatives.ThestudybeganinJune2011andwascompletedinJuly2011.

Appendix B: Supplemental Material

Related Forrester Research
Thankstothegroundswell,yourcustomersnowwieldunprecedentedpowerthroughsocial,mobile,andother technologies.AsignificantpercentageofB2BandB2Ccustomersareusingsocialmediatechnologiestogather informationduringtheirdecisionmakingprocesses.Companiesthatempowertheiremployeestolistenand engagewithcustomersbyutilizingsocialmediatechnologieswillultimatelystandoutinthedigitalmarketing age.Youremployeesarealreadyusingthesetechnologiestotransformthewayyoudobusiness.Youcanlead themorblockthem.Itsyourchoice. InForrestersnewbook,Empowered,ForrestersownJoshBernoffandTedSchadlerproviderealworld examplesofhowinnovativeleadersandtheirteamsusetechnologytosolvecustomerproblems.Wecall themHEROeshighlyempoweredandresourcefuloperatives. AsyoudexpectfromForresterandthecoauthorofthebestsellingbookGroundswell,thisbookisfulloftools andharddata.Empoweredincludes:
ThefourstepIDEAprocesstotransformyourcustomerfacingservice,marketing,andmobile

applications.
WaysyourITdepartmentcanbecomethetrustedpartnerforyourcompanysemployeeandbusinessled

technologyinnovation.
Thekeytechniquesforcollaborationsystemsthattakeoff,insteadoffizzlingonthelaunchpad. Twentyfivecasestudiesanddozensmoreexamplesfromcompaniesineveryimaginableindustry,from

retailtobusinessservices. IfyoureanIT,marketingandstrategy,ortechindustryleaderwonderinghowtogetmorecreativesolutions outofyourteam,thisbookisforyou.

Online Resources
MoreinformationaboutEmpoweredisavailableathttp://www.forrester.com/empowered.

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Appendix C: Demographics
Figure C1 Region And Size
In which country is your organization headquartered? Using your best estimate, how many employees work for your company worldwide? 500 to 999 employees 1,000 to 4,999 employees 5,000 to 19,999 employees More than 20,000 employees 2%

US 100%

6%

34%

58%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure C2 Industry
Which of the following best describes the industry in which your company belongs? Retail Insurance Banking Computers, IT hardware, and consumer electronics Software Media Consumer packaged goods Entertainment and recreation Travel and hospitality Telecommunications services Electricity and energy distribution Restaurants IT consulting and outsourcing services Professional services Securities and capital markets Furniture, home furnishings, and appliances Packaged food and beverage Healthcare provider Industrial electronics Industrial machinery and electrical equipment Industrial products and construction materials Textile goods Wholesale and distribution Education 18% 14% 10% 8% 8% 6% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure C3 Job Function And Job Level

Which of the following most closely describes the department or function you work in? Customer service and Marketing support 98% 2% Which of the following best describes your job level at your company? Vice president/director (in charge of one or several large departments)

64%

Manager (manage a team of functional practitioners)

36%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

Figure C4 B2B Versus B2C

To whom does your company sell (or market) primarily?

Exclusively consumers Mostly consumers but some business Consumers and businesses roughly equal Mostly business Exclusively business 9% 15%

18% 32% 26%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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Figure C5 Involvement In Listening And Digital Engagement Initiatives

How are you involved in your company or departments listening and digital engagement initiatives? I'm the key decision-maker in my company/department's listening and digital engagement initiatives I'm directly involved in setting the strategy for my company/department's listening and digital engagement initiatives I manage a team that sets the strategy for my company/department's listening and digital engagement initiatives I'm indirectly involved in decisions around my company/department's listening and digital engagement initiatives 10% 14%

36%

40%

Base: 200 US marketers Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, June 2011

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