The days of high-level, single-channel marketing campaigns are long gone. With today’s proliferation of media channels, marketers are faced with more options than ever when considering how to reach consumers. Marketers must make choices about channels, but a heavy investment in one channel may cause them to miss the potential in another. Consumers have all channels turned on and they are in control of how they gather information, obtain advice from friends and family in their social networks, and complete transactions with suppliers. The result is a new set of rules for marketers and a new buzzword that we will all need to understand and make part of our vernacular—omni-channel.

What is omni-channel marketing? According to marketing automation provider Marketo, “The term ‘omni-channel’ may be a marketing buzzword, but it refers to a significant shift—today’s marketers need to provide a seamless experience, regardless of channel or device. Consumers can now engage with a company in a physical store, on a website, via a mobile app, through a catalog, or through social media. They can access products and services by calling a company on the phone, using an app on their mobile smartphone, or with a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Each component the consumer’s experience should be consistent and complementary.” 

In the study entitled Customer Engagement Technologies: State of the Market 2015, InfoTrends surveyed 800 enterprises in North America and Western Europe to gauge the current and future state of the customer engagement market. Respondents represented a number of different vertical market segments, including financial services (finance & banking), insurance (including healthcare insurance), healthcare services (excluding healthcare insurance), government, and telecom & utilities. The overarching message from this research was that enterprises need and want to deliver an omni-channel customer experience. When respondents were asked about the objectives they wanted to achieve with investments in customer communications, improving the customer experience topped the list. This was followed by a desire to increase loyalty and better understand customer behaviors.