Top marketers give key trends for 2009

Understanding consumers better and using mew media platforms such as social networking websites will be among the key marketing trends for 2009, according to industry leaders.

A panel of marketing experts predicted that engaging customers more and using analytics to better understand data and consumer behaviour will be crucial to drive marketing in the tough months ahead, reports BtoB magazine.

Speaking at the publication’s Best Luncheon this week, marketers from companies including American Express, IBM, Motorola, Siemens and Oracle gave their views on the immediate future of the industry, pointing out that they will be increasingly interactive, improve their database marketing and segmentation.

Tom Haas, chef marketing officer at Siemens, said, “We will really be engaging the customer more through white papers, deeper product information and thought leadership programmes.

“It’s important to show that Siemens is part of the solution in solving problems that our customers face.”

According to digital marketing agency Strange, the need for advertisers to improve the effectiveness and measurability of their expenditure will become more acute in 2009.