Š Copyright ICON STUDIOS LTD. 2011 All rights reserved. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all rights including those in the content of this document are owned by or controlled for these purposes by ICON STUDIOS LTD. Except as otherwise expressly permitted under copyright law, the content of this document may not be copied, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast, shared or transmitted in any way, in part or in full, without first obtaining ICON STUDIOS LTD.'s written permission. This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, ICON STUDIOS LTD., and its employees do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.
Table of Contents Introduction
Page 1
Executive Summary
Page 2
Key Findings
Page 3
Offline and Social Media Neck to Neck
Page 4
Larger Budgets for Digital Marketing
Page 5
The Future is Digital
Page 6
As Offline Shrinks, Mobile and Search Gain Traction
Page 7
A Budget Crunch
Page 8
Awareness Building: A Key Objective
Page 9
Marketing Efforts Still Not Fully Integrated
Page 10
Measurement Is Key
Page 11
Measuring Visits rather than Conversions
Page 12
Companies Still Fail to Outsource Digital Marketing
Page 13
Budget is a Barrier to Outsourcing
Page 14
Demographics
Page 15
About the Author
Page 19
About ICON
Page 19
Introduction Online marketing channels have been gaining a lot of coverage on media and research studies in recent years. It is the new way for marketers to communicate with their audience. The basic principles of marketing still apply; one should know one’s customers, competitors, define a target audience, be clear in one’s message as well as plan how to reach one’s goals. However, rather than being just another channel, digital marketing requires a new approach to marketing and a fresh understanding of customer behaviour. In order to stay competitive and flexible according to consumer behaviour, companies need to embrace new marketing efficiencies if they want to ensure positive performance. The changing trends in the way information is produced, shared and consumed, as well as the uncertain times in which we live, generate an unparalleled challenge for companies to better reach and engage with customers. We have seen major global brands issuing reports and case studies about their online success, using multiple channels as part of their marketing efforts. Once again, local web & mobile app development company ICON, has looked into the local setting to analyse how marketers in Malta are making use of digital channels. This report offers an in-depth glance at the current spending patterns of local companies. Amongst other things, it surveys whether they are investing in offline or online marketing channels, their preferences for the next year, and message integration within multiple channels.
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Executive Summary In this research ICON gathered information from a sample of 83 local marketers from diverse industries with the intention of understanding their use of Digital Marketing Channels. In summary, this report reveals that:
At present offline channels and Social Media are the most common channels among marketers in Malta. Local companies are still making use of traditional channels, however they are concurrently adopting new platforms, especially Social Media. Email marketing is another popular activity amongst local marketers.
Budgets for Digital Marketing are likely to increase as we appraoch 2014. Only 5% of marketers will decrease their expenditure on digital channels in the coming years.
The future is digital. By next year, Social Media and Email Marketing will be used more than any other offline channel. This marks a critical turning point for local media.
As offline decreases in popularity, mobile marketing and search engine optimisation gain traction. Companies in Malta are likely to increase their use of mobile and search in the next year. A limited budget is the major concern for marketers who want to make use of digital channels. Lack of personell is another common barrier to increased adoption and use.
Local marketers are mainly using digital channels to raise brand and product awareness. Others are also interested in converting leads into sales, reaching a specific audience and attracting new prospects.
Most companies measure their online performance. However, they are more likely to measure visits and clicks rather than conversions and transactions.
Only a few companies in Malta outsource their digital marketing efforts to third parties. Mainly, they perceive such services to be expensive, while others claim that they have internal skills to cater for it in-house.
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