Our media partners at Incite Marketing and Communications have recently released a new white paper.

Based on responses from over 300 marketing and communications executives, the briefing goes into detail on how those roles will evolve over the coming year. The entire 20-page briefing, filled with stats, charts and benchmarks, is available for free at http://bit.ly/14CmSnC.

What are the key influences on marketing/communications roles in 2013?

2013 and beyond heralds an era of unprecedented complexity for both marketing and communications executives.

The briefing goes into detail on the four most important topics for both groups:

1)    Customer-centricity
2)    Multi-channel
3)    Building unique customer experiences through better personalisation
4)    The increasingly blurred dividing line between the marketing department and the communications department

How big data, social media and customer-centricity will drive a merging of the marketing and communications department

92% of respondents said that multiple departments must work better together to deliver an enhanced customer experience. 81% of respondents said it was important for marketing and communications departments to work more closely together. In this chapter of the white paper, Incite goes into further detail on why there is an increasing pressure to collaborate, and how companies should respond to this pressure.

What is multi-channel—and why is it such a big deal?

86% of respondents said that multi-channel was important—and half of them labelled it as ‘critical’.

74% of respondents expect their company’s resource spend on multi-channel will increase over 2013.

Yet only 4% of respondents think their multi-channel strategy is as developed as it should be.

Multi-channel is a huge, complex concept and challenge. In this section of the white paper, Incite look at why it’s so complex; how companies are trying to deal with this complexity; and what the future holds.

Download a free white paper at http://bit.ly/14CmSnC.