MARKETERS AND COMMS TEAMS STRETCHED BEYOND BREAKING POINT DURING THE PANDEMIC
New research from Sitecore revealed that 61% of UK marketers wanted to quit their jobs during the pandemic, due to increased customer demand and sudden digital shifts.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges for almost every industry in business. The new research looks specifically at the impact on marketing and comms professionals that struggled to retain and attract customers and drive commercial results in a newly digital environment.
Global research specialist, Advanis, conducted the research commissioned by digital experience management software company, Sitecore. It was released to coincide with the anniversary of UK lockdowns this week.
The research surveyed over 400 marketers across different levels of seniority. Being at the forefront of increased digital engagement was the biggest challenge for marketers, particularly for those in senior positions. The sudden shift in work strategy online caused 77% of marketers to fundamentally change their customer experience service.
It found that 74% of marketers said the pandemic was the most challenging time in their careers to date, with a further 58% stating it negatively impacted their mental health.
Responsibility increased with the highest growth areas being customer acquisition, content development and the addition of online or virtual services. As a result, 72% said they had to rapidly upskill to meet new job role demands.
Redundancies, furloughs and layoffs impacted 30% of UK marketing professionals.
Advanis and Sitecore released a corresponding survey looking at customer behaviour. It showed that consumers are less loyal and more demanding of brands than in previous years. Customers were found to be less patient on digital platforms, particularly with slow or poorly functioning websites, with 70% leaving a website if not easily navigable in just a few clicks.
This rising customer demand correlates and contextualises the increased pressure on marketers through the pandemic.
Paige O’Neill, CMO of Sitecore, says, “The customer that was supposed to turn up in 2030, has turned up in 2020; not by their own choice, but driven by a world that needed to switch to digital-only engagement to survive and thrive. Consequently, rising expectations of exceptional customer experience and speed of transaction is the new battleground across industries.”
The research surveyed 400 marketers across the UK, 88 the Republic of Ireland and 402 from the US between 5-10 March 2021.