The majority of US marketers were ready to quit during the last year

by WarriorForum.com Administrator
11 replies
A new article on Marketing Land reports on some sobering new data from the latest Sitecore survey.



An astonishing 59% of U.S. marketers considered resigning at least once in the past year, while 79% described the pandemic as the most challenging period of their career. That's one of the most striking findings from a new survey of 400 marketing professionals carried out by Advanis for digital experience platform Sitecore. 80% of those respondents said their responsibilities had significantly increased during the past year.

Marketers also feel pressured by changes in consumer behavior. The survey also found that 70% of consumers will leave a website if they can't find what they want in a few clicks. 65% have less patience with poor online experiences since the pandemic, and 42% report being less loyal to brands during the same period.
  • 79% of marketers had to fundamentally change their customer experience delivery strategy in response to the pandemic and changes in consumer behavior
  • 70% of post-COVID consumers now navigate away from a site if a few clicks fail to return results they need
  • Most consumers (65%) have less patience with slow or poorly functioning websites since the pandemic.
  • More than a third (42%) of consumers are less loyal to the brands they usually shop with since the start of the pandemic.
  • A forced and sudden digital-only approach to customer engagement brought an accelerated pace of change for marketers and saw 79% stating that they had to change their customer experience in response to the pandemic fundamentally.

The pandemic has been riddled with positive talk about digital transformation, but perhaps this study illustrates some of the pain such a sudden change brought for workers at the coal face of the internet. It seems that adjusting to the demands of consumers during a time when the web was their only option for everything from vital supplies to information about the virus may have taken a heavy toll on marketers.
#majority #marketers #quit #ready #year
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    The survey also found that 70% of consumers will leave a website if they can't find what they want in a few clicks. 65% have less patience with poor online experiences since the pandemic, and 42% report being less loyal to brands during the same period.
    Consumers have less patience with poor experiences online - because they don't have to tolerate those problems any more. They can go to a different site - a competitors site - and have a good buying experience.

    People talk badly about Amazon and Bezos and many fail to realize much of the appeal of buying through Amazon is the CUSTOMER service...the ease of return/refunds....the smooth ordering process and fast shipment. Quite a few 'brands' created online stores much like their offline stores and that doesn't always translate to sales.

    I've noticed a few 'brands' that have not made the transition well to online selling. They have tried to carry the 'exclusiveness' of the brand onto the internet and it doesn't work. One well known western 'outfitter' charges high shipping, has restrictions on returns...so the $200 order I placed went to a competitor without hoops to jump through. I've noticed that same mistake on several 'high end brand name' sites.

    Consumers may be smarter when shopping online...or perhaps 'name brands' purchased online don't carry the same snob appeal?

    However, doesn't this 'study' refer to marketing 'jobs' rather than self employment? My guess is the pressure on those with jobs in 'marketing' for online companies has been very tough this past year. "Marketing professionals" is usually a term reserved for jobs with major companies. The shift to 'mostly online' has been difficult for some who have focused on offline marketing in the past.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post


      However, doesn't this 'study' refer to marketing 'jobs' rather than self employment? My guess is the pressure on those with jobs in 'marketing' for online companies has been very tough this past year. "Marketing professionals" is usually a term reserved for jobs with major companies. The shift to 'mostly online' has been difficult for some who have focused on offline marketing in the past.
      When I see articles about "Marketers", it usually ends up meaning employees of companies that are in their "Marketing" department.

      When I think of Marketers, these are never the people I think of. I always mean the people who studied marketing for years, and tried and tested online and offline marketing appeals and processes.


      I was giving a speech to a group of advertising salespeople. The speaker just before me was the marketer that worked for Cedar Point in Ohio.

      He was describing how they were pulling the ads that describe the rides and events at Cedar Point (because "Everyone already knows what's there") and just use coupons for discounts.

      He also revealed his phenomenal plan to stop advertising during the Summer (Cedar Point's peak season) and to spend his advertising budget of half a million collars a year.... during the Winter and Fall..."To even out the attendance". I kept looking at the audience to see if anyone thought this guy was insane. Nope. All there thought this was brilliant advice. More evidence that ad sales reps never....never study advertising.

      At the break, I asked him what marketing books he's read...and he said " I've heard that there are books out there about marketing, but I've never read one. I have a degree in business".

      That's the guy (and all like him) that any economic adversity in business will get rid of. And when I think of marketers, it's never employed people like him. it's the entrepreneurs.

      A story you may enjoy..

      My main vacuum cleaner supplier is Tacony. It makes the Riccar brand of vacuums.

      For years, they would invite me to speak at their company meetings about selling and advertising. One year, a dealer was giving a speech and showed an "Ad" that he used. It was simply a photo of a vacuum, with the word "Riccar" at the top of the page.


      I was in the audience at the time. He asked me what I thought of the ad. He was still on stage. Everyone there heard what happened next.

      I said "It's not an ad. There is no headline to grab attention, no features to stimulate desire to buy, no offer at all. It's just a photo of a vacuum cleaner and a brand name that 99% of the readers won't recognize. I wouldn't put that out if it was free".

      And then the magic happened. He said "I got the ad from the marketing department at Tacony".

      And then the "Marketing department head" (who was also there) stood up and told me I was an ass. It was the company's owner's daughter.

      And that was the last time I was ever invited to a company event.

      Another "Marketer" that I'm sure took part in the above study.
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      • Profile picture of the author Matthew Stanley
        He also revealed his phenomenal plan to stop advertising during the Summer (Cedar Point's peak season) and to spend his advertising budget of half a million collars a year.... during the Winter and Fall..."To even out the attendance". I kept looking at the audience to see if anyone thought this guy was insane. Nope. All there thouht this was brilliant advice. More evidence that ad sales reps never....never study advertising.

        At the break, I asked him what marketing books he's read...and he said " I've heard that there are books out there about marketing, but I've never read one. I have a degree in business".
        Love this anecdote; rings true on multiple levels. As it turns out, I too partnered with a theme park's marketing group back in the day ... different company, nearly identical view on advertising, which seemed to be governed more by what would make a financial model "work", than real-world observations and scrutiny of case studies and experiments...
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by Matthew Stanley View Post

          Love this anecdote; rings true on multiple levels. As it turns out, I too partnered with a theme park's marketing group back in the day ... different company, nearly identical view on advertising, which seemed to be governed more by what would make a financial model "work", than real-world observations and scrutiny of case studies and experiments...
          When he told me that he wanted to "even things out", I asked him if the attendance was too much in the Summer. He said "No".

          I wanted to tell him that the Summer is when people go to theme parks in Ohio, and they should spend all their marketing dollars then. But I knew it was a lost cause.
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          • Profile picture of the author Matthew Stanley
            Unreal. What's also scary (from my experience at least) is that, instead of soberly assessing the efficacy (and opportunity cost) of spending in the drudges of winter to somehow compel visitation for the first time ever, in all likelihood no post-Mortem was done and the marketing "strategy" remained unquestioned ..
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    • Profile picture of the author adammoore
      Absolutely agree. I find it strange how many offline businesses, especially clothing stores didn't establish themselves online sooner, it was such a no-brainer, yet still many of them seemed to lack the technical knowledge, as well as marketing know-how, and some unwilling to make the investments. If consumers can save 10-20% by going home, and placing an order online in the comforts of their own home, that's what they will do.

      I believe all those afraid of innovation and new technologies will eventually go out of business. Since the pandemic, many of these business were wishing they had done something sooner.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew Stanley
    An astonishing 59% of U.S. marketers considered resigning at least once in the past year,
    The notion of resigning would seem to support Kay's hypothesis that "marketers" = employees who do marketing, versus self employed/entrepreneurs. It's also hard to contextualize the "wanted to quit" stat without a baseline or comparison to prior years. (I'd be interested to see what that figure looks like in any given year).

    But either way, agree that covid (and the anchoring effects of online mainstays that just make everything quick/simple/easy) certainly had the effect of separating the wheat from the chaff in many an online commerce business...
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    • Profile picture of the author Odahh
      Originally Posted by Matthew Stanley View Post

      The notion of resigning would seem to support Kay's hypothesis that "marketers" = employees who do marketing, versus self employed/entrepreneurs. It's also hard to contextualize the "wanted to quit" stat without a baseline or comparison to prior years. (I'd be interested to see what that figure looks like in any given year).

      But either way, agree that covid (and the anchoring effects of online mainstays that just make everything quick/simple/easy) certainly had the effect of separating the wheat from the chaff in many an online commerce business...
      i wonder how big a differnce those stats where compared to any other year .. or do people not get asked that most years ..because maybe marketers have an easier time changing jobs .. in normal times ..

      before i go buy something on amazon or go to a website .. normal i have watched someone reviewing the product on you tube or other social media sites ..reviewing using unboxing listing the pros and cons

      but company produced videos are to comsercial..and really don't give any idea of what to expect usinging a product
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  • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
    Originally Posted by WarriorForum.com View Post

    An astonishing 59% of U.S. marketers considered resigning at least once in the past year, while 79% described the pandemic as the most challenging period of their career. That's one of the most striking findings from a new survey of 400 marketing professionals carried out by Advanis . 80% of those respondents said their responsibilities had significantly increased during the past year.
    Saw this on Linkedin the other day. They gave as one of the reason is that the Marketers. Had to be on zoom on top of adjusting to work at home. They were expected by the employer or their boss, to be available on line more hours of the day.

    If I'm not mistaken they also had to do extra work. Since some employees lost their job due to Covid.
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  • Profile picture of the author IM2Pat
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    This is great intel however the post is now over a year old. ANy updates to this changing landscape now that the 'Great Resignation" has been coined and in full effect for about 7 months now? Thanks for any update.
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    • Profile picture of the author WF- Enzo
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      Resignation rates are still going up.

      Originally Posted by IM2Pat View Post

      This is great intel however the post is now over a year old. ANy updates to this changing landscape now that the 'Great Resignation" has been coined and in full effect for about 7 months now? Thanks for any update.
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