Marketers Identify Top Investments for Next 24 Months

63% Plan to Utilize Marketing Service Providers to Gain Expertise Through Selective Engagement and Shared Best Practices


BOSTON, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 12, 2007 -- Aberdeen Group today announced the recent findings of a benchmark report outlining top performing Marketer's prioritized investments in the selection of customer analytics strategies and solutions for improved customer retention rates, higher revenues from up-sell / cross-sell campaigns, and greater customer satisfaction. The research outlined the tremendous pressures that Marketers are faced with, including the requirement to contribute to top-line growth, and the need to increase customer install base as well as market share. Marketers also strive to optimize resources as they are tasked to identify and invest in their most valuable or profitable customers while efficiently utilizing both budgets and resources. Identified as a resource was the investment in Marketing service providers. 63% of the top performers that participated in the recent benchmark study "Business Intelligence: A Customer Analysis Solution Selection Guide" identified their planned investments include greater utilization of marketing services providers over the next 24 months. Enterprises participating in three recent AberdeenGroup benchmark studies cited Business Intelligence/Analytics applications and tools among the top prioritized investments for the next 12-24 months.

This report by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), notes that leading companies surveyed had planned investments that underscore the value they place in leveraging technology such as predictive analytics (66%) and multi-channel marketing automation tools (66%) in providing a seamless experience for customers. Top performers focus on customer value and customer retention at rates 2X higher than other benchmarked groups, and leaders outperform their peers at performance rates that are nearly two times as high in all key metrics.

"Marketers must find effective ways to communicate, interact and to provide service to customers based on value metrics. Ideally, highly profitable customers would receive more attention, service and resources than less profitable ones," notes Alan Hubbard, Sr. Research Analyst at Aberdeen.

The report also outlines that survey respondents revealed that behavioral information is stored within multiple systems: CRM (42%), Marketing Automation (32%), and Web tools (40%). Creation of predictive models, scores or workflow can be done with either business intelligence platforms or predictive analytics tools (43%) embedded within existing marketing processes. All respondents confirmed that they are addressing challenges from a technology, process, performance, and organizational persepctive.

To download a complimentary copy of this report, underwritten by Intelligent Results, KXEN, Opera Solutions, Unica, please visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=3709

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

Contact Information: Aberdeen Group (617) 723-7890 http://www.aberdeen.com Harte-Hanks (800) 456-9748 http://www.harte-hanks.com