According to the latest research, the value of marketing automation software in the Asia Pacific (APAC) is projected to reach $7 billion by 2023, driven primarily by the increasing penetration of digital marketing and social media into the region. APAC marketers are leveraging this trend to extend their customer base using social media platforms to engage with their primary target audience of users under 40.
Cross-channel campaign management automation accounts for some 45 percent of current sales. The majority of these investments are generated by cloud-based applications. These applications provide users with powerful customer data management and analytics, as well as an array of workflow tools for designing, executing and measuring the success of ad campaigns on both digital and offline channels.
Another factor fueling the growth in the APAC market is the rising adoption of retail automation tools. New self-checkout systems enable retailers to automate their stores and enhance purchasing operations for their customers, including the ability to make purchases from their smartphones.
Retail marketing automation also makes it possible to provide real-time contextual product recommendations to individual shoppers based on their buying history and specific shopping location. The 7-Eleven convenience brand venues in the APAC now offer customer promotions based on weather data and location information. If it’s raining in the region, for example, shoppers may be notified of a sale on umbrellas at the checkout counter.
New Vehicle Intelligence Tools for Car Franchise Dealers
Spireon, billed as a vehicle intelligence company, has just announced the release of a new inventory management solution called Kahu Connect. This is their latest connected car solution designed specifically for franchise dealers. Kahu Connect provides dealerships with complete retail inventory management visibility via a new dashboard that displays actionable data along with the ability to track down specific inventory for customers.
This new integrated solution gives dealers a view on the current status of their entire inventory, with vehicle location and all of the data needed to expedite customer sales.
Kahu Connect gives every sales rep an enhanced New Inventory Management Dashboard, that displays real-time data on the dealership’s retail makeup and highlights any potential sales problem areas.
Vehicle information within the Kahu app includes all relevant data, from interior and exterior color to stock number, trim and body style, enabling dealers to quickly connect a customer with the exact car they want. Kahu Connect will be generally available in February.
Mobile Sales Market Set to Hit $25 Billion
The growing demand for industry-specific retail solutions like Spireon’s vehicle sales software has led to an array of new marketing platforms that make increasing use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide users with detailed selling guidance, all designed to increase sales.
Enterprises focused on mobile sales initiatives can also expect a series of new sales automation solutions. These new systems are projected to help drive the current value of the mobilized sales force automation market from $1.83 billion to $3.68 billion by 2023. The latest mobile sales applications offer real-time support of lead and contact management and provide proactive sales and marketing guidance by applying predictive analytics.
The popularity of mobile marketing along with a high penetration of mobile users have helped foster the explosive growth in social media advertising. Modern mobile marketing platforms are increasingly being tailored for specific marketing venues. Built-in analytics can then provide specific insights into the personal behavior of every customer. Generic ads are being replaced by personalized push notifications and targeted advertisements.
Marketing automation and analytics now make it possible for retail venues to inform their marketing decisions by collecting and analyzing key data on their target audiences and using that data to optimize sales campaigns. Marketing teams across industries are embracing the use of marketing automation and mobile marketing platforms as a way to better understand every buyer and then maximize their customer journey.