Accenture Interactive in the News

Accenture Acquires Acquity
AI’s Glen A. Hartman (On Twitter:@HartmanGlen) offers insight into Accenture’s recent acquisition spree – Acquity Group, Fjord and avVenta. He states, “We want to be and end-to-end provider that takes responsibility for outcomes. We want to free CMOs to think about marketing and customer experience while we think about the organizational processes and best practices.” (Direct Marketing News, May 20, 2013)

Accenture Buys Acquity Group
Covering Accenture’s Acquity Group acquisition, the article states, “The addition of Acquity Group’s skills and capabilities in e-commerce and leading digital platforms such as Adobe and hybris, supported by Accenture’s industry depth and global delivery capability, is expected to help Accenture Interactive further address the most pressing needs of today’s CMO in the midst of a digital transformation in marketing.” (Consumer Goods Technology, May 20, 2013)

Accenture nabs digital marketing biz Acquity Group for $315 million
An article highlighting Accenture’s recent acquisition history -- Acquity Group, Fjord and avVenta -- notes, “Pointing toward bigger industry trends, Accenture is moving more towards becoming a digital marketing services provider with the intention of serving businesses that recognize the link between IT and marketing departments thanks to data analytics.” (ZD Net, May 20, 2013)

Accenture to Buy Acquity for $316 Million
AI’s Glen A. Hartman (On Twitter:@HartmanGlen) offers insight on the Acquity Group acquisition. He states, “It’s a very important strategic initiative for Accenture to be delivering to the CMO. The CMO may even help pace technology spending in the next five years. Our clients asked us to get into this business.” (Bloomberg, May 18, 2013)

Less guff, more puff
AI’s CMO Insights Survey finding -- Nearly 40% of CMOs do not think they have the right people and resources to meet their goals – is highlighted in an article on the rise of digital marketing and consumer engagement. Additional details on AI’s CMO Insights Survey can be found here. (The Economist, May 18, 2013)

Accenture to Buy Acquity for $316 Million
The article details Accenture’s agreement to purchase Acquity Group to expand its range of digital marketing services. The article also notes, “Accenture currently provides digital marketing services under its Interactive unit, which offers chief marketing officers and brand leaders a suite of marketing, technology and analytics solutions to help them improve their marketing performance.” (Note: A log-in may be required to view article) (The Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2013)

Accenture says it will buy Acquity Group for $316M
Accenture’s agreement to acquire Acquity Group for $316 million is covered with a focus on the financial facts of the deal and recent stock movement for each company. (AP, May 17, 2013)

Accenture to acquire Acquity Group for $316 million
The article offers a succinct summary of Accenture’s agreement to acquire the Acquity Group. As the publication and Acquity Group are both Chicago-based, the post emphasizes this geographic angle. (Crain’s Chicago Business, May 17, 2013)

BFinancial Considerations for CMOs In The Digital Age
In a byline on AI’s CMO Insight Survey findings, AI’s Glen A. Hartman (on Twitter at @HartmanGlen) shares budgetary considerations CMOs should make in today’s digital environment. Hartman states, “By working to improve insufficient digital orientation, and by shifting budgets toward digital, CMOs will not only be able to keep pace with the evolving market and trends, but will also be able to take advantage of it, help the business thrive, and surpass the competition.”(MediaPost, May 17, 2013)

Big Corporations Are Buying Design Firms in Droves
Discussing Accenture’s recent agreement to acquire Fjord, AI’s Baiju Shah says, “This is about helping our clients transform to be digital businesses. Our clients are finding that sustainable performance can’t really be achieved using a lot of the traditional levers.” Shah also states, “It’s a dramatic simplification for our clients.” Additional details on the Fjord acquisition can be found here. (Wired, May 15, 2013)

4 in 10 CMOs Feel Unprepared for Challenges Ahead [Infographic]
In addition to highlighting many AI CMO Insights Survey stats, the full infographic and various graphs from the report are included in this post for a very visual representation of the findings. The CMO Insights Survey can be found here.(Marketing Profs, May 15, 2013)

Here are top 3 challenges for CMOs in Asia Pacific
Resulting from a regional press release on AI’s CMO Insights Survey, numerous publications in Asia cover the local findings including: “In Asia Pacific, 41 percent of CMOs have allocated over a quarter of their marketing budget to digital marketing this year compared to the global figure of 47 percent.” A quote by AI’s Marco Ryan is also included. (Also covered in CIO Asia, MIS Asia, CFO World, ComputerWorld Singapore, and UK’s Digital Arts)(Singapore Business Review, May 13, 2013)

Changing the game: The social space morphs again
A byline by AI’s Marco Ryan and Accenture Indonesia’s Hendra Godjali discusses the benefits and adoption of gamification. They state, “Far from simply replacing traditional marketing efforts, social media is seen by an increasing number of companies as a way of increasing the effectiveness of existing marketing efforts, to differentiate products or services, to advocate for brands and increasingly, to recruit, motivate and raise the performance of employees.” Also, placing a focus on the Indonesian market, Ryan and Godjali note, “Indonesia, perhaps to a greater extent than many other nations in Southeast Asia, offers the perfect testing ground to put the gamification theory into practice.” Accenture’s Value Pursuit application is included as an example of gamification. A link to Value Pursuit is here.(The Jakarta Post, May 12, 2013)

Infographic: I Want It Now!
AI’s CMO Insights Survey data points were used in an infographic created by Direct Marketing News. A section of the upfront leading to the graphic reads: “More! More! More! That's all today's consumers ever say. And marketers are the ones bending over backward to satisfy consumers' every whim. In fact, 65% of marketers say that consumer expectations for relevant offers and interactions have the greatest long-term impact on marketing strategy, according to “Turbulence for the CMO” by marketing software and service provider Accenture Interactive.” (Direct Marketing News, May 10, 2013)

CMOs Must Fully Embrace New Technology, or Fail, And They Know It
AI’s Baiju Shah and Brian Whipple co-penned a byline on the recently launched CMO Insights Study findings sharing the greatest challenges marketers are experiencing and offering four recommended actions they should take for future success. “By making additional investments in talent, analytics and, most importantly, digital marketing capabilities, marketing executives will position themselves to reap the rewards from creating seamless customer experiences and ensuring that their brands capture the hearts, minds -- and wallets -- of their customers.”(AdAge, May 8, 2013)

Accenture acquires Fjord: Results International suggests we will see more of this type of deal
News of Accenture’s agreement to acquire Fjord was covered and insight on the deal was shared by Keith Hunt, managing partner at Results International: “I believe we will see a growing number of deals of this kind driven by the increasing importance of data and analytics to client businesses. The trend will also be driven by management consultancies recognising that they need to become more creative and to understand the role that both design and technology play in launching products that consumers really want to buy. Anyone who can bring together art and science and talk to both CMOs and CIOs, whose roles are increasingly overlapping, will be well placed to succeed in the future. Today’s deal looks like it will deliver on this big time.”(The Drum, May 8, 2013)

Agencies, Look Out: Accenture's Invading Your Turf in a Bigger Way Than Ever
Accenture’s agreement to acquire Fjord, a London-based design consulting firm, was covered and it was stated that “The move is part of Accenture's effort to bolster its design chops as it takes on more digital work for big marketers, such as luxury automaker BMW.” Also, complementing AI’s CMO focus the article noted, “Large consultancies are known for their relationships with chief information and technology officers, but Accenture's moves indicate a focus on forging bonds with chief marketing officers.” AI’s Brian Whipple was quoted multiple times in the article. Fjord acquisition details are here and the BMW client story is here. (AdAge, May 7, 2013)

In Bid For Design Cred, Accenture Acquires Fjord
Accenture’s agreement to acquire Fjord was highlighted in a post on the recent trend of large companies acquiring design startups. The article stated, “As user experience and interaction design become ever more important in our increasingly digital world, big, powerful companies seem to be getting the picture: design means far more than just putting pretty pixels on a screen.” Fjord’s CEO Olof Schybergson was quoted on the acquisition: "Today Fjord will enter an exciting new phase as part of Accenture Interactive.” (Fast Company’s Co. Design, May 7, 2013)

Accenture acquires Fjord digital design agency
In a succinct post on Accenture’s agreement to acquire Fjord, these details were noted: ”Following the acquisition, Fjord will become part of Accenture Interactive, but it will keep its brand name for the short term. Accenture said the acquisition will expand the digital and marketing capabilities offered to Accenture Interactive clients, including digital design, analytics and mobile marketing.” (BtoB Magazine, May 7, 2013)

BMW Hires Accenture to Manage Digital Marketing
AI’s recent client announcements -- BMW selected Accenture to manage digital marketing efforts and Unilever tapped Accenture to build a digital social platform -- were highlighted and AI’s place in the digital marketing arena was noted. Today’s news of Accenture’s intent to acquire Fjord, a global service design consultancy, was also included. Additional details on the two client implementations can be found here: BMW and Unilever. (Information Age, May 7, 2013)

10 Interesting Digital Marketing Stats We've Seen This Week
In list of top 10 marketing stats, AI’s CMO Survey findings involving a lack of preparedness, the need for greater agency collaboration, and the allocation of marketing budget to digital initiatives was covered. For instance: “66% of marketing executives are allocating at least 25% of their budget to digital marketing in 2013.” (eConsultancy, May 3, 2013)

What’s Eating Chief Marketing Officers?
In a Q&A, AI’s Baiju Shah shared insight into the challenges CMOs are facing today including smaller budgets, complex consumers, and the move to digital. Shah also offered advice for CMOs saying, “Improve collaboration with IT, but also between business units in an effort to deliver seamless experiences to consumers and to decrease the increasingly complex marketing environment. (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, May 2, 2013)

CMOs Are Pessimistic About Meeting Their Objectives
AI’s Glen Hartman voiced how important it is for CMOs to break down the organizational and channel silos, think beyond a single campaign, effectively connect with partners, and tap analytics. Hartman said, “It's like the flying car or the paperless office. Marketers have been talking about merging online and offline forever, but they just can't seem to get there. The things we need to make it work are finally here, but the organization model is not. Silos in companies really get in the way of making digital transformation happen.” (Direct Marketing News, May 2, 2013)

Unilever Launches Digital Social
Accenture’s implementation of Unilever’s new digital social platform leveraging Salesforce Chatter is covered. The implementation, which was completed in 12 weeks, will help connect Unilever’s marketers, brand managers and partners in 190 countries, and enable sharing of knowledge, best practices and creative assets across the network. (Consumer Goods Technology, May 2, 2013)

Unilever boosts international collaboration with social roll out
Accenture is named as the implementer of Unilever’s new social platform allowing increased collaboration between its international marketing teams to share insights and best practices. Per Marc Mathieu, Unilever’s senior vice president of marketing, “It also frees up time for our team to create more magic - that is, to engage with consumers and create more effective marketing, which will be key to delivering our ambition to double the size of our business.” (Marketing Week, May 2, 2013)

The Future Of Marketing: Data, Customer, Technology
In an article on the future of marketing, AI’s Conor McGovern was quoted on customer data aspect saying, “Focus groups, surveys, and customer feedback are already giving way to individual customer data and robust analytics. The intuition and experience on which traditional marketers rely will be trumped by data-driven decisions. The quantity of information generated by companies is doubling almost every year. The opportunities to develop a deep understanding of the customer are greater than ever.”(CMO.COM, May 1, 2013)

The Digital First Mindset: A Focus for All Industries
AI’s Glen Hartman and Anatoly Roytman co-authored a byline on the necessity for brands to embrace innovation and technology, and adopt a "digital first mindset" to keep up with the connected consumer. Hartman and Roytman also offered factors businesses should consider when pursuing a digital first mindset and stated, “Digital must play a fundamental role in day-to-day business operations, and become an interaction engine with the consumers.” (1to1 Media, April 30, 2013)

Survey: 40% of marketers not well-prepared to meet objectives
CMO Study findings involving marketing performance, the use of analytics and becoming more digital were highlighted. The article cited, “To help retain and grow their customer base, 48% of marketers said they will spend more on managing customer data; 40% will increase spending on Web analytics; and 39% will boost spending on marketing analytics. (BtoB, April 29, 2013)

Lack Of Funds Stifles Marketing, New Models, Analytics Needed
AI’s “Turbulence for the CMO” study was covered in depth. The lead point stated, “Four in 10 marketing executives feel unprepared to meet campaign objectives, citing a lack of funding and inefficient business practices as the main impediments to improved performance.” (Media Post, April 29, 2013)

Marketing Week posted two back-to-back articles on AI’s CMO Insights survey:
The first article is titled, With data, talent and tech, why do CMOs feel ill equipped, and focuses on the survey’s findings on unpreparedness and staffing. AI’s survey stated, “While access to customer data is the lowest barrier, it is possible that CMOs do not have processes in place to identify the right data needed to drive customer engagement.” The second article titled, Marketers 'not prepared' for digital future, includes quotes from Brian Whipple who states, “Marketing executives are growing increasingly concerned that tight budgets and the lack of a clear strategy for implementing digital technologies are hurting their company’s ability to compete in the digital age. However, improved performance will require more than new digital and analytics talent. The challenge of digital transformation is how to implement beyond marketing and across the entire enterprise.” (Marketing Week, April 29, 2013)

The importance of in-store video for retailers
The Guardian has covered a statistic from AI’s November survey on shoppers’ preference of personalization over privacy which depicts 49% of consumers in the US and UK are happy to offer data in return for a relevant shopping experience. The Guardian is an influential top-tier outlet with a readership of global media and technology professionals. A link to the full report can be found here.(The Guardian, April 25, 2013)

CRM Watchlist 2013 Winners: Consulting and Systems Integrators Hook Up: Part 1
Accenture was named a “CRM 2013 Watchlist Winner” – a list of consulting companies and systems integrators who will have a big impact in 2013 – and AI’s Jason Breed and CRM and Social Technologies’ Joe Hughes and Chris Boudreaux were highlighted for their efforts. As a Watchlist Winner, “Accenture operates with a scope that is unmatched in the world of consultancies and SIs. They do the work of a management consulting firm, a systems integrator, an agency and a facilitator – all at once. Mindboggling and clear winners when it comes to impacting the business.”(ZDNet, March 26, 2013)

How to Make it Relevant: Optimising the Digital Marketing Experience
As part of our alliance with Adobe, AI’s Anatoly Roytman and Adobe’s Aseem Chandra pen a joint byline declaring digital is no longer a channel, but rather the “modus operandi for consumers, marketers and successful corporations.” The authors emphasize that contemporary digital marketing platforms are highly flexible and facilitate a seamless, relevant, end-to-end customer experience across continually evolving digital channels. At its core, integrated digital marketing platforms consist of four building blocks: data, content, analytics, and optimization. This byline was based off a point of view co-developed with Adobe, titled “Making it Relevant: Optimizing the Digital Marketing Experience.”(New Media Knowledge, March 23, 2013)

A New C-Suite Role is Emerging – Do You Need a Chief Digital Officer?
AI’s Jason Juma-Ross provides commentary in this leading Australian business magazine on the emerging role of the chief digital officer. Jason notes, “This role reflects the changes that a lot of people are seeing in the digital landscape. The evolution of digital is outside the technology remit of the CIO – I don’t mean entirely outside – but digital touches the business model and customers and supply chain. It is a broader set of issues that requires a new champion.”(LeadingCompany, March 22, 2013)

Consumer Behaviour – An Appetite for New Insight
AI’s Anatoly Roytman provides candid commentary in a recent edition of MarketingWeek that advises CMOs risk drowning in a sea of data about their customers if they fail to get a grip on where the most useful information lies. He advises that some brands have become obsessed with thinking about what behavioral data they can collect from their own digital platforms, when they should be trying harder to understand the wider market of potential customers. Anatoly notes, “Brands need to forget about this inside-out approach and look outside-in.”(Marketing Week, March 2013)

Q&A – Developing a True Mobile Strategy
AI’s Glen Hartman spoke one-on-one with MediaPost about what it takes to develop a true mobile strategy. According to Glen, marketers have to get it right because consumers will be more inclined toward companies that effectively use the mobile platform to create experiences that are relevant and engaging.(Media Post, March 20, 2013)

Do You Know Your CEO? The Eight Essential Leadership Skills
The Marketing Society collaborated with Accenture to find out what makes chief executives and senior business leaders tick. Forty UK chief executives from across a wide selection of business sectors were polled and interviewed. AI’s Anatoly Roytman shared survey observations to attendees at the recent Marketing Society’s “Tough at the Top” event.(Marketing, March 14, 2013)

Understanding Customer Data is the Key to Business Success, Finds CEO Report
The Marketing Society and Accenture quizzed 40 of the UK’s top decision-makers as part of a report on makes a successful leader, and found many were concerned with not just getting enough customer data, but being able to interpret it and use it effectively. The results were presented recently at the Marketing Society’s “Tough at the Top” event, in which AI’s Anatoly Roytman shared survey observations to attendees.(Huffington Post, March 13, 2013)

Best Practices For Your 2013 Media Plan
AI’s Neal Deeprose suggests ten opportunities marketing teams should incorporate into their 2013 media plans to drive marketing performance across print, digital, TV, out of home (OoH), and cinema advertising. As part of his best practices for 2013, he points out: “As media becomes more controllable by the audience, brands only want to buy access to targeted audiences, not big packages of lower precision. Audiences are more in control than ever. They can block ads, or fast forward and time shift their viewing, for instance. So brands need to take stock of their inventory to ensure they keep hitting the right target.”(New Media Knowledge, March 11, 2013)

Brands Dream of Data at Adobe Digital Marketing Summit
AI’s Glen Hartman offers commentary in an AdExchanger article summing up the recent Adobe Digital Marketing Summit event. Glen notes: “Most of these sessions highlighted data, analytics and measurement as a key enabler. The merger of creative, data, analytics and technology, simply put from a marketing, sales and service perspective, means that just about anything you want to do is now possible."(AdExchanger, March 11, 2013)

Banking on Digital Solutions to Build Trust and Innovation
In a joint byline, AI’s Joydeep Bhattacharya and Financial Services’ Piercarlo Gera state that banks are in need of a fresh start. Joydeep and Piercarlo note that adopting a ‘Digital First’ mind-set is an effective way for banks to redefine their relationship with customers: “By having a truly digital business, banks can move away from reactive, transition-based customer relations, towards a more intimate, proactive and personalized experience across multiple channels, products and services.” Learn more from the point of view:Banking on Digital – Building Trust and Innovation in Financial Services. (Banking Technology, March 8, 2013)

2013 The Year of Digital Relevance
In this opinion piece, AI’s Glen Hartman shares with 1to1 Media readers that as social, mobile, and analytics efforts continue to influence how brands target consumers, digital relevance will reign supreme and will shape the ever-changing ways marketers attract and retain consumers. In this era of the connected consumer, Glen explains it’s more important than ever for brands to be relevant across all mediums, embrace social media, and leverage digital and mobile platforms as part of their comprehensive and integrated marketing plan. (1to1 Media, March 1, 2013)

Making it Relevant – Optimizing the Digital Marketing Experience
As part of our alliance with Adobe, AI’s Anatoly Roytman and Adobe’s Aseem Chandra pen a joint byline in CMO.COM declaring digital is no longer a channel, but rather the “modus operandi for consumers, marketers and successful corporations.” The authors emphasize that contemporary digital marketing platforms are highly flexible and facilitate a seamless, relevant, end-to-end customer experience across continually evolving digital channels. At its core, integrated digital marketing platforms consist of four building blocks: data, content, analytics, and optimization. This byline was based off a point of view co-developed with Adobe, titled Making it Relevant: Optimizing the Digital Marketing Experience.(CMO.com, February 28, 2013)

Big Brother is Watching You Shop
Management Today mentioned our AI survey in an article on personalization and privacy. The article notes, “According to an Accenture Interactive survey of 2,000 US and UK consumers, conducted last November, 86% of people were concerned about having their online behaviour tracked, but 85% said they understood that it allowed businesses to tailor offers and content to their interests. And, 64% said being presented with relevant offers was more important than companies not tracking their website activity (34%).” Detailed findings from the survey can be found here.(Management Today, February 27, 2013)

Turning the EU Privacy Directives into Best Practice for Digital Marketing
AI’s Anatoly Roytman pens a blog in NMK stating the digital era has brought a gold-mine of knowledge about consumers and with this knowledge companies are tailoring products and services and even timing promotions more effectively than ever. However, while the knowledge at a companies’ disposal is powerful, he notes that it also increases the risk that personal details about individual preferences, habits and behavior can be lost or misapplied. In this blog, Anatoly defines seven actions that companies can take to minimize the disruption and refocus on the core objective of attracting, acquiring and servicing customers via digital channels.(New Media Knowledge, February 20, 2013)

Shrinking the Experience Gap
AI’s recent point of view on banking in the digital age – created in conjunction with Financial Services - was prominently referenced in an article covering new trends in banking. The article reasons that because of new technologies, banks have the chance to kick start a new era in customer service. Our joint research supports this, noting: “The digital era could not have come at a better time for the banking industry. With bank customer loyalty and trust at a low point, following the recent financial fallout and the economic downturn, banks are in need of a fresh start. Rising to the challenge of connecting with customers, rebuilding trust, and renewing the banking experience, banks are starting to explore digital technologies. Click here for the full point of view titled, “Banking on Digital: Building Trust and Innovation in Financial Services.”(ABA Banking Journal, February 2013)

How Analytics Will Help Marketers Succeed at Mobile Coupons
AI’s Brandon Young is quoted in a recent article on how marketers are not using analytics effectively enough to capitalize on mobile coupons. The lack of personalization from not using analytics is causing some brands to fall behind. Brandon says, “With 92.5 million people in the U.S. redeeming digital coupons in the past year, there is an undeniable trend towards touching the consumer closer to the register.” He adds, “Companies need to take advantage of this plethora of data to offer consumers value-add content in real-time that is highly targeted, to ultimately drive greater purchasing power.”(Mobile Commerce Daily, February 7, 2013)

KPN Awards Accenture a Four-Year Contract to Provide Digital Managed Services
KPN, a leading telecommunications and IT services provider in The Netherlands, has awarded Accenture (NYSE: ACN) a four-year technology and management consulting contract to develop, build and maintain a full range of digital managed services in order to support KPN’s online domain and drive integration and standardization. Financial terms were not disclosed.(Accenture Newsroom, January 28, 2013)

Digital Out of Home Starts to Find Traction
AI’s Kerry Bianchi provides an exclusive interview with brandchannel on digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising trends. As companies and public authorities explore new business models and non-core sources of revenue, out-of-home advertising, and increasingly digital out-of-home advertising, is becoming more popular. Kerry notes, “Despite the global economic downturn, significant infrastructure projects are still being planned or built, and interestingly, the money realized from selling advertising space at airports, train stations and other transport hubs will supplement the finances needed to deliver the upcoming large-scale projects.” This interview is based in part on a recent point of view titled, “Out of Home Landlords Venture into Digital Space.”(Brand Channel, January 25, 2013)

DOOH Gaining Momentum Around the World, Accenture Finds
Yet another exclusive interview with AI’s Kerry Bianchi on DOOH advertising trends, this time with MediaPost. The article notes, that despite continuing economic uncertainty, DOOH networks are expanding around the world, often piggybacking onto big-ticket infrastructure projects, while new technology makes DOOH advertising more interactive and local governments look for new income streams from public media. This is according to a new report from Accenture Interactive, “Out of Home Landlords Venture into Digital Space” which forecasts a new wave of investment in DOOH in coming years. Kerry shares, DOOH already has a healthy lead in the developing world because “emerging markets tend to have less traditional or historical static billboards, and this can often mean they ‘jump’straight to digital, omitting the more traditional paper and lightbox formats,” especially in association with big infrastructure projects.(Media Post, January 25, 2013)

Resolution: Embrace Consumer Relevance
AI’s Glen Hartman writes in MediaPost that companies stand to further succeed in 2013 if they can embrace the shift toward consumer relevance and maintain this presence across all marketing and communications platforms. Glen outlines three trends that are integral elements of successful marketing: 1) moving from multichannel marketing to integrated experiences; 2) placing consumer relevance first; 3) embracing the rising tide of social media and mobile. (Media Post, January 21, 2013)

Auto Industry – A Greater Digital Marketing Imperative
AI’s Anatoly Roytman and Luca Mentuccia – the global managing director of the firm’s Automotive group - pen an opinion piece in MediaPost which claims better digital marketing sites are the key to future car-buying. They note as car shoppers demand more and more on Web sites to make their car-buying decisions, it only makes good business sense for companies to put as much effort into developing an effective, interactive digital marketing platform as it does to create extraordinarily physical presentations like auto shows and brick-and-mortar enterprises. This opinion piece was based on recent research coming from our Automotive group that surveyed 13,000 drivers in 11 countries and found that the current state of industry Web sites may impact performance of car sales. (Media Post, January 15, 2013)

Gamification Goes Beyond Games
AI’s Marco Ryan provides commentary in a Business Times article on the evolution of gamification. He states, “Gamification's current usage has evolved, thanks to technology and a maturing demographic that has only ever known a digital world.” He continues, “Beyond tracking users with reward which is inherent in the concept [of gamification], the principles of gamification can be used to alter behaviour.” The article confirms that gamification can go beyond games, and companies can harness the technique to achieve other business objectives such as altering consumer behaviours and increasing interaction with customers. The article also quotes an enterprise software chief technology officer, Shas Kelkar as well as Howard Lo, owner and founder of Standing Sushi Bar, which was featured as an example of local business using gamification tools to increase engagement with customers.(Business Times, January 14, 2013)

Accenture Interactive’s 2013 Media Management Predictions for CMOs
AI’s Conor McGovern suggests ten predictions CMOs should incorporate into their 2013 media management plans for a prosperous new year. In this piece he breaks down the upcoming issues, implications and the potential actions that can be employed. (New Media Knowledge, January 11, 2013)

Accenture Interactive On Convergence of Creative, Data, And Tech
A one-on-one exclusive interview with AI's Glen Hartman in AdExchanger cuts straight to AI's digital marketing strategy and shares what AI sees as trends in 2013 and the convergence of creative, data and technology. "With a focus on helping CMOs navigate changing agendas, Accenture Interactive works to create relevant digital marketing for consumers at scale for their clients, as more competition joins the fray in 2013," states the article. As part of 2013 trends' Glen states: "One thing we're seeing is that marketing is growing up…We're seeing the CMO agenda expanding. There's a lot of talk in the market about how the CMO is forecasted to outspend the CIO in technology in the years ahead. The convergence of the media and creative with the data, analytics, and technology is pervasive and dealing with that convergence makes us grapple with a new truth: marketing is inextricably linked to technology." Read more by clicking here. (AdExchanger, January 10, 2013)

Showrooming Becoming Bigger Threat to Retailers
AI’s Baiju Shah is quoted extensively in a recent edition of Consulting Magazine that exclusively covers the findings of our AI survey. Baiju shares: “The showrooming trend can pose a threat to retailers, given that nearly a third of our respondents make their final online purchases with other stores.” He adds, “But consumers don’t want to shop online exclusively and our work with retailers shows that physical stores don’t have to compete on price alone but rather focus on the whole experience. Retailers need to create a seamless, multi-channel experience that blends the digital and physical, and delivers convenience, price and relevance.” Detailed findings from the survey can be found here.(Consulting Magazine, January 8, 2013)

Whither the Brand Website?
eMarketer writes that brand pages – although not very heavily trafficked as a rule – are still a primary resource for consumers seeking information about products and companies that make them. Still for most brands, traffic is unlikely to be very high. A joint study by Accenture, dunnhumbyUSA and comScore suggests this. The survey shows that 64 percent of the top 25 CPG brands averaged less than 100,000 unique visitors per month to their brand websites. The study also found that on average, visitors to CPG brand websites spent 37 percent more than non-visitors on those brands in retail stores. Additional information on the survey can be found here: detailed pdf and news release.(eMarketer, January 7, 2013)

Smartphones Change Shopping Strategies
Our recent AI survey received mention in the Financial Times. Using data from our survey, the article notes that showrooming has become ever-more prevalent with nearly two-thirds of Britons aged 20 to 40-years-old admit to using mobile devices while in-store to compare prices, although the majority leave before making a purchase at that time. More detailed findings from the survey can be found here.You will need to register for free in order to view the article in full. (Financial Times, January 7, 2013)

What Shoppers Want This Holiday Season: Personalization
Our recent AI survey was the foundation point for a recent article in brandchannel, including our infographic on the survey results that led the visual for the piece.  The article notes that our research “shows a shift in consumer purchasing behaviour and use of shopping channels, specifically online, regarding personalization vs. privacy, digital vs. in-store shopping and the rise of showrooming.”  Several other direct references to our survey findings are used in this article. Detailed findings from the survey can be found here.(Brandchannel, December 19, 2012)

USA Today SnapShots
USA Today – circulation nearing 2 million - has covered in its Snapshot section a statistic from our recent survey which states 75 percent of consumer compare prices using a Smartphone, whereas 25 percent do not. Detailed findings from the survey can be found here. (USA Today, January 20, 2013 and December 18, 17 & 11, 2012)

Media Post: Tempted, But Leave Store Without Making Purchase
MediaPost covers our recent AI survey stating that although consumers use mobile devices while in-store to compare prices, the majority of the 2,000 surveyed leave before making a purchase. MediaPost also makes note our survey shows that consumers are concerned about online privacy, but will permit retailers to track their shopping behavior to personalize their shopping experience. Detailed findings from the survey can be found here. (Media Post, December 17, 2012)

Browse, look, touch, click, buy
The Business Journal reports if consumers think online shopping is a mortal threat to brick-and-mortar stores, then AI’s recent survey notes they are wrong. The Business Journal shares that more than half (55 percent) of U.S. consumers polled for the AI survey find that online prices lure then into physical stores where they can actually touch the merchandise and compare prices, but then consumer head back home and buy what they want online. Our survey shows that this doesn’t necessarily steal sales from the retailer, since nearly half (46 percent) who visited the actual store said they buy from the online version of that same retailer. About 20 percent said they make their final purchase in-store. As AI’s Baiju Shah states: “Consumers don’t want to shop online exclusively and our work with retailers shows that physical stores don’t have to compete on price alone but rather focus on the whole experience. Retailers need to create a seamless, multichannel experience that blends the digital and physical, and delivers convenience, price and relevance.” Detailed findings from the survey can be found here. (Silicon Valley, San Jose, Business Journal, November 30, 2012)

Most Consumers Want Control of Custom Deals
Media Post’s Online Media Daily posted exclusive coverage of our recent AI survey, with an emphasis on personalization and privacy. Using the findings of our survey, the online outlet notes, “Misconceptions about personalization and privacy contributed to the slow start in online shopping and fast momentum toward showrooming, but custom content and coupons even momentum and help seal the deal, according to recent study.” Citing specific data: “Some 36% of consumers participating in an Accenture Interactive survey want companies to stop tracking their online Web site activity, but another 64% said they would rather control the information to get served personalized information.” Detailed findings from the survey can be found here. (Media Post’s Online Media Daily, November 30, 2012)

British Film Institute to Launch Version of iPlayer
Accenture is recognized as the British Film Institute’s (BFI) Official Technology and Interactive Partner, and receives mention in the latest edition of ComputerWeekly. As part of the initiative, Accenture is working with the BFI on a series of value-in-kind, leading-edge technology and interactive projects to help the BFI respond to the changing needs of consumers and to drive greater understanding, appreciation and access to film heritage in the UK. One of these projects will include Accenture working with the BFI on strategy behind the digitization of their National Archive, making it more accessible to the public across multiple devices/channels around the world. (ComputerWeekly, November 29, 2012)

Shopping Gets Personal
Additional coverage of our consumer survey was picked up by Smithsonian.com’s Innovations blog. The premise of the blog focuses on companies getting much more aggressive about mining data to tap into the power of personalization, noting “the more they know about you and your tastes and habits and what you say on Facebook, the more they can press your buy buttons-but in a way that feels like they are doing it all for you.” To support that premise, data points from our survey were used, highlighting that a clear majority– 61 percent – of online shoppers in the U.S. and the U.K. are willing to give up some privacy if it means they can receive personalized offers from retailers. Complete survey results can be found here. (Smithsonian Innovation, November 27, 2012)

Retailers Must Focus on Experience This Cyber Monday
AI’s recent consumer survey to determine which shopping channels are used most frequently, how consumers move between channels, how social media influences purchasing decisions and the value consumers place on price, privacy and personalized shopping experiences, has been covered in 1to1 Media. The outlet reports that our recent survey reveals the importance of companies practicing relevant online shopping experiences and engaging customers in social and mobile channels. (1to1Media, November 26, 2012)

61% of Online Shoppers Would Trade Privacy for Personalization
AI’s recent consumer survey to determine which shopping channels are used most frequently, how consumers move between channels, how social media influences purchasing decisions and the value consumers place on price, privacy and personalized shopping experiences, has been covered by Mashable via an infographic developed to highlight many of the survey’s findings. This post on Mashable has already been shared more than 900 times across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. This includes a tweet from Mashable's primary Twitter profile with a reach of more than 3 million Twitter users.(Mashable, November 20, 2012)

Marketing Week: Video SEO – Moving On Up
AI’s Glen Hartman provides commentary in a Marketing Week article on how instructive and entertaining videos are becoming a crucial way to get an edge on competitors in search rankings and can keep audiences engaged. The article outlines that while video content might have become an integral part of the marketing mix, many brands seem lost when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) for video. Glen shares in part, “If you manage to create relevant content that people want to share, through social media, for example, it can attract inbound links that will directly boost your SEO ratings. But you can’t just rely on people sharing your video - you have to get the basics right. What goes on behind the scenes is what makes this work, for example creating the right tags, descriptions and video transcripts.” (Marketing Week, November, 2012)

The Real Value of Your Customers
AI’s Jeriad Zoghby has a one-on-one interview - page 40 - in CMO Council’s magazine PeerSphere on how marketers can incorporate customer portfolio management (CPM) to maximize company revenue. He notes, “CPM is not about focusing solely on the best customers... It’s about optimizing investments across marketing, sales, and services models to maximize the value of the portfolio.” He shares insight and perspective on which companies are doing the best job of customer revenue optimization and how marketers can effectively get their hands around asset value and revenue opportunities given the staggering amount of customer data that faces them. (PeerSphere Edition, Fall Issue 2012, Interview on Page 40)

With Mobile Devices in Hand, Consumers Visit Stores to Compare Prices But Nearly Half Make Their Final Purchases Online, Accenture Survey Shows
Nearly three out of four (72 percent) of consumers aged 20-40 in the United States and the United Kingdom use mobile devices while in-store to compare prices, but the majority leave before making a purchase, according to a study by Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Interactive. The research also shows that while consumers in this age group are concerned about online privacy, they will permit retailers to track their shopping behavior to personalize their shopping experience.(Accenture Newsroom, November 19, 2012)

From BYOD to BYOA
AI’s Jason Juma-Ross contributes to an article in Technology Spectator on the consumerisation of an IT trend that made bring your own device (BYOD) to the next logical state of bring your own apps (BYOA). The article notes that for many of the recent converts to the BYOD mantra, the idea of employees accessing third party apps over the corporate network is one of those complications that has seemingly snuck out of nowhere. Jason shares: "What that means is that a lot of organisations are in situation where they are playing catch-up, a bit similar to what happened with social media." He further outlines: "There is greater potential here for partnership where corporate and app development communities work together – similarly to how Apple has worked with app developers to give end users a vibrant ecosystem – to deliver a solution for employees." (Technology Spectator, October 30, 2012)

Accenture Strengthens Digital Marketing Capabilities with Acquisition of avVenta Worldwide
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired avVenta Worldwide, a provider of digital production services to leading brands and agencies across multiple industries. The acquisition, which closed today, strengthens the broad range of marketing services Accenture provides to chief marketing officers (CMOs) – from the development of marketing strategy to the management of marketing systems and campaigns. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The combination of avVenta’s digital production capabilities with the services that Accenture offers to the CMO through Accenture Interactive, will enable clients to manage content from its initial creation through to distribution. By leveraging avVenta’s delivery center in San Jose, Costa Rica, clients will be able to do this quickly and cost effectively. (Accenture Newsroom, October 9, 2012)

Variety: British Film Institute Unveils Five-Year Plan
The British Film Institute (BFI) will invest nearly £500 million ($807 million) in U.K. film over the next five years. Accenture is recognized as the BFI’s Official Technology and Interactive Partner. As part of the initiative, Accenture is working with the BFI on a series of value-in-kind, leading-edge technology and interactive projects to help the BFI respond to the changing needs of consumers and to drive greater understanding, appreciation and access to film heritage in the UK. One of these projects will include Accenture working with the BFI on strategy behind the digitization of their National Archive, making it more accessible to the public across multiple devices/channels around the world. (Variety, October 2, 2012)

Media Post: Need for Data Forces, CIO-CMO Alliance
Interacting with consumers through isolated tactics and campaigns is ‘far from optimal for marketers or consumers,” states Baiju Shah in a recent blog. He outlines that winning in marketing today – and ultimately improving business performance – begins with the acknowledgement that marketing is comprised of many “simultaneous and intertwined fields of battle.” This often rests with the CMO and the CIO. Baiju notes, “Companies that are on track for success will be those where the CMO and CIO work closely together to mitigate risk, manage data responsibly, and secure effective and strategic deployment of content. CMOs must form a strong partnership with CIOs, going beyond collaboration to co-create new cross-functional organizations and processes where both teams share ownership of goals and business outcomes.” (Media Post, August 23, 2012)

1to1Media: Real Time Analytics: Reality vs. Fiction
Michael Svilar provides commentary in an article on “Big Data dilemma” - whether or not companies are collecting the right data in order to generate constructive information to drive action across all touchpoints in an organization. Michael notes, “The key to developing a streamlined, successful real-time strategy is to adopt an integrated technology platform that eliminates manual or siloed data feeds, thereby centralizing the important data and making it readily available across the organization. However, he also suggests companies move away from their reliance on metrics because, while data and analytics inform strategy and investment, decisions should be a healthy combination of real-world understanding of market context and business dynamics in order to generate actionable insights.” (1to1Media, August 20, 2012)

Les Echos: Promote a New Culture of Decision, Based on Data
Christine Removille secures coverage in this leading French newspaper via a byline which points out that data has become a strategic, competitive asset for companies. Christine notes that for companies to make the most of this data they need to invest in better technology and also undertake a cultural revolution to make sure employees know the data well enough to be able to distinguish the relevant information, what do to with it, and where to find it. (Les Echos, August 20, 2012)

The Guardian: How Stats and Data Are Changing the Marketing Career Path
AI’s Conor McGovern writes for The Guardian’s Careers Blog on how companies are increasingly looking for graduates who can combine analytical rigor with the ability to apply this knowledge creatively. He notes in his blog, “The growing importance of analytics and data in customer insight is having a dramatic effect on the marketing profession. Rather than relying on the traditional toolkit and capabilities, marketing departments are becoming huge consumers of data and technology.”(The Guardian, August 14, 2012)

The Advisor: Social Media Can Pay Off Despite Challenges
The use of social media by wealth management firms can offer tremendous opportunities, per recent coverage of an Accenture point of view titled, “The Social Advisor: Using Social Media Effectively in Wealth Management.” The point of view notes that despite the fact social media is allowed as a means of communication with clients, many wealth management firms are still feeling their way toward a more robust incorporation of social media into their business models, even as clients and prospective clients rely on social media more and more. This point of view was a joint effort led by Accenture Interactive’s Jason Breed and Financial Services’ Mark Newcomer. (The Advisor, August 9, 2012)

The Guardian: Winning the War for Consumer Attention
In a byline article authored by AI’s Anatoly Roytman he writes that in the age of information overload and unlimited choices, any marketer worth their salt knows that brand engagement is driven by providing precisely relevant experiences that attract and hold the attention of each consumer. Consumer relevance cannot be episodic – maintaining relevance continuously as consumers move seamlessly from one interaction point to the next is a new demand of the digital age. The imperative for consumer relevance requires a brand to gain deep contextual knowledge about each consumer and to create persuasive experiences at every point of interaction by applying that knowledge intelligently. This ability to be "relevant at scale" will determine which brands win and which brands get lost in the war for consumer attention.(The Guardian, July 23, 2012)

Crain’s Chicago Business: IT Consultancy Accenture Builds up New Niche
In an exclusive, one-on-one interview with Crain’s Chicago Business, AI’s Baiju Shah further puts AI and its mission on the map. The articles notes the marketing services field is getting a little more crowded these days, as technology consulting giants such as Accenture ramp up their digital marketing offerings to help clients interpret reams of customer data. “Data is the key battleground,” notes Baiju. “You're not going to succeed in marketing without a strong capability to manage data and harness insights from it,” he adds. Accenture client CDW was also interviewed for this article, noting that AI began providing search engine marketing analytics to the computer retailer about a year ago. (Crain’s Chicago Business, July 23, 2012)

Technology Spectator: Time for a Big Data Diet
AI’s Jason Juma-Ross provides commentary in an article about big data. He notes, “Effective analytics is really about separating the data that needs to be ignored and data that’s useful.” In the article he recommends that many organizations could do with going on a “data diet” on the premise that the problem isn’t just how do you crunch the data but more importantly how do you make sense of it. Specifically he says, “What organizations need to do is take that next step to figure out what’s useful from an analytics perspective and where they should be focusing their investment.” (Technology Spectator, July 12, 2012)

The Gains from Marketing to One
AI’s Bob Ghafouri provides commentary in an article that outlines the benefits from employing a ‘marketing to one’ approach. By marketing to the person rather than to the segment, the media outlet 1to1 Media states that organizations are sending their customers and prospects more relevant information and seeing a return because of it. In support of this Bob notes, “This granular view of customer intent allows marketers to engage their customers and prospects across different channels.” (1to1 Media, July 2, 2012)

The Fragile State of Bank Reputations
AI’s Jason Breed provides commentary in this article on the power of social media and technology to reshape customer relationships. He notes, “Online-only banks are becoming known for more than just their technological capabilities. You’re starting to see the online banks being more aggressive in customer-centricity modeling.” Jason also notes that “more banks (and not just the online-only ones) are starting to see the potential of social media and other technology as more than an opportunity to wink at customers over Twitter and Facebook. Banks are now using these tools to enable interactions that can reshape entire customer relationships.”(American Banker, July 1, 2012 Edition)

Searchandising – The Cornerstone of Online Retailing
By enabling online shoppers to quickly find what they’re looking for, searchandising optimizes the conversion rate and maximizes e-tailer margins. Our Retail colleague Guislain D’Hauteville explains – in French – that searchandising is the cornerstone of an eCommerce site. Searchandising combines ‘search’ and ‘merchandising,’ simplifying the online shopper’s search process thanks to fast, effective search tools. But more importantly, he explains, searchandising also guides and includes the buy decision either by spotlighting products the retailer particularly wants to sell or buy suggesting other related products.(Points de Vente, June 18, 2012)

CIO Magazine: Why Marketing Goes Rogue IT
AI’s Glen Hartman provides commentary in this article discussing ‘rogue IT’ – when business departments make their own arrangements with external vendors without consulting IT. The article outlines that rogue IT is appealing to marketing departments because of the frequent need to get projects done fast, coupled with technology vendors knocking on their door having discovered the marketing automation market. Glen notes, “Rogue IT systems are usually siloed. Whichever companies can do the hard work of getting the CIO and CMO connected will be able to outpace their competitors.”(CIO, June 8, 2012)

Impact: The Pitch Story
AI’s Rishi Khanna provides commentary in this feature story on how the industry lacks ‘pitch science’ or standard operating procedures for pitching by media and creative agencies. He notes elements that are becoming significant in pitching are cost negotiation, fee negotiation, target setting and understanding the incremental business value of a client’s key performance indicators. Impact is one of the few publications in India in the niche category of Marketing & Advertising and is credible within the community.(Impact, June 3, 2012)

1to1 Media: Achieving Customer Relevance at Scale
AI's Michael Svilar blogs that achieving relevance at scale doesn’t necessarily require more campaigns, websites, and costs to appeal to each buying segment. It means putting analytics to work by confirming that each campaign experience and every site visit is precise and relevant to each target. Michael asserts that in this battleground for consumer attention, the organizations that learn to use analytics to achieve a more meaningful relationship with their customers will come out on top.(1to1 Media, May 25, 2012)

Helping the Business Deliver Marketing through Efficient Customer Analytics, At Scale
This blog - by Michael Svilar and Natalie Kouzeleas – advises readers that achieving relevance at scale calls for a radical rethinking of how IT should handle data management. Based on a recent Accenture Interactive point of view, the blog stresses that achieving relevance at scale – where the most pertinent content reaches the most promising customers at the moments of greatest influence across multiple channels – does not necessarily require more campaigns to appeal to each segment. Simply put, it means putting analytics to work, confirming each experience is relevant to each target. And this demands rethinking conventional wisdom that governs data management, media buying, measurement and everything in between.(ComputerWorldUK, May 23, 2012)

Marketing Through Surprise And Secrecy – Lessons From ‘Watch The Throne’
This article - by AI’s Baiju Shah and John Greene, senior partner, chief strategy officer, Translation – points out that as marketers we operate in a world of digital media where consumer expectations are high and attention is fleeting. In this environment, CMOs and their teams often feel that they face a modern-day Sophie’s choice: either they wrap their new products in an impenetrable cloak of secrecy, and in so doing suffocate social media buzz prior to product release, or they hurtle headlong into a free-for-all of transparency, feeding every media outlet at every turn with the hopes of fueling buzz about their product. Which approach is optimal?(Forbes, May 15, 2012)

Agencies Going After Accenture, Deloitte IT
AdAge reports agencies are charging toward tech consultants that began to tread on their turf years ago when providing IT solutions to help manage information. AdAge emphasizes, “Tech consultancy Accenture has a head start” when it comes to software that is so central to large-scale digital marketing, and underlines “the consulting giant doesn’t intend to cede ground to competitors.” Brian Whipple notes in the article, “We are able to work with all key agency relationships that our clients have, regardless of which ad holding company they reside in.”(AdAge, May 15, 2012)

Consumer Goods Marketers’ Digital Investment Opportunities
In a one-on-one interview, AI’s Jerry Lohse spotlights a recent Accenture study that looks into the true impact of consumer goods marketers’ web sites when it comes to influencing consumers’ in-store purchasing behavior. The study – in collaboration with comScore and dunnhumbyUSA – offers tangible proof of the link between engaging, traffic-generating brand web sites and in-store behavior. The study shows that marketers who create compelling consumer goods brand web site experiences for consumers can be extremely effective in driving incremental and profitable in-store sales.(Consumer Goods Technology, May 9, 2012)

Five Steps to Enhanced Digital Marketing, Accenture Talks to RIS News
Accenture’s Senior Executive Matt DeNicola offers insights into multiple digital channels for consumers. "Consumers’ growing use of multiple digital channels will require companies to continually sense, respond, anticipate and adapt to change in a systematic and data-driven way," according to Matt DeNicola writing in the latest issue of RIS News magazine. Matt suggests that to respond to this shift, companies should "first target the digital channels, consumer segments within them and who they want to deliver the messages. The information gathered from these channels will then provide the analytical insights needed to understand and act on what consumer segments want, when and where they want it, using customized marketing outreach across channels."
(RIS, May 3, 2012)

Accenture Takes Off With Social According to Social Media Today
In this Social Media Today article, Jason Breed was interviewed about why Accenture makes sense as a social media marketing partner and why your dance card needs to include Accenture. “We’re past the point where the social thing is a fad,” says Breed. “People get that it’s the way we do business . . . What we see is that these companies have a social focus and we have a practice as well.” (Social Media Today, April 30, 2012)

Social Media: Which Social Networks Make the Most Business Sense?
In the fast moving target world of social media, Jason Breed shares with InformationWeek that there should be relevance at the heart of any decision about a company’s social strategy. He emphasizes that you “need to do social on purpose – otherwise, you are simply moving for the sake of motion.” Organizations must think about what's relevant for the business and what's relevant for the customer, Breed advises. "Like any investment, [social initiatives have] to result in impact to the business--calls deflected, new leads, competitive intelligence, supply chain effectiveness, etc. Then figure out the best channel for that, not the other way around," he says. "It does not matter if you put up a Facebook page while your customers are complaining on Twitter." (informationweek, April 26, 2012)

Client Data Is The Battleground Says Accenture Interactive Exec Shah
“Client data is the new battleground,” notes Baiju Shah in an exclusive, one-on-one interview with AdExchanger. “Data about your consumers is the currency that allows you to be relevant at scale. Anything that constrains your ability to control or access that data needs to be looked at very seriously,” he adds. (AdExchanger, March 28, 2012)

Social Media: Relevance at Scale in an Always-on, Always-connected World
In this Social Media Today article, Jason Breed writes that “consumer relevance cannot be episodic.” The article is based on a recent Accenture Interactive Point of View article from the R Factor series, on creating relevance at scale in social media. He notes “that with the explosive growth in the use of social media, social media networks provide a richness of data that can help build more precise insights into consumer content and will allow companies to tailor brand experiences making them more compelling, more persuasive and more relevant.” (Social Media Today, March 26, 2012)

Announcing Forrester’s Global Commerce Service Providers Wave Report
Discussing his recently released “Global Commerce Service Providers Wave Report” in an entry for Forrester Blogs, Brian Walker explained, “As a group, global commerce service providers are poised to support their clients as they increasingly move into cross-channel commerce and support the next generation of customer touchpoints. However, we found important differentiators in our evaluation.” Notably, “Accenture, Acquity Group, Razorfish, and Rosetta have deep eCommerce expertise. These firms all have a robust vision for multichannel commerce and between them have a strong portfolio of commerce project implementations. [..] Forrester expects continued growth from these firms and an increased focus on their commerce services offerings in the future."(Brian Walker’s Blog, February 27, 2012)

CRM Watchlist 2012 Winners - Consulting/SIs - The Very Final Four
Paul Greenberg reviews Consulting and System Integrators in his blog “Social CRM: The Conversation”. Accenture makes the list for its CRM practice. Greenberg says: “What makes me a fan, and what makes them a winner again for the CRM Watchlist 2012 is that they do what they do well - and they think ahead to the trends in the market. They are able to identify and then plan how they should (or shouldn’t) intersect those trends, with a clear understanding of the level of risk involved in each.” Among those mentioned as leaders and influencers at Accenture are Robert Wollan, Joe Hughes, Chris Zinner and Jason Breed.(ZDNet, February 21, 2012)

Accenture, comScore, and dunnhumbyUSA Study Shows Direct Correlation Between CPG Brand Website Usage and In-Store Purchase Behavior
A groundbreaking study from Accenture, comScore, Inc. and dunnhumbyUSA aimed at helping consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers better understand the link between consumers’ usage of brand websites and their in-store brand buying behavior found that visitors to CPG brand websites buy 37% more in retail stores than non-visitors to the brand site. The study, Are Your CPG Brands Maximizing the Return on Your Digital Investment?, also concluded, that to maximize impact, website content needs to be updated regularly and contain brand value messaging that both engages visitors while also providing compelling reasons for them to purchase the brand at retail. Jerry Lohse, senior director, Accenture Interactive said, “Marketers who create compelling CPG brand website experiences for consumers are extremely effective in driving incremental and profitable in-store sales. Analysis shows that consumers visiting the best of the ten CPG brand websites evaluated in the research study, spent over 200 percent more on the brand than non-visitors. Moreover, the research shows that the price paid per unit of the brand at the best of the ten CPG brand websites in the study was two percent more than for non-visitors in brand.” (Accenture Newsroom, January 30, 2012)

Accenture wins the Promotion Optimization Institute’s TPO Challenge
Accenture’s CAS software platform in conjunction with Accenture Interactive Marketing Analytics has won the Promotion Optimization Institute’s (POI) Trade Promotion Optimization 2011 Challenge. The challenge, devised by the POI, tested the trade promotion optimization (TPO) and predictive analytics capabilities of the Accenture CAS software platform against solutions offered by four of its competitors. Each company was provided with real data from a consumer product promotion at a retailer and tasked to predict the promotional outcomes. Participants examined two years of historical data from an anonymous consumer goods and services company. After studying the results, the judging panel named the Accenture CAS software platform as the overall winner. The Accenture solution was also rated as having the best optimization strategy and ranked equal first for its recommendations, which included building a plan, calendar, and working through the different variables and constraints.
“The purpose of the TPO Challenge was to illustrate how the combination of predictive analytics and trade promotion optimization skills can enable new ways for consumer brands and retailers to collaborate and benefit,” said Michael Kantor, CEO and Founder, Promotion Optimization Institute. “The Accenture team was able to produce an impressive and complete approach to the task, and was a worthy winner.”

Accenture CAS offers an integrated suite of retail execution and trade promotion management software, including direct store delivery, field service and trade promotion optimization and is part of the Accenture Software portfolio of products.

Tech-Consulting Giants Slide Closer to Creative-Shop Turf
As marketing requires more technology to reach consumers, the consulting and IT giants are inching beyond software and closer to agency turf, as the tech side is looking to learn the language of brands. In this article, AdAge interviews Accenture Interactive’s Brian Whipple and Glen Hartman on bridging the gap between tech, creative and data. Deloitte and Accenture are mentioned as two of the “big IT giants” who are in the business of digital marketing. Accenture Interactive’s view is that reaching into marketing from technology is a more credible approach for clients, and that large brands can get a more complete solution by working with a large technology company. Says Hartman: "Data is the new sexy. There's nothing better than for a CMO to point to the big idea that won the day that can be replicated and scaled to drive new consumers and sales." On the topic of competing with agencies, Accenture Interactive does not claim to be a creative agency but rather that it works along with creative agencies. (AdAge, January 2012)

Accenture Interactive's View on Advertising and the CMO with Global MD Hartman
AdExchanger interviews Glen Hartman, Global Managing Director, Digital Consulting, on Accenture Interactive’s views on advertising and the CMO. Accenture Interactive came together as a response to the convergence of technology, data and creative to help their CMO clients. One key takeaway, says Hartman: “we've found a way to bring [our] offerings together to help marketers and brand managers drive performance. By taking data and analytics to drive more relevant experiences across multiple channels, that's really where we see the future and most of the things that are happening for marketing and advertising - and all the media spend that we're helping advise our clients on.” Read more for Accenture Interactive’s role in working with agencies, its competitive set, thoughts on acquisitions and the year ahead. (Ad Exchanger, January 2012)

Where to Get Help with Web Analytics: Customer Intelligence Professionals Don’t Have To Go It Alone
This report by Forrester, Inc. evaluates the various Web Analytics Service Providers in the market and categorizes them into technology vendors, marketing agencies, specialist consultancies, and system integrators. The report lists Accenture as a leading system integrator for web analytics programs. (Forrester Report by Joe Stanhope, January 19, 2012)

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