In 2015, mobile device will be the key driver for commercial and marketing activity. According to a recent study it was found that only 13% of the world population will be connected with a smartphone or tablet and mobile messaging will play a vital role. Ramsey Masri (CEO of OtherLevels), writes in his article link about tactics and strategies that mobile marketers should consider in 2015: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/mobile-digital-marketing/moving-the-mobile-marketing-needle-in-2015/1421

Customers are choosing when and how to interact, turning customer relationship management (CRM) and data analysis as the most important thing. So, retailers now need to know about how to engage customers.  Customers have short attention spans and to overcome this, retailers have to offer a more personalized experience. CRM has been used to build a profile of a customer and thus can identify their likes and dislikes, past purchases and interests which in turn will help them to interact with customers in a better way. Personalizing the online experience and product offering is the key to make customers feel valued and listened to by the brand, thereby ensuring that they are likely to revisit in future. Read more about this in the following article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/customer-experience/how-can-retailers-get-more-personal-with-their-customers/1411

Nowadays there are a new class of Business-to-Business (B2B) buyers- empowered business end-user. In a recent research conducted by Forrester Consulting, it was found that over the next three years they’re set to increase the volume and amount of purchasing they undertake by online research and purchase the goods and services they want. These ‘user buyers’ prefer to use digital channels to seek out which suppliers can provide the services and products they need. Matthew Diss from Intershop, writes in his article link about some recommendations B2B sellers should keep in mind when looking for this growing market opportunity: : http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/going-rogue-is-in-vogue-the-rise-of-the-empowered-b2b-buyer/1409

Last year, i.e. in 2014, everyone saw developments in the world of retail and in-store technology - both online and offline and thus it leads to the launch of the omni - channel era of retail in which connectivity and mobile devices are transforming shopping experience. Retailers are now focusing on omni-channel as the norm when it comes to offering to customers. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/the-future-of-retail-is-omni-channel-what-to-expect-in-2015/1406

In a recent research it was revealed that more than half of senior decision makers feel that their investment in digital marketing is not sufficient, with 87% of respondents planning to increase their investments in mobile marketing. Marketers are also looking to adopt new technologies in order to fight for market space. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-news/greater-investment-in-mobile-marketing-a-top-priority-for-retailers-and-brands-in-2015/1426]

2015 will see shifts in the ad tech landscape as brands, publishers and agencies realize the full potential of real-time advertising. It is predicted that programmatic ad spend is set to top $33 billion globally by 2017. In the US, it is worth more than $10bn and is expected to more than double to $20.41bn in 2016. Graham Wylie (Senior Director, EMEA & APAC Marketing at Appnexus) writes in his article link writes about the key trends that will dominate the ad-tech space in 2015: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-advertising/the-5-trends-set-to-shape-ad-tech-and-programmatic-in-2015/1399

Choosing the right CRM System is very important, especially for small businesses. When one selects a CRM system, it is important to decide what features are needed, which ones would be nice to have and which ones are not needed. CRM systems need to be realistic and easy to use. Vendor stability is important while choosing a CRM system of any size. CRM systems should help a company to grow, get you closer to your customers and increase the bottom line. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/rightsize-your-crm-65250

Simon Whitehouse (senior director, EMEA Sales at MarkMonitor), writes in his article about the importance of brand protection to safeguard brand health and marketing performance in digital channels. Read more at: : http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/the-top-5-brand-protection-strategies-for-2015/1395

Email marketing is one of the elements of today’s marketing mix.  Consumer brands are accepting email marketing as a means of engaging with customers and re-targeting them. Email marketing has become an important part of the online purchasing experience. In a recent research it was found that the travel & leisure industry is recognizing the value of email marketing and regular, useful and personalized email communications has a positive impact on the recipient. So, companies who have a strong online customer experience and mobile optimization will encourage a customer to make a purchase. Read more at:  : http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/marketing-automation-for-the-digital-nation/1388

Mobile has dominated web traffic in 2014. It was found that 59.8% of UK web traffic was on mobile devices during Black Friday, followed by 55% on Cyber Monday. Customers are becoming more accustomed to purchasing at the click of the button. Maximizing the potential of the mobile device has also become very important. So, brands should capitalize this opportunity by providing more content, better audio streaming and second screen advertising. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-advertising/how-mobile-advertising-can-help-brands-to-steal-christmas-2015/1390

Nowadays, selfies are very popular. But, the question is how selfies are relevant in promoting a business? Selfies has unlocked opportunities for brands to promote themselves online. They are highly effective at driving likes, shares, and comments. Brands can make use of this trend to increase awareness of their products and services. Noelle Federico (Business manager and CFO of Dreamstime LLC) writes in her article link about some tips to make the most out of selfies: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/26755/selfies-for-smbs-marketing-strategies-not-just-for-teens-and-celebrities

According to a recent report from Liveclicker and the Relevancy Group, it was found that consumer’s complaint with mobile email is that they get too many messages. Other complaints with emails received on smartphones include the following: 32% people don’t like messages because they are too small to read and interact with; 26% find it difficult to see full websites on devices after clicking through; and 21% people find messages are often jumbled/not well-formatted for phones. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/26784/what-consumers-dislike-about-mobile-email

Enterprise Mobility is gaining popularity nowadays. Apps for finance, lifestyle, games, news, fitness, social networks, messaging and much more are in demand. Companies are developing or buying apps. Businesses are mobilizing their most important business applications to adjust to the large mobile workforce. By expanding a company’s management system onto a mobile application, businesses will not only improve employee productiveness, but also able to send data from their on-site to the head office. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/grow-software-solutions/why-are-mobile-applications-especially-useful-for-sales-teams-65170

Travel display ad is expected to grow by $29M dollars between 2013 and 2015 in the US. A new study conducted by PhoCusWright shows that the travel advertising landscape is shifting. Frederic Gonzalo (Owner/Partner, Gonzo Marketing), writes in his article link about the trends in travel advertising for the year 2015: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/travel-advertising-trends-2015-infographic-0

CRM is installed to manage relations with customers. But, CRM can reduce the load on owners and managers by automating day-to-day jobs. CRM system helps to keep track of conversations with customers. A good CRM system includes tools for scheduling emails and sending them automatically and also helps to personalize your relationships with your customers. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/relieve-headaches-with-crm-automation-65154

There is no cross-sell up-sell module in a CRM package as cross-selling and up-selling depend on the salesperson's relationship with the customer. But, CRM is important in cross-selling and up-selling as it increases your knowledge of the customer and helps you suggest them the right products.  Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/crossselling-upselling-and-crm-65152

2015 will see stronger narratives driven by approaches like cross-device sequential storytelling and interactivity where user will play a more active role in influencing content. Delivering relevant content is becoming less dependent on Personally Identifiable Information.  In 2015 the value exchange will be less about who the user is and more about where they are and what they’re doing. This year will also witness a shift in interactions with personal technologies. Retailers are already implementing changes necessary to provide additional context and technologies like Augmented Reality are helping. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/evolution-in-2015/1374

According to eMarketer in the next 3 years, mobile phone penetration will rise from 61.1% to 69.4%. 2015 will be the year of more personalized customer interactions. Marketers will leverage more on accurate measurement tools and will embrace mobile expansion around the world. Matthew Idema (Product Marketing Director, Ads, Facebook), writes in his article link about some of the trends in digital marketing that will be popular in 2015: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/2015-digital-marketing-predictions/1373

According to a survey of CMOs, it was found that 2/3 of projects fail to use existing marketing analytics and only half of CMOs think that marketing analytics have contributed to their company’s performance. The most common reason for failure in this area is the introduction of any new initiative. Tom Claridge (strategy director at Fabric Worldwide), writes in his article about some tips on how to improve the Application of Marketing Data in any organization.  Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/5-tips-to-improve-the-application-of-marketing-data-in-your-organisation/1346

In2014 we have seen that marketers have started to make use of emerging technologies like 3D advertising. David Barker (SVP and Managing Director, EMEA Advertising Solutions for Amobee), writes in his article about the latest trends of Digital Advertising & Marketing Technology in 2015. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/5-predictions-for-digital-advertising-marketing-technology-in-2015/1350