1. “Moneybags” aren’t
the only barrier to
marketing innovation
BRITE ’11 conference survey summary: a marketing innovation reality check
pre sented by

2. BRITE ’11, presented by Columbia Business School’s Center
for Global Brand Leadership, was inspiring and educational
with engaging discussions about today’s best brand stories
and exciting exercises to stimulate innovation. While the
conference buzzed of optimism and innovation, The Halo
Group sponsored a “Marketing Innovation Reality Check”
survey to help today’s marketers identify priorities to better
implement new marketing strategies.

3. It’s not just
the moneybags
Key Findings: It should come as no surprise that Finance
(aka “The Moneybags” with 30% of the vote) was identified
as the main barrier to getting buy-in for innovative new
marketing strategies. But, the CEO (aka “The Head Honcho”)
was also identified as a barrier with 28%. Even more surprising,
additional survey results show that, in a digitally driven
marketing landscape, many companies did not have some
of the basic knowledge, training or technology to successfully
integrate new marketing ideas.

4. • Culture of Innovation—75% of the respondents
described their workplaces as “innovation obsessed”
or “innovation encouraged” and the remaining 25%
described receptivity to innovation in their company
as only “baby steps permitted”
• Social Media—While 96% of attendees are currently
using social media as part of their marketing efforts, a
deeper look at their responses suggests that there is
still a long way to go
- 44% have a “basic presence” or less
- Only 9% had internal social media training
programs for their staff
• Mobile—Showing the ever-growing interest in mobile,
97% plan to use mobile marketing technology in 2011
to connect with customers:
- However, 52% of attendees are only in the process
of making plans
- And 53% never used QR Codes prior to this survey
- And only 21% had a mobile-compatible website
• ROI—ROI and transparency have been a major focus
for marketers over the past few years and respondents
indicate some progress. 85% of attendees said they
could tie marketing goals to company goals. However
that’s only the first step
- Only 24% of marketers can produce ROI data for
all their marketing efforts
- The remaining 76% are still struggling to effectively
track more than a few of their efforts

5. about the survey
The Halo Group’s mobile survey, accessed via a QR code, and
promoted by an on-site program that included conference
signage and a “street team,” was intended to help understand
the reality of creating, implementing and measuring
innovation for today’s leaders in marketing. And there was
no better place than the BRITE Conference, where attendees
included marketers from top brands, leaders in academia,
and the industries best marketing communications partners.
survey vitals
• Methodology: A 10-question, multiple-choice mobile
survey accessed via QR code on-site at the BRITE
conference
• Timing: Survey was collected and tabulated in
real-time using Google spreadsheets and delivered
the same day
• Respondents: 109 BRITE Conference Attendees
(roughly one-third of registrants) ranging from
CMO’s from top brands to leading Academia to
the industries best agencies
• One winner was selected at random to win an
Apple iPad
about the conference
BRITE ’11 brings together big thinkers from business,
technology, media, and marketing to discuss emerging
trends in marketing, innovation, technology, society, and
culture and how these trends can transform the ways that
companies build and sustain great brands.

6. 1.
Rate your company’s receptiveness to marketing/brand
innovation on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 being very receptive, 4
being very resistant)
baby steps permitted
24%
44% innovation obsessed
32%
innovation encouraged
2.
Do you have an internal communications program to help
all levels of your organization deliver a uniform brand
experience for customers?
nope
highly developed
11% 16%
sort of
22%
50%
working on it

7. 3.
Which of the following best describes your brands’ use of
social media as part of its marketing efforts?
huh? social what?
monetizing it
4%
13%
basic presence 40%
43% actively managing it
4.
Do you have an internal training program for staff that
manage your brands’ social media presence?
highly developed training program
9%
39%
none
39% limited rules and guidelines
13%
we have external partners that do all of this

8. 5.
Does your brand have a mobile-friendly website?
don’t even know
8% yes, 100% mobile compatible
21%
not really 38%
33% it mostly works
6.
What is your experience with QR codes?
QR is my life
zero
4%
12%
43% i’m dabbling
today was my first
41%

9. 7.
How will you use, or plan to use, mobile marketing
techniques—QR codes, shortcodes, mobile applications,
mobile advertising—to connect with your customer in 2011?
who needs mobile? important part of our plan
3%
27%
18% a few test efforts underway
just making plans now 52%
8.
What amount of your marketing spending can you tie to
ROI metrics (e.g., sales growth, brand awareness, customer
loyalty, etc.)?
barely any none
18% 7%
24% virtually all
a few initiatives
50%

10. 9.
Are your company’s business goals clear enough to be
easily tied to your company’s marketing goals?
disagree
12% 3%
strongly disagree
agree 56%
29% strongly agree
10.
What/who do you think is the biggest barrier to getting
buy-in for innovative marketing strategies?
staff
9% the head honcho (ceo)
28%
the moneybags (finance)
30%
the board of directors
2%
3% 29%
the computer geeks (it) none

11. The Halo Group
350 Seventh Ave, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10001
P: 212.643.9700
Visit us online @ www.thehalogroup.net
Mobile: thehalogroup.net/mobile/
Facebook: /thehalogroupny
Twitter: @thehalogroup
Media/Press Inquiries please contact
Lara Cohn, lcohn@thehalogroup.net