The modern marketing space is filled with talk about reaching the ‘always-on’ consumer, executing strategies that provide audiences with seamless cross-screen experiences, and tailoring content to each individual’s interests and needs. Here, Richard Jenkings (pictured below), senior consultant, Experian writes for ExchangeWire that, while all are very important, even the savviest and most switched-on marketers can’t reach everyone via digital, because everyone isn’t there to be reached.

Comprehensive analysis from Experian’s Digital Mosaic about the way people are using data and technology has revealed a distinct digital divide within the nation. While it’s easy to assume we’re all as switched on as one another, the reality is that more than 7.5 million are being left behind; which is a statistic that won’t sit well with marketers.  

Richard Jenkings, Senior Consultant, Experian

Digital Dawdlers vs Digital Devotees

There’s no denying digital ad spend is on the up. In April this year, IAB revealed it grew 16.4% in 2015 to over £8.6bn, with the average home now owning a staggering 8.3 internet devices. But this is only reflective of one group of the population in the UK, a group which makes up about a third of residents (32.4%). 

These leaders in digital technology have the most devices, spend more time on-line and use digital services for the widest range of activities. They are most at home in the digital world and would find it extremely hard to do without digital technology, an easy group for marketers to get hold-of and engage with digital campaigns.

Then there are those who use digital platforms and skills everyday as a means to an end. Just over half of the population (52%) are defined as practical day-to-day users of the internet and digital services. Their use is characterised less by enthusiasm for the latest technology and the 'must have' gadget, and more by a set of practical uses that benefit them on a daily basis. 

But these two digital groups only make up three-quarters of the population. So, what about the rest? Poor broadband access, along with many other behavioural factors, including underlying attitudes towards technology means that 7.5 million people are being left behind in the UK’s digital revolution. That’s a lot of people, and a potential large chunk of individuals who could be right in a marketers’ sweet spot when it comes to target audiences. 

Strategy planning   

When marketers are planning their strategies, geo-demographic segmentation is a sure fire tactic of refining who you want to target, and where you’ll find them. However, this doesn’t necessarily take into account how digitally engaged these individuals are. Without this knowledge, marketers risk building a strategy that largely, or completely, excludes a significant amount of the population – those who are not digitally engaged.

Brands and marketers can’t turn a blind eye to this. They need to consider what this means for their attempts to reach, engage, and deliver services to everyone in the UK. Personalisation has been a big theme in the industry in recent years, but more often than not it’s discussed in relation to content, when really we should be thinking about platform. 

This focus, while vital, means marketers have lost sight of those who have been left behind in the digital revolution. It’s predicted, and a reality, that the more ‘traditional’ types of advertising and marketing, such as print and television, are in decline. But if marketers take this with too much heed, they risk completely missing a significant group of people. It’s all too easy to think that today we are all using digital technology for the same things and at the same rate of consumption, but that’s clearly not the case. 

One size doesn’t fit all 

The consumption of data-driven digital technology has clear implications on people’s lives, from how they manage their finances to how they do their shopping and interact with friends and family. 

Marketers need to think about what this means for them when it comes to communicating with their audiences. In the digitalised world, the customer journey is profoundly influenced by which connected devices people are using, their level of digital engagement and attitudes towards technology in general. Marketers have to know what devices and channels their audience is using and tailor their communication and strategy accordingly. A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work anymore; and those marketers who stick with that will soon find they’re falling behind.

All in all, understanding the digital engagement of your customers (and, in particular, your best-fit customers) is crucial in getting to grips with how to communicate with them. This knowledge needs to influence the manner in which marketing strategies are built, campaigns implemented and new products and services designed.