30.3
46.9
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54.4
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There is a data and analytics skills gap in the marketing department
%
44.9
Product and marketing manager AJ Products
Laura Supple
If you’re going to put data and analytics as a top skill, then you’ve got to put critical thinking as a quality that goes with that because the two go hand in hand.
Marketing director BMI UK and Ireland
Meghan Waller
Finding that balance of skills within marketing teams or at an individual level – i.e. being able to interpret the data while also being able to understand the customer and think creatively about how to use data to address a problem – is quite difficult.
CMO
Kingsley Napley
Leor Franks
Marketers, at least in the industry I work in, were trained in words, project management and understanding clients. No one was given any training in data analysis.
3. Plugging the data skills gaps
A lack of data and analytics expertise is the biggest skills gap within B2B marketing teams, while customer insight and commerciality are identified as key qualities to possess in the coming years.
Almost half (44.9%) of respondents say data and analytics expertise is the main skills gap identified within their team, rising to 50.9% within large organisations (250 employees and over).
This lack of knowledge about how to interpret data is not the only source of concern. Marketers also identify skills gaps in performance marketing expertise, content and copywriting skills, knowledge of social media and ecommerce skills.
While skills gaps are common, there are certain qualities marketers believe will be important to possess over the coming years. Chief among them is customer insight - the most in-demand quality - followed by having a commercial focus, being creative, collaborative and the ability to think critically.
However, less than a fifth (18.4%) of the sample consider financial literacy to be a key capability for B2B marketers. That’s despite 47.6% of marketers agreeing financial literacy is more important today than three years ago. This insight is worrying given almost half (45.5%) of the sample also find making the case for marketing investment either ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’.
• While marketing teams require a balance of skills and capabilities, there is clearly a pressing need to upskill around data and analytics. The ability to analyse data helps marketers understand customer behaviour, optimise campaigns and measure ROI – the latter obviously a key metric for the wider business. That said, having the data isn’t enough and marketers need to be trained to extract the insight which is most meaningful for the business.
34.4
%
31
%
There is a performance marketing expertise skills gap in the marketing department
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There is a content and copywriting skills gap in the marketing department
Lessons
%
Customer insight is the key quality for B2B marketing leaders to possess over next three years
%
Commercial focus is the key quality for B2B marketing leaders to possess over next three years
%
Creativity is the key quality for B2B marketing leaders to possess over next three years
• It would be a mistake for marketers to develop a blindspot when it comes to financial literacy, especially in the current climate when securing investment is such a challenge. If marketers embrace the notion of ‘speaking the language of finance’ this starts with taking financial literacy seriously.
• Given commerciality is considered a crucial capability, marketers are urged to start building these skills early in their careers. The industry should also not underestimate the importance of resilience, creativity and critical thinking.
Marketers on the skills challenge