A majority of marketing managers believe that automation would save several hours of work per week and per employee. However, a minority says they use it. Revealed by the latest Brevo and YouGov study, this observation sheds light on a French paradox : businesses are attracted by automated solutions for their marketing, but are slow to adopt them more widely.
Celebrate a customer’s birthday by email, notify them by notification that their basket is waiting to be validated, or even communicate about a current promotion… These processes would benefit from being more widely automated, as evidenced by the companies surveyed by YouGov for Brevo, : 56% of marketing managers in France estimate that automated marketing tools would save 2 to 4 hours of work per week and per employee. However, only 16% of them use it. On the other hand, the integration of Whatsapp or the use of artificial intelligence represent opportunities that are still largely unexplored. When equipped, it is the multiplication of tools that penalizes companies. 19% of marketing managers also report using more than five tools from different providers ; 32% of respondents complain about having to constantly switch between tools and manually transfer data.
Marketing multicanal : shy beginnings
Lack of effective automation, the diversification of channels used to design and carry out a marketing campaign remains limited. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed say they use social networks like X or Instagram to broadcast advertisements.. For 60% of respondents, email and newsletter remain very popular. With respectively 21%, 12% and 6% for SMS marketing, WhatsApp push messages and offers, emerging channels remain marginal. The means of communication with customers are also not very varied.. As more than two billion people use WhatsApp in 2023 (étude We are Social/Meltwater, July 2023), only one company in four in France integrates it as an instant messaging service. And only 27% of companies say they use other means of communication, like chatbots and live chats.
IA : between enthusiasm and doubts to overcome
Regarding artificial intelligence, more than 60% of companies are aware of its transformative power. A third of companies (33 %) already use this type of solution ; 30% plan to use it to relieve their employees, 27% are still hesitant and 10% are unsure. To convince the most reluctant, AI tool providers will be tasked with providing information, to reassure and develop solutions that offer obvious added value.
Study conducted from May 8 to 24, 2023 by the market research institute YouGov among 103 marketing managers from French companies in different sectors, employing at least 50 people.
Brevo, French specialist in automated marketing
French platform for sending mass messages, Brevo, ex-Sendinblue, publishes a customer relationship management software suite (CRM). Using its platform, businesses have access to intuitive marketing and sales tools, such as automation, email marketing campaigns, SMS, WhatsApp, Chat, etc. More than 500,000 companies in 180 countries, dont Sodexo, Louis Vuitton, Carrefour, Decathlon and L’Oréal, use Brevo technology and its 75 integrations. Brevo has achieved the coveted status of centaur, reaching $100 million in revenue in January 2023, and has more than 800 employees worldwide. Its global operations are based in Paris.
