As new technologies play a transformational role in marketing departments’ roles and responsibilities, marketers have a growing understanding of its importance in their field. A survey by DataXu, a programmatic marketing and analytics platform, found that a clear majority of marketers believe understanding marketing technologies (78 percent) and digital media (72 percent) are mission-critical skills, while 65 percent identify themselves as data literate.

DataXu’s survey of more than 500 senior marketers at major U.S. and European brands found that 41 percent of global marketers and 37 percent of U.S. marketers believe the single biggest marketing challenge facing their organization is creating the most efficient marketing mix possible across channels to drive results.

“What’s clear from this study is that globally, marketers are charged with the success of their businesses more than ever before,” says Ed Montes, chief revenue officer, DataXu. “The promise of marketing and advertising technology has created an expectation of improved marketing effectiveness, but to deliver on that promise requires education and partnership around cross-channel optimization and customer analytics.”

Looking ahead over the next 12 months at planned increases in marketing technology investments, DataXu found that 46 percent of U.S. marketers intend to leverage customer insight analytics in 2017, up from 36 percent today, while the number of U.S. marketers implementing programmatic marketing in 2017 is slated to increase by 10 percent.

“As marketers combat a fragmented consumer view, the use of analytical software becomes the crucial next step in achieving a 360-degree view of the customer,” adds Montes. “Marketers note a lack of visibility into the effectiveness of their marketing mix as a serious challenge, and there’s only room for improvement in attributing success across a marketing plan.”

Download DataXu’s report, “Modernizing The Mix: Transforming Marketing Through Technology and Analytics,” here.