NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Verve™, the global leader in location-powered mobile marketing, today announced publication of The Next Digital Wave: Emerging Interfaces + Experiences Beyond the Flat Screen, a Verve-sponsored research survey of top digital decision makers in the Ascendant Network™. Ascendant Network, an exclusive invitation-only networking group for the most prominent and progressive executives in marketing, queried members on the readiness of their respective organizations to embrace high profile emerging interfaces such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and a variety of artificial intelligence technologies. Key findings from the study include: 

• Marketing strategy is inherently digital and increasingly progressive. 33% of respondents indicate that they are always engaged in vetting new marketing technologies; 42% agree that it is the fastest-rising component of their marketing spend.
• Augmented reality and virtual reality have the most traction. 43% of respondents indicate that they are actively deploying augmented reality for marketing purposes. Virtual reality is only slightly lower in adoption, with 38% engaging with it.
• Overall, marketers are cautiously enthusiastic. Nearly 60% of respondents work within the confines of an annual planning cycle, making it a challenge to move swiftly from awareness to activation and 52% admit that measurement and ROAS in particular impede efforts to innovate. Yet the tipping point is relatively low — a 10% adoption rate among a target audience is perceived as sufficient justification to introduce a new interface into the planning and budgeting process.
• Practical use cases like customer service will spark adoption. These future-forward technologies are likely to see their initial adoption take place in customer-facing capacities where they will streamline operating efficiencies — e.g. bots for CRM or virtual reality for travel brands and automotive showrooms.
• Marketers are looking for technology partners. More than half the surveyed marketers (62%) are looking to collaborate when it comes to innovative marketing.

“Technology moves faster than consumers, and consumers move faster than brands,” said Julie Bernard, Chief Marketing Officer at Verve. “Even the most agile marketer is challenged to keep pace with shifts in consumer behavior as new interfaces evolve. This study provides a level-setting view of how some of the most progressive marketers in the US are approaching — and embracing — emerging technologies.”

The new study is available for download at https://www.verve.com/emerginginterfaces/

About Verve™
Verve™ is a location-based mobile marketing platform that connects advertisers with consumers to deliver successful business outcomes. The company’s proprietary location intelligence, patented technology, premium mobile inventory, and analytics capabilities empower marketers to identify, reach, and engage consumers with compelling mobile advertising experiences. Headquartered in New York City, Verve has offices in San Diego, London, Munich, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.verve.com. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervemobile.

About Ascendant Network™
Founded in 2014, the Ascendant Network™ is an exclusive, private, invite-only professional network for the most prominent and progressive marketing executives – those who are at the forefront of the transformation of marketing.  The Ascendant Network™ is the only network dedicated to individual professional advancement; helping members and their companies take it to the next level. For more information, visit www.ascendantnetwork.com.

Media Contact:

Michelle Weisz
Golin for Verve
Verve@golin.com
415-318-4326

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SOURCE Verve