This year The House of Marketing partnered up with Sortlist to conduct the Yearly Marketing Survey. Sortlist reinvents the way companies find their agencies. Co-founder Nicolas Finet reflects on the results of the survey.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE YEARLY MARKETING SURVEY 2016?

Nicolas Finet: 2016 promises to be an interesting year for marketing. Most marketers are convinced now of the importance of marketing automation. In addition to that, budgets seem to be available. These are very encouraging signs for improving future client relationships and the development of business.

It will be interesting to see if this consciousness actually results in actions. While in the past Belgium has lagged behind compared with other countries, I am convinced that we have the talent and ambition needed to pave the way of tomorrow’s marketing by using marketing automation.

Finally, I share the opinion that companies should move towards a more human approach.

ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT IMPACT WILL TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING AUTOMATION HAVE ON BUSINESS IN THE COMING YEARS?

Nicolas F.: In general I think technology erases borders: on the one hand, there are boundaries in terms of geographical position, on the other there are boundaries between business and customers.

Increasingly heading towards automated solutions, we can even better understand our customers and work in a more human and personal way. It is not about B2B or B2C any more. Instead we are now heading towards H2H: human-to-human. Technology and marketing automation, supported by data, allow us to return to the fundamentals of the customer relationship. What an opportunity!

Next to that, access to technological innovation has become a “commodity”. Technology is accessible both to large companies and young entrepreneurs. Competition can come from anywhere nowadays and it is about speed and flexibility. Tomorrow’s leaders will of course master these innovations but will most of all be champions in execution and creativity.

DO ANY OF THE RESULTS HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS?

Nicolas F.: Of course, every day we help a dozen companies by linking them with the best marketing agencies. Seeing such optimism is great and the results strengthen us in our belief of delivering personalized, human-to-human services, as a matchmaker between marketers and agencies.

Download the results of the Yearly Marketing Survey here: