September 26, 2018
Many marketing emails are ignored even though nearly half of consumers rank email as their preferred channel for marketing communications
CHICAGO — September 26, 2018 — Despite 47 percent of consumers ranking email as their preferred channel for brand communications, over half (55 percent) ignore marketing emails due to inbox overload, according to a new study from Yes Lifecycle Marketing.
For its Surviving the Retail Apocalypse report, Yes Lifecycle Marketing surveyed over 1,000 consumers of all ages and found that in addition to inbox overload, subscribers ignore marketing emails because of irrelevant product recommendations (50 percent) and content (41 percent). The findings indicate that many retailers still fail to understand consumers’ preferences in terms of mailing frequency, timing and content.
Even though consumers will ignore emails that fall short of their expectations, 42 percent reported that they don’t unsubscribe from these communications; instead, they scan the subject lines to determine whether they’ll open.
“Growing competition and shifting consumer expectations prompt marketers to start delivering more relevant content, better personalization and unique experiences in order to move consumers along each stage of the customer journey – from awareness to loyalty,” said Jim Sturm, president of Yes Lifecycle Marketing. “Brands must get creative with their programs and use the wealth of customer data at their disposal to identify customers’ preferences and interests in order to keep them engaged.”
The report also revealed that creating data-driven customer experiences remains a major challenge for many retailers. Thirty percent of consumers said they had received recommendations for products they’d already purchased. In addition, one in five (19 percent) consumers have received messages targeted to the residents of cities they do not live in, indicating that marketers aren’t adequately collecting and using customer data to personalize communications.
“With the dominance of Amazon and shifting consumer behavior, retailers must evolve to meet shopper expectations,” said Michael Iaccarino, CEO and chairman of Infogroup, parent company of Yes Lifecycle Marketing. “Marketers must find the right technology and service partner to help them identify consumer preferences across channels and build data-driven strategies that capitalize on those preferences.”
Additional findings from the report include:
To learn more about what motivates consumers to engage with retailers and make purchases, download the full report HERE.
Yes Lifecycle Marketing provides solutions that orchestrate multichannel marketing communications to drive results and revenue. This is accomplished by leveraging technology, data, analytics, creative, and strategy to activate and optimize insights-driven, real-time, relevant communications. This holistic approach gives marketers the ability to source a full-service offering of best-of-breed technology and solutions from a single vendor in order to achieve their desired outcomes across all on and offline channels.
Infogroup is a leading provider of data and data-driven marketing solutions. Infogroup provides data, technology and services that help marketers acquire new customers and maximize the value of existing relationships. The company’s data and marketing solutions help clients of all sizes, from local SMBs to FORTUNE 100™ enterprises, increase sales and customer loyalty. Infogroup provides both digital and traditional marketing channel expertise that is enhanced by access to our proprietary data on 280 million individuals and 24 million businesses. For more information, visit www.infogroup.com.