The research report, Bringing complaints in from the cold: exploring the role of complaints for the future of one-to-one marketing, revealed that 65% of the UK public had had an issue with one-to-one marketing communications they had received in the past year, but onlly 16% had made a formal complaint.

The report, prepared by Future Foundation alongside the DMA (Direct Marketing Association), the Fundraising Standards Board and Anglian Group, also indicated that nine in 10 consumers surveyed felt that brands should make it easier for people to complain about their marketing.

“Marketers must now recognise the opportunity this presents,” said Nick Chiarelli, director of Future Foundation and the author of the report. “Brands have long understood the power of good complaints handling to build better relationships with their customers. People are now sharing their positive experiences with their social networks.

“To build greater consumer trust brands should encourage consumers to complain. This will certainly be of mutual benefit to brands and to consumers.”

The report was based on a survey of public attitudes to marketing communications, completed by around 2,000 UK adults in September 2014.