Email is consumers’ preferred marketing channel

In an online survey of 2,000 respondents conducted for the ‘Customer Engagement’ report, 73% ranked email as their first or second choice of marketing channel. Post was the next most preferred option, according to 40% of respondents. Other channels included social media, text message, online (e.g. banner ads), face-to-face, messenger apps and phone.

Additionally, a third of millennials surveyed ranked social media above email as their preferred means of marketing communication.

The survey was conducted in June, with 90% of respondents claiming to be aware of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was implemented on 25 May. Additionally, 86% said they were aware of receiving emails about privacy policy updates from brands, suggesting that the new legislation and consequent communications have not significantly impeded consumer attitudes towards email marketing.

Two thirds ( 64%) of respondents said marketing messages they receive by email are relevant to them – the best performance of the eight channels included in the survey, but with room for improvement.  Half of consumers find Instagram the most relevant marketing channel, and only 28% rank marketing messages they receive by phone call as relevant.

Rachel Aldighieri, managing director of the DMA, said: “It is encouraging to see that GDPR hasn’t had a negative impact on consumer perceptions of email marketing. Evidently, it remains a key way to engage customers when it is used to promote the right opportunities at the right times. Marketers should take note and ensure all their communications use simple, tailored messages.”

Methodology
Foresight Factory conducted the nationally representative online survey of 2,016 respondents in June 2018. The analysis of the data was conducted in-house by Foresight Factory’s quantitative analysis team.