Mobile marketing might be grabbing all the headlines, but it is email which continues to go from strength to strength, according to a new industry study which shows record numbers are signing up for regular brand communications.
Research by the DMA has revealed that consumer approval ratings of email marketing remain at an all-time high, with volumes rising as more people sign up to receive more emails for a second successive year.
According to the findings of the 2012 Email Tracking Study, produced in conjunction with fast.MAP and Alchemy Worx, the number of consumers who have signed up to receive emails from 10 or more brands has increased in the past year by 10% to more than two in five (43%).
The volume of emails being sent is also on the rise, with the number of people receiving 20 or more emails a week from brands they are interested in increasing from 50% in 2011, to 55% in 2012.
Consumer approval of the content of the marketing emails they receive have increased, with one in three (29%) saying they find more than half of the emails they receive of relevance and interest to them. Back in 2010, just one in ten (9%) consumers reported finding 50% or more of the emails they receive of interest to them.
Alchemy Worx chief executive Dela Quist insists that insights into consumer preferences are winning consumers over. He said: “While some marketers seem to be concerned about inbox overload, the average consumer is not.
“Savvy marketers know inbox overload is a myth and understand that when compared to search, there’s very little competition in the consumer inbox. These insights into the positive way consumers view promotional email also explain why email is still the primary driver of commerce on the web.”
In keeping with last year’s trend, emails containing special offers, discounts or vouchers continue to remain the most popular type of email, with money-off emails taking the top spot with 55%, followed by free delivery at 13% and loyalty coupons at 12%.
The research further highlighted that some industry sectors are perceived to do email better than others. Supermarkets, online and high street retailers, home shopping and travel sectors continue to score highly among consumers.
Contrary to the popular belief that email usage through mobile devices is on the rise, the study reveals that 91% of consumers still access emails primarily via their desktop.
Paul Seabrook, chief executive of fast.MAP, commented: “This study allows us to dip into consumer’s lives, which are often significantly different in attitudes and behaviour to those working in the marketing industry. It’s clear that email is valued and a credible channel for responsible brands to start and develop a direct and personal relationship with their market.”
The Email Tracking Study surveys more than 1,000 UK consumers to monitor their perceptions, experiences and responses to email marketing. The study provides insight for marketers by comparing its results to those gathered in preceding years to highlight new and prevailing trends within the email marketing sector.
Email is like radio. There’s always talk of its demise and yet it just keeps on truckin’.