Gimme, gimme, gimme: Email cutbacks affect men most

Brand owners are being urged to rethink their email marketing strategies on the back of a new study which shows that most women are quite content with this new era of dialled down communications, but men crave more, more, more.

However, the view – held by 43% men but only 18% of women – is heavily polarised by geography, age and gender, according to the study carried out by Pure360 and Emailexpert. And, in these unprecedented times, it seems many brands have responded based on gut instinct over hard data.

While at the outbreak of the pandemic there was an increase in Covid related emails, as lockdown has continued many brands have turned down the number of emails they send to a slow trickle, while others have stopped completely. However, these communications have been missed.

The study has revealed that the response from consumers is polarised across gender, age and geography. With nearly a quarter (23%) of 18- to 24-year-olds wanting more coronavirus related emails but only 9% 35- to 44-year-olds feeling the same way, applying the same approach to all will not be effective.

The study warns that the missed opportunity for brands may lead to a reduction in competitive edge at a time when it is most needed, arguing that there is a clear necessity for brands to understand their audiences better and to use data driven personalisation techniques to improve engagement.

Pure360 vice-president of marketing Komal Helyer said: “The way a brand responds to the crisis is likely to have a lasting impact on their long term success. Dialling down communications at a time when consumers might want greater assurance could leave competitors open to stealing the march.”