Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from MarketingCharts, a Watershed Publishing publication providing up-to-the-minute data and research to marketers.
Some brand communication practices — such as sending useful information or tailored emails based on past purchases — resonate well with consumers, but other proactive outreach methods are disliked by many, according to results from an SAP SE poll conducted by Ipsos.
Indeed, 37 percent of respondents said they like it when companies they have bought something from adjust offers to them based on where they live, with 18 percent disliking this and 31 percent saying it depends on the company.
While research has found personalization to influence consumers' purchase decisions, the SAP study finds a little more hesitancy on the part of its respondents. Roughly one-third say they like it when companies they have bought from tailor their mailings or e-mails based on what they know about past purchases, but 22 percent dislike this practice and 36 percent believe it depends on the brand.
The tide is more negative when it comes to consumers being asked if they want alerts or information sent to their phone, with more disliking (34 percent) than liking (29 percent) this. Similarly, more dislike (34 percent) than like (27 percent) offers to help via chat or phone before the consumer has asked for assistance. In each case, it's worth noting that more than one-quarter find this dependent on the brand, suggesting that more could be willing recipients of this type of communication.
Asked about the channels they prefer to use when they want information about a company's products and services, consumers pointed to e-mail (28 percent of respondents) first, followed by telephone (23 percent) and in-person (16 percent). Just four percent said that social media is their preferred channel.
Social is a preferred channel for sharing positive reviews, though. Among the 48 percent of respondents who make an effort to tell people online when they really like a product or service, 19 percent most often communicate the positive feedback on their own social media sites. That rivals the 20 percent who most often post on review websites such as Consumer Reports, Yelp or Amazon.
The findings were based on an online survey of 3,017 Americans conducted in early October.