Boxever, the personalisation platform released the results of its latest consumer survey in partnership with YouGov. The survey of over 2,000 UK consumers explores attitudes and behaviours around personalised marketing and communications (such as emails offering discounts or products based on a buyer’s past behaviour). The aim of the survey was to better understand what consumers appreciate most about personalisation and where they feel it could be improved.
The study yielded some surprising results. 78% of UK consumers are frustrated by untargeted and irrelevant marketing and communication from brands, showing consumers are no longer satisfied with generic communication and one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns. They expect relevance, with two thirds (66%) frustrated when they receive a communication from a brand about something they have already bought.
In light of this frustration, more than two thirds (67%) of UK consumers say they are ready for more relevant personalisation from brands across different channels including email, website and social.
In addition, the survey unveiled that done well, personalisation can transform customer experiences and drive sales. The survey revealed that more than half (57%) of UK consumers say they have made an impulse purchase after seeing a personalised offer. While 48% would make additional purchases from the same brand as a result of personalisation – this jumps to 70% if the offer is also seen as relevant. The opportunity for brands to drive value from personalisation is clear – but they have to get it right. As many as two thirds (67%) of UK consumers view irrelevant communication as a major turn-off saying that they would consider shopping elsewhere as a result of receiving poorly personalised communication.
Dave O’Flanagan, Boxever CEO, said: “Our survey shows that there’s plenty of consumer appetite for more personalisation – and the bottom line benefits for the brands that get it right are clear. What our survey reveals is that consumers are craving more relevance – they expect companies to understand who they are, what they’re interested in, and when and how they like to be engaged with. That’s what personalisation can deliver in every customer interaction.”
On top of relevance, the survey quantified the practical benefits that consumers receive from personalisation. 41% of UK consumers like getting personalised offers as it saves them money; while 23% say they like that it helps them to discover new products and services.
Interestingly, despite the current climate of increased scrutiny over personal data, the survey reveals that more than 1 in 4 UK consumers are willing to exchange their personal data to receive personalised communications. This jumps to 46% if consumers feel the brand delivers relevant communication. And the future for brands wanting to use customer data for personalisation looks promising: UK consumers aged 18-34 are more than twice as likely (39%) to share personal data in exchange for personalisation from brands than those aged 55 years and over (18%).
O’Flanagan added: “Personalisation opens up huge opportunities for brands. But it doesn’t happen overnight. To realise its true potential, personalisation is something that requires collaboration across your whole organisation, the right technology and a clear strategy to bring it all together. We are seeing this everyday with our customers and the results from the survey reflect our experiences that when well executed, personalisation yields bottom-line benefits for companies that are also keenly appreciated by the consumer.”
To learn more about Boxever or the findings of the survey, please visit: www.boxever.com.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
