DALLAS, TX — February 12, 2009 — The benefits of permission-based email marketing campaigns extend far beyond e-commerce transactions and have a significant impact on purchasing behavior and consumer loyalty in the bricks and mortar world, according to groundbreaking survey research from Epsilon.
In compelling numbers, consumers responding to Epsilon’s permission-based email branding survey said the receipt of emails makes them feel better about a company and increases chances that they’ll make a purchase, online or off-line.
Key survey results by the numbers:
- 57% of consumers feel they have a more positive impression of companies when they receive email from them;
- 40% said that simply receiving email has a positive impact on their likelihood to make a future purchase a company;
- 71% remember email communications when making purchases at the sending company’s web site;
- 50% said they’re more likely to buy products from companies who send them email, whether their purchases are online or at a place of business;
- One-third said they usually visit sites directly instead of clicking on an email link.
“The consumer insights from our Branding Study demonstrate the importance of email marketing as part of a multi-channel communication strategy. Email builds loyalty and brand awareness and drives on- and off-line behavior,” said Kevin Mabley, senior vice president, Epsilon Strategic Services. “While many elements of digital and email marketing are measurable, there are other impacts that cannot be represented by merely by click-thru rates or online purchases.”
Epsilon provides comprehensive online and offline marketing services to some of the most-recognized brands in the world. Its email branding study is based on a mid-October 2008 survey of 1517 consumers. The survey, conducted by ROI Research, of Lancaster, PA, explored the general impact of permission-based email marketing as well as specific vertical product categories that included: Financial Services, Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Pharmaceuticals/Healthcare. The October 2008 study builds on similar research conducted in 2005.
The email branding research captured activities that may not be measurable by typical email marketing platforms. For example, 33% of respondents said they usually visit sites directly, instead of clicking on an email link. In the retail category, a remarkable 67% of respondents said they purchased products offline as a direct result of receiving an email from a retail company.
Other key findings from the study include:
- Consumers are growing more accustomed to offers from companies they trust and seem to appreciate the relationship. No less than 84% of respondents said they like receiving email from companies with whom they register, because even if they don’t always read the message, it’s good to know the information or offer will be there when they’re ready. This response rate is up significantly from 69% in the 2005 study.
- The number of consumers who agreed that the mere fact that they receive email from a company makes them more likely to purchase products from the sender in the future regardless of where they make the purchase (50%) is higher than in 2005 (37%). This demonstrates that consumers are noticing emails, and while they may not be ready to purchase immediately, the correspondence is having a greater influence on their shopping behavior and brand recognition.
- The relationship between consumers and email marketers may be more fragile in 2008 than three years prior. In 2005, 43% of respondents said it would be okay for companies they know and trust to send email more frequently. In the recent study, that number dropped to 29%.
- There were some noticeable differences between the responses from men and women. In particular, 60% of women and 49% of men regularly save email in their inbox to refer to it later when making purchases. This suggests that men are more likely to make impulse buys while women will wait for a deal or contemplate a purchase further.
Mabley said, “The study is a valuable tool and a guide for marketers to measure the immeasurable – the indirect impact email marketing has on offline channels. The consumer insights collected in the study reiterate the need to deliver timely, relevant email messages that reflect the overall image of our clients’ brands. The impact of successful multi-channel branding can extend well beyond the typical metrics associated with direct e-commerce transactions and response rates to email campaigns.”
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