That is the aim but is it actually what you want?
Do our Email Marketing aims fit with client expectations? A recent U.S study suggests they do not. The study found that seventy-seven percent of today’s consumers want to receive email updates and unscheduled promotional offers. However, as few as eight percent of consumers reported actually receiving these.
As marketers we know it’s important to meet consumer expectations. We study expectation experience gaps and devise ways to close them. Though, do we put this into practice? Do we meet our customers’ expectations or do we concentrate on meeting internal targets prior to the needs and the wants of our customers?
UK consumers are changing. They’re becoming ever more dependent on internet research to re-enforce their buying decisions. In 2005 Mintel reported that ten percent of consumers preferred to make purchases from the comfort of their own home. This is set to increase in 2006 as more consumers turn to the internet and search engines to inform their buying decisions.
Online and offline marketing is changing. Recent reports suggest that consumers are demanding more internet marketing and less offline marketing. UK marketers must make this conversion. Consumers are demanding increased elasticity and are moving towards marketing on demand. There’s good news though, the tools to meet this changing environment are easily available and often lower cost than traditional marketing media. The challenge in 2006 is for marketers to embrace technology, act on consumer demand and provide marketing communications that meet expectations.