Email marketing still has a big perception problem with consumers. As Kristeen Hudson, one of the Catapult team members who conducted interviews with consumers on the street shared, “Email marking and spam is one in the same to the general public and neither is looked upon very highly.” However, that does not mean that email is not appreciated. Kristeen continued, “When we asked people ‘What company does the best job of communicating with you?’ most people cited the companies that send them emails they wanted—not companies that had good TV commercials, print ads, or billboards. People really liked it when they received relevant emails with coupons or that talked about upcoming sales. These emails make them feel empowered and special.”
So, consumers think email marketing is spam, but coupons and special offers make them feel special? What gives? Caitilin Landrigan, another interviewer, shared this insight, “Several interviewees expressed that they did not like to be ‘marketed to’ and that they ignored advertisements in their email inboxes and social network accounts. However, most of the interviewees told us that they appreciated emails they had opted into from stores where they shopped frequently. One man even told us that he had a ‘relationship’ with such stores, that he was the one who initiated contact, and that this made all the difference.”
When marketers initiate contact with consumers, it is spam. When consumers initiate contact with a company, they are indicating that there is the potential for a relationship. Even so, permission does not constitute a relationship. Extending the relationship analogy, getting a consumer to sign up for your program is like getting someone to say yes to a first date. If the relationship is to continue, there is still work to do.
This post is part of a series on Consumer Perceptions of Marketing.
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So, consumers think email marketing is spam, but coupons and special offers make them feel special? What gives? Caitilin Landrigan, another interviewer, shared this insight, “Several interviewees expressed that they did not like to be ‘marketed to’ and that they ignored advertisements in their email inboxes and social network accounts. However, most of the interviewees told us that they appreciated emails they had opted into from stores where they shopped frequently. One man even told us that he had a ‘relationship’ with such stores, that he was the one who initiated contact, and that this made all the difference.”
When marketers initiate contact with consumers, it is spam. When consumers initiate contact with a company, they are indicating that there is the potential for a relationship. Even so, permission does not constitute a relationship. Extending the relationship analogy, getting a consumer to sign up for your program is like getting someone to say yes to a first date. If the relationship is to continue, there is still work to do.
This post is part of a series on Consumer Perceptions of Marketing.
Previous post in series: Consumer Perceptions of Marketing
Next post in series: Consumers Don’t Know What CAN-SPAM Is
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