Email is UK consumers’ favourite marketing channel

Of 1,367 panel members, 51% were interested in receiving marketing emails about companies they know. However, a panel of 300 marketers predicted that just 28% would actually be happy to do so.

A further 38% of consumers were happy to receive items of direct mail, with marketers assuming just 30% would be.

David Cole, MD of fast.MAP, said: “Although people favour email, the best message for the DM industry in this year’s Marketing-GAP research is that, as in 2008, 86% of consumers opened mail packs – although in both years, 37% of them only opened ones from a company with which they already had a relationship.

“Marketers underestimated people’s willingness to received mailed promotions.”

The study also shows that 95% of consumers “are happy to receive” information from their favoured supermarkets and stores through one or more marketing channels and 73% are happy to receive information on local restaurants.

A recent forecast from Alterian predicted that 66% of marketing professionals will be investing in social media marketing (SMM) in the next 12 months.

The survey also revealed that, of those investing in SMM, 40% said they would be moving more than a fifth of their traditional direct marketing budget to funding their SMM activities.