Which Mailbox Delivers Emotion?
Here’s a good study to read to follow-up on Roger’s post this week about multi-channel integration.
Done by Epsilon, the Consumer Channel Preference Study (registration required) focuses particularly on consumer preferences with respect to direct mail and email. But it also looks at social media and mobile. (One disappointment … nothing on telemarketing.)
Some findings:
- 50% of U.S. consumers and 48% of Canadians said they pay more attention to postal mail than email;
- 60% of U.S. consumers and 64% of Canadians said they enjoy checking the mailbox for postal mail, highlighting an emotional connection;
- The least trustworthy channels are social media and blogs, achieving only 6% trust among U.S. consumers and 5% among Canadians.
And specifically, as between direct mail and email, 30% of consumers prefer receiving solicitations for donations in the mail, versus 9% via email.
The reasons for preferring direct mail are (in rank order):
- More private if sent through through the mail
- Already get too much email
- Would prefer not to have to print the info
- A lot of online info can’t be trusted
The reasons for preferring email are (in rank order):
- I can print the info to keep if I want
- Can choose which info I want sent to me
- Can read the info when it is convenient for me
- To save on paper
- Can more easily share the info with others
Epsilon makes this recommendation (among others):
“Use personally addressed direct mail to provide information as well as an emotional lift for consumers. Recognize that more targeted communications are becoming the norm for consumers as they are engaging media on terms they prefer. Every opportunity to express more knowledge of the consumer in the channels they prefer is essential to building a relationship and driving action.”
Amen.
Tom
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