The survey, carried out by research firm Teleconomy, canvassed
the views of 2,000 UK consumers.
According to Cable & Wireless, time and place are critical
to the manner in which consumers receive marketing communications.
Whilst the always-on nature of e-mail and text messaging make them
ideal for instant updates, the timing of receipt must be much more
carefully considered than in the case of direct mail, which drops
through the letterbox once a day.
According to the research, text messages become unpopular once
they extend outside the working day and into consumers' leisure
hours. On average, consumers were 8% less responsive after 5pm.
"This research sets out a clear warning for organisations to
consider how and when to promote their products or services," said
Mark Quartermaine, director of marketing and services for Cable
& Wireless.
Legal considerations are also an issue, following last year's
introduction of the Privacy and Electronic Communications
Regulations, which oblige businesses to gain prior consent before
sending unsolicited advertising e-mail to individuals, except where
there is an existing customer relationship.
In fact, complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency over SMS
advertising have increased dramatically to 393 complaints in 2003,
up 500% on the previous year, said the report.
The research, which focused upon the retail, travel and
financial sectors, identified proactive or outbound marketing as
the biggest bugbear of consumers, with 21% profoundly dissatisfied
with this area, more so than after-sales service at 11%.
The research also uncovered a link between marketing campaign
success and the association of the brand with the chosen marketing
channel.
For example, brands most closely identified with on-line
activities, such as Amazon.com and Lastminute.com, were 13% more
successful in communicating via e-mail and text message than high
street names.
This was especially pronounced for brands selling simple
consumer goods such as CDs or flights. Outbound marketing for
flights by on-line travel brands proved twice as popular as that
carried out by high street travel agencies.
The research paints a complex picture of consumer behaviour and
demands, for brands and organisations to respond to. Across the
three sectors examined by the research prompt service, personal
service and control were consistently ranked as the top three
consumer demands. These applied throughout the purchase process,
from outbound marketing to after-sales service.
According to Cable & Wireless, new channel agnostic
approaches, such as multi-channel contact centres, are able to meet
these needs by seamlessly switching staff between inbound and
outbound customer communications over voice, web and e-mail,
dependent on consumer demands.
Through better targeting of outbound communications, and the
flexible reallocation of staff during peak periods, businesses can
continue to improve the customer experience without impacting their
profitability, said the communications company.
