‘Make sure it’s relevant or I’ll unsubscribe – fast’

Marketers need to make sure their content is relevant, otherwise they will lose trust from consumers. And that’s only about to become more important as we move towards a heavier reliance on first-party data. 

Many customers feel they have given much more data than usual to brands during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales and in the run-up to Christmas; but many don’t feel that it has been used fairly or responsibly, according to enterprise data platform Treasure Data’s new study.

With the upcoming phasing out of third-party cookies, marketers are more likely to need to use information their customers have shared with them directly, so misusing it by deluging consumers with irrelevant content can cause a lot of damage. Sub-par marketing communications can end up doing more harm than good. When content is felt to be irrelevant, consumers are likely to hastily unsubscribe from communications, leaving marketers in the dark thereafter as to their tastes, preferences, demographics etc.

Click, and they’re gone

Nearly half of the consumers surveyed (45 percent) said they would unsubscribe from a brand communication within a week if it was not relevant. Ruthlessly, a fifth (20 percent) said they would unsubscribe in less than 24 hours.

The information in the report provides a strong incentive to do what most marketers will instinctively already know as best practice – make sure communication is relevant. Over a third (35 percent) of UK consumers said they would be more willing to share their personal data if it meant personalised and tailored content. This is especially true at the younger end of the market, where almost half (46 percent) of 18- to 34-year-olds agreed with the statement, whereas over-55s felt less strongly, with only a quarter (25 percent) agreeing. 

Messaging in the run-up to Christmas

Andrew Stephenson, Director of Marketing, EMEA at Treasure Data, who commissioned the research, feels the run up to Christmas is the perfect opportunity to refine and sharpen marketing messages. “In the era of big data collection, it’s disappointing that consumers still feel they aren’t receiving the right value from brands for sharing their personal data,” he says. “As we enter the golden eight weeks for retail, the opportunity to win consumer loyalty, and boost sales opportunities through improved, personalised communications is huge."

A significant number of Brits feel there has not been a fair exchange for the information they have given away about themselves to brands. Of the 2000 people surveyed, only about a third (35 percent) say the content makes them click through. And that’s in spite of over a fifth (21 percent) saying they have shared more personal information with brands since the pandemic began.

“Brands must work harder to collect and interpret their customer data more effectively,” continues Stephenson. “Delivering relevant and timely communications which demonstrate a 360 view of the customer is the secret weapon when it comes to consumer satisfaction, and brands can’t afford to risk falling short.”