Customer Email Reigns for Web Turn on, but TV and Direct Mail Come Next

Customer Email Reigns for Web Turn on, but TV and Direct Mail Come Next

LONDON, March 13/PRNewswire/ -- As business sectors such as retail, insurance, travel, banking and leisure become more dependent on online sales, marketers are anxious to understand which advertising media are most effective at driving web visits and purchases. Now new research, commissioned by Response One, has examined the relative effectiveness of different advertising media for encouraging consumers to visit a company's website and seriously consider a purchase.

The report found that emails to existing customers easily topped the list, 52% more likely than average to inspire a web visit and serious purchase consideration. However, the more 'traditional' media of TV and newspaper advertising and direct mail (coming 34% and 16% above average respectively), were second and third.

Sponsored search engine links and adverts enclosed with bills and statements are also of above average effectiveness in encouraging web visits and purchases. However, the research also found that advertising on social networking sites is not considered effective by the majority of consumers. UK consumers felt that such advertising, far from being effective in driving web visits and transactions, was on a par (at 26% below average) with unsolicited email (31% below average). A notable exception to this observation was in the 18-24 year old bracket, who put social network adverts and customer mobile texts both on 22% above average for encouraging web visits and purchase consideration.

Amanda Ling, data intelligence director, Response One, comments, "This study punctures the received wisdom that online advertising is the best means of driving web visits and purchases. Marketers still need to be using a mixture of direct mail and above-the-line advertising, as well as ensuring that they are communicating in a relevant and compelling fashion with their existing customers over the email and through existing lines of communication such as bills and statements,"

"Even in the 18-24 age group, social network advertising still did not rival the overall top scorers - customer email, TV/Newspaper adverts and targeted direct mail. This is not to say that the habits of the 18-24 age range will not perpetuate into their forties and fifties, and therefore make social network advertising a mainstream method of driving web traffic and transactions. However, the marketers of today cannot wait around for another 20-30 years as this group grows up towards their highest earning and spending decades."

          Aidan Holloway     Lindsell Marketing     +44(0)207-402-0510  

Source: Response One

Aidan Holloway, Lindsell Marketing, +44(0)207-402-0510

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Profile: International Entertainment