Singapore Consumers Face High Volume of Information from Marketers

Research highlights that 44 per cent of respondents have stopped engaging with four or more brands

Singapore Consumers Face High Volume of Information from Marketers

Research highlights that 44 per cent of respondents have stopped engaging with four or more brands

Singapore, 3 May, 2012 – According to new research from Experian, the global information services company, Singapore’s consumers are frustrated by
the sheer volume of brand communications they are receiving and no longer respond to blanket marketing. Three out of ten Singapore consumers (30 per cent) said they now ignore the emails, direct mail and social media messages they receive while 44 per cent of consumers said they have stopped engaging with four or more brands as a result of poorly targeted communications.

The research of 1,048 consumers in Singapore, which explored how effectively the general population responds to and engages with marketing efforts, reveals a clear disconnect between the communications consumers want from brands and the way they are being targeted by marketers. For example, marketers listed print media as one of the least important tools for connecting with consumers (28 per cent) while 86 per cent of consumer respondents rated it as the second most valued communication medium.

In addition, 78 per cent of consumers cited that they are very selective about what opt-ins, newsletters or updates they sign up for to ensure they are only receiving messages that are relevant to their particular interests.

While 36 per cent of consumers believe the ideal frequency of brand communications is once a month, a quarter of consumers (25 per cent) did not have frequency preferences as long as the communication is relevant.

“Singapore consumers are moving beyond traditional to online media, changing the way marketers interact with them. However, consumers are not responding well to some brands due to high volumes of irrelevant marketing information they receive online and offline. With tools like Experian Cheetahmail, brands can cut through the noise by maximizing the relevance and precision of their communications, creating meaning and value for target audiences,” said Graeme Beardsell, Experian Asia Pacific’s Chief Customer Development and Marketing Officer.
Key findings from the research “The future of multichannel marketing” are:

Consumer frustrations

• 28 per cent of consumers in Singapore name “inability to unsubscribe from unwanted communication (email, newsletters, direct mail, SMS alerts, social media messages)” as their number one frustration.

• 18 per cent of respondents think “receiving content that isn’t relevant or helpful” is their biggest annoyance.

• 17 per cent of consumers are most frustrated with “online content that is badly formatted / difficult to read / not optimised for mobile devices”

Preferred channels

• Singapore consumers agree that a company website is the most valuable source of information they use to look for information about a brand, with 91 per cent stating that it is a relevant or very relevant source.

• While print media is deemed by marketers as one of the least important tools (28 per cent) for connecting with customers, some 86 per cent of consumers rated it as a relevant or relevant channel, making it the second most valued medium among consumers.

• Search engines (75 per cent), direct mail (73 per cent) and social media (73 per cent) are also valued sources of information, ranking third, fourth and fifth respectively.

• Mobile apps (55 per cent) and LinkedIn (41 per cent) are perceived as the least important channels for obtaining brand or company information by consumers.

Brand Engagement

• Giveaways and incentives (65 per cent) is the number one way in which Singapore consumers would like to engage with brands.

• Singapore consumers listed brand experiences, stunts and interactive content (54 per cent) as the next favourite means of engagement, followed by social media (43 per cent).

Relevancy over timing

• 36 per cent of consumers believe the ideal frequency of brand communications is once a month

• 25 per cent of consumers did not have frequency preferences as long as the communication is relevant

• 76 per cent only read targeted communications that is personally relevant, with everything else being deleted or thrown away.

“Today’s consumers are more demanding and expect brand engagement to be relevant. In order to turn consumers into loyal brand evangelists, marketers need to listen to consumers and evolve their communications strategies according to individual needs,” Beardsell continued.

END


Notes to editors
The research is part of an in-depth whitepaper on “The future of multichannel marketing’,” by Experian Marketing Services. To receive a copy of the whitepaper, please contact enquiry@ap.experian.com  

Experian Marketing Services commissioned independent research with 302 Singapore marketing professionals across the retail, financial services, government, technology, digital and travel industries; and 1,048 consumers across all demographics to develop an industry whitepaper on the current state of play in consumer marketing.

The independent research reveals how well marketers’ and consumers’ interests are aligned. It demonstrates where marketers in Singapore are investing their dollars and which channels they value most highly in their communication. From a consumer perspective, it explores how effectively the general population in Singapore responds to and engage with marketing efforts.

About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services delivers best-in-breed data, analytics and platforms into multiple regions around the globe. It is focused on helping marketers more effectively target and engage their best customers through email, digital advertising, customer data management, customer and competitive insight, data enrichment and list rental, modeling and analytics, and strategic consulting. Through these capabilities, Experian Marketing Services enables organizations to encourage brand advocacy, create measurable return on investment and significantly improve the lifetime value of their customers.

About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 80 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision-making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc. is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc.

Contacts:
Margaret Lam
Experian Public Relations
+852 2839 5276
margaret.lam@hk.experian.com
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