• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, February 24, 2023

Big brands should not get smug about the customer experience they provide -- only 11% of online shoppers feel that firms exceed their expectations all the time. 

And a mere 4% are always pleasantly surprised by messages they receive, according to Consumer Engagement Report, a study by MessageGears.    

What’s more, 87% say that less than half the brand marketing messages they receive are personalized. 

And 66% don’t remember opting in for communications. 

Yet 61% will open messages that are relevant or from their favorite brands, especially email. 

Of those polled, 53% prefer to get marketing/promotion messages via email, versus 17% who like in-app notifications, 12% who favor SMS and 7% who want push notifications.   

Only 11% do not want email at all. 

And email works as an ecommerce driver: 59% of shoppers have made an online purchase directly from an email promotion,  and 32% have done so in-app, 25% by SMS and 19% by push. 

But 49% strongly agree that they will unsubscribe from a brand that sends too many/irrelevant messages, and 28% somewhat concur.  

Still, only 17% are extremely annoyed when a brand communicates in a generic way that does not reflect their interactions, and 32% somewhat agree. Another 31% neither agree or disagree. 

How often do they want messages? Not that often:  

• Weekly — 30% 
• Monthly — 21%
• A few times a week — 16%
• Every couple of months — 12%
• Daily — 11% 
• Never — 10%

Moreover, the most important demand for 59% is keeping their data secure. 

In addition, 38.4% want timely and helpful responses to customer inquiries, and 30.8% expect that communications are in sync across different channels. And 26.2% crave relevant product recommendations. But 49% say the least critical deliverable is personalized digital messages.

How often do these consumers buy online? They do so:  

• 2-3 times a month — 34% 
• About once a week — 25% 
• Few times a week — 20%
• About once a month — 20%

These days, 55% place the most online orders on their mobile device, and 32% place the most orders on a PC/desktop unit. Another 13% use both. 

The full study can be found here.