• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, October 21, 2024

Consumers worldwide are more likely to trust a message when it contains a logo or check mark, according to Consumer Preferences Report, a study from Twilio.  

Of those polled, 66% refrained from purchasing from a brand in the past year due to lack of trust. But 49% say they will trust a brand much more if the message displays a logo or check mark. And 62% will likely open an email when it is confirmed to be from a brand they trust — as with Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), a program that allows verified emails to display a logo.  

At the same time, 58% of consumers expect brands to communicate with them through their preferred channels. 

Email is the most popular channel, with SMS coming in a distant second:  

• Email — 79%
• SMS/MMS — 49%
• WhatsApp — 36% 
• Social messaging apps — 35% 

But it depends on the generation. While it is still their top channel choice, only 70% of Gen Z prefers email, compared to 77% of millennials. 

Moreover, 48% apiece of Gen Zers apiece like text messaging or social messaging apps, outnumbering millennials on a percentage basis.  

And 34% of Gen Z likes phone calls, versus 29% of millennials.

Overall, consumers like email, especially for notifications and confirmations:

• Urgent alerts — 56% 
• Appointment reminds/confirmations — 63% 
• Status updates — 56%
• Order confirmations — 79% 
• Product notifications — 75% 
• Customer satisfaction surveys — 80% 
• Customer support — 67% 
• Loyalty program notifications — 77%
• Promotions and sales — 79% 
• Two-factor authentication — 62%

Here are some of their main annoyances when dealing with companies:

• Long response wait times — 57% 
• Having to repeat information — 48%
• Not getting the information they need — 47% 
• Unhelpful automated systems — 44%

Twilio surveyed 3,900 consumers, including 1,000 in the U.S., 500 in the U.K., and 300 each from France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Singapore between June 28 and July 10, 2024.