Survey identifies top turn-offs for consumers

A new survey from mailstream technology specialist Pitney Bowes has identified the marketing techniques that cause UK consumers the most irritation.

At a time of mass customer churn for many industries and with businesses of all sectors operating amid the increased clamour of competition, the Pitney Bowes report is an essential reference for those marketers for whom existing customer satisfaction is top of the agenda.

The survey asks consumers to comment on marketing techniques new and old in a bid to uncover the definitive league table of irritation.

The results reveal a few surprises.

Irritation league table (10 = most irritating).

Automated Telesales 9.33.

Live Telesales 9.17.

Spam email 8.77.

Text message adverts 8.39.

Web pop-up ads 8.3.

Incentivising new customers but not existing ones 8.26.

Leaflets through the door 7.29.

Reality TV 7.2.

Loose inserts in newspapers or magazines 6.96.

Celebrity endorsements 6.68.

Blogs 5.69.

Podcasts 5.55.

Personalised direct mail 5.44.

TV advertisements 5.35.

Promotions at railway stations or shopping centres 4.84.

It is no great shock to see telemarketing at the top of the tree.

Despite the work of the telephone preference service, the age-old image of hapless salespeople ringing at the worst possible time still persists.

Intriguingly, the irritation caused by live calls has now been superseded by that of automated messages, where recipients don't even have the opportunity to vent spleen at the caller.

The extreme irritation caused by spam email must be a cause for concern for those businesses looking to achieve marketing results via more targeted email messages.

Legitimate, well-considered messages are in danger of being deleted in disgust along with the spam pile.

Similarly, text message advertisements are given short shrift, despite the massive popularity of SMS messaging in this country.

Marketers looking to embrace today's digital communication channels must first be certain to analyse and segment customers in order to ensure messages only reach willing participants.

At the other end of the scale, practitioners of direct mail must be delighted that a technique that is so often derided and lumped together with 'junk' communications is performing admirably among the latest mix of media.

Personalised mail messages are valued.

Indeed, rather than digital media usurping mail, the latest online trend-setters are recognising the impact and response generated by direct mail and are embracing this communication method to drive people online.

David Jefferies, Marketing Director, Pitney Bowes, commented: "Today's businesses simply can't afford to upset their customers as rival services are never more than a mouse-click away, and consumers are acutely aware of the power-shift in their favour.

"However, it is not simply a case of one marketing technique replacing another: in most cases, it is a combination of techniques and channels that will create the most impact and generate the greatest response.

"The challenge is to get the balance right.

"The message here is clear: spend time and effort on data collection and analysis and build sophisticated customer profiles.

"Marketers must be sure to follow data-based facts, and not their noses.".

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