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In the never-ending battle for consumer attention, marketing managers have a variety of communication options—digital and physical—for reaching their customers. In today’s world, marketing is a continual series of questions about which methods (or combination of methods) will work best for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. Ongoing research from Keypoint Intelligence provides actionable insight on what consumers value in the communications they receive across various channels. Despite ongoing concerns about data security and privacy, consumers still expect a personalized experience from the firms that they do business with.
Marketers understand that all customized communications, regardless of format, attract the attention of consumers. According to research from Keypoint Intelligence, the vast majority of print buyers (97%) were customizing at least some of their printed marketing materials. At the same time, however, there is still much room for improvement as less than a quarter of print communications are currently customized beyond name and address. Encouragingly, though, about 60% of print buyers that are using customization expect it to increase over the next three years. Meanwhile, only 18% expect the share of customized print communications to decline.
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The trend toward personalized print also extends to packaging. According to Keypoint Intelligence’s most recent direct marketing communications business research, virtually all firms that shipped items to consumers included printed communications inside the parcel that was shipping. Even more importantly, 98% of these printed communications included in the packages were always or sometimes personalized for the recipient.
On the consumer side of the equation, Keypoint Intelligence’s research has consistently shown that personalization is critical to a positive customer experience. When consumer respondents to Keypoint Intelligence’s annual transactional communications research were asked about the factors that contributed to their decision to review a piece of direct mail, personalization was a key component for all respondents.
As noted in a previous blog, consumers’ communication preferences will sometimes differ based on age and/or generation. For example, personalization really made a difference for the youngest consumers when they were reviewing their direct mail. It ranked as the top response for consumers under 26, even surpassing interest in the product or company. In relation to their older counterparts, the younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) were also more likely to pay extra attention to direct mail with special graphics/colors, unique paper/packaging, or QR codes.
Personalization is clearly important for the younger demographic, so savvy marketers have an opportunity to customize their messaging in a way that will attract attention. This will help ensure a good customer experience that can foster loyalty as these younger consumers move further into adulthood.
Regardless of whether a printed or digital channel is used, marketing communications that are personalized beyond name and address are in higher demand as today’s consumers want—and often expect—to receive relevant messaging. Personalized messages work best when they come from a familiar and trusted sender where a relationship has already been established, but marketers can find ways to personalize for new prospects too. Small references to the recipient’s interests (based on website visits or purchases), needs, and/or physical location can be enough to shift the scale from a generic message to one that is relevant, personalized, and attention-grabbing.
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