Consumers are taking control of in-bound communication channels, unsubscribing to irrelevant email, and defecting from brands that continue to deliver irrelevant content and random mass mailings, according to a new poll from Boulder, US based Chief Marketing Officer Council and InfoPrint Solutions Company.

While 64% of consumers say promotional offers dominate both the email and traditional mail they receive, only 41% view these as must-read communications. Of the 91% of consumers who opt out or unsubscribe to emails, 46% are said to be driven to brand defection because the messages are simply not relevant.

It is interesting to note that in the US traditional junk mail accounts for over 100 billion pieces of mail each year, and 44% of this unsolicited, primarily promotional mail ends up in a landfill – unopened. Email waste is also staggering. There is more than 200 billion email messages sent each day, yet 97% of all email sent is actually spam, according to an April, 2009 report released by Microsoft.

The threat of customer churn and disconnection intensifies as 41% of consumers say they would consider ending a brand relationship due to irrelevant promotions, and an additional 22% say they would definitely defect from the brand. Yet, while marketers continue to weigh the pros and cons of email versus printed postal mail, consumers are much more concerned about the level of individualisation and understanding of their needs and relationship with the brand.

Key findings of the consumer engagement study highlighted in the report, ‘Why Relevance Drives Response and Relationships: Using the Power of Precision Marketing to Better Engage Customers’, showed that:
• Nearly three quarters of consumers have received promotions for products they have previously purchased from the company.
• 73% of consumers would be open to receiving print statements if mailed materials were recyclable or part of a sustainability program.
• Nine out of ten consumers open monthly bills delivered via traditional mail, compared to 72% who open bills delivered via email.
• When given the opportunity to choose, 51% of consumers prefer to receive product or service promotions via traditional mail while 44% prefer email.

The Chief Marketing Officer Coucil report noted that consumers today are deluged and overloaded with a plethora of unwanted direct marketing and promotional messages that are blasted out via email, or mass-produced and mailed in vast quantities. In most cases, recipients ignore, or have become immune, to standardised commercial overtures. And with the advent of the Internet, consumers are seeking product information and affirmation from trusted sources and referral networks online.

Even when marketers have deeper connection with customers, as with loyalty clubs and rewards programs, they are often missing the mark in delivering meaningful messages. In fact, only 6% of consumers felt that the promotions received through loyalty club communications were based on preferences or past purchasing behaviour. The result of this mixed bag of messages is that marketers are missing the opportunity to drive loyalty and affect purchase intentions. In this regard, 30% of consumers stated they are inspired to do business with a company after receiving personalised communication.