Email is the preferred channel of communication for US consumers, with three-quarters of survey respondents saying they had bought products or services as a direct result of receiving an email from a vendor. Clothes and accessories are the most likely purchases triggered by those marketing messages, reveals the study by international multichannel marketing software provider, smartFOCUS.

The research shows that 62 per cent preferred email marketing over direct mail (23%) and social media (13%). Respondents least liked telemarketing, with 80 per cent putting it at the bottom of their lists.

After clothing and accessories (82%), the most common spend prompted by direct email marketing was in restaurants and coffee shops by almost half (49%) of respondents. Other popular items bought as a result of email marketing campaigns include groceries (40%) and personal electronics (38%).

The survey also asked consumers about their involvement in social media direct marketing: 40 per cent said they receive correspondence from vendors on the social networking sites they use, such as Facebook and Twitter. Nearly one in five people (17%) had volunteered or requested that companies actively contact or update them via these social media platforms.

Curt Bloom, president of smartFOCUS International, said: “This survey reflects what we are seeing in the marketplace: email is popular. It’s non-intrusive, can be highly tailored and is a compelling and actionable marketing communication. Although some of the indications of the uptake and interest in social media may seem low, this is a new communication channel that businesses are tackling.

“In our survey, quite predictably, the age ranges that said they preferred contact via social media platforms were the 18-25-year-olds. With platforms such as Facebook reaching 300 million active users, we continue to see that businesses and retailers who ignore the potential of social media do so at their own peril.”

Chris Underhill, CEO of smartFOCUS Group, concluded: “This snapshot reflects the breadth of consumer preferences. More than ever, it is vital that companies sit up and listen to how their audiences want to be contacted. The number of channels customers are using to interact with companies is constantly increasing. To meet their demands, our multichannel marketing software helps companies engage with their customers exactly where and how they like to be contacted. They can then analyse the results and see how their campaigns are performing for each platform.”