A survey has revealed that email is the most preferred way for UK consumers to be informed of new products. 

The survey, conducted in London by smartFOCUS, found that 71 per cent of respondents selected email for new product offers, easily outpacing social media (21%), SMS (5%), direct mail (3%) and telemarketing (0%).

The study asked whether email had prompted individuals to buy and 69 per cent revealed it had. Types of products chosen via email campaigns were clothing or accessories (38%), personal electronics (31%) and deals at restaurants, bars and coffee shops (27%).

Tim Watson, operations director of smartFOCUS, said: “Email has developed into a mature, primary source of information for both consumers and marketers. Three-quarters of survey respondents said they received more than 50 emails a day; there’s so much communication via email that marketers simply cannot ignore it. If companies want to communicate effectively with customers, they need to do so using the channels that customers use and interact with the most.

“Email provides marketers with the best returns in terms of measurable open, click and conversion, but its reach and importance also goes far beyond sales to deliver invaluable product information and branding awareness. In our work developing reactivation strategies for our clients, we have been able to demonstrate how some seemingly inactive email recipients are still engaging with emails even when they are not clicking or opening them. They are often even purchasing via different channels.

“Email plays an important role in keeping brands, products and key messages top of mind. It reinforces messaging outside of the inbox and continues to influence thought and behaviour through other digital channels as well as offline.”