UK Consumers Trust Ads Less, Favour Hyper-Personalised Marketing, New Report Reveals

UK consumers trust ads less and prefer ‘hyper-personalised’ brand experiences, a new eConsultancy report, in partnership with Cheetah Digital reveals.

The report 2022 Digital Consumer Trends Index: Consumer Attitudes and Trends in Personalisation, Privacy, Messaging, Advertising and Brand Loyalty shows consumers across the U.K. interact with a brand on multiple channels, oftentimes unpredictably.

Email marketing reigns supreme

Email continues to sit comfortably as U.K. consumers’ preferred channel for receiving offers, content, incentives, and rewards from brands, the report shows. In fact, when it comes to driving sales, email beats paid social and display advertising by up to 128% in the U.K. This is 20% higher than consumers globally, 57% higher than France, and more than double that of Spain (62%).

Price isn’t the only loyalty driver

​The cheapest price point is only one factor of loyalty. In the current environment, U.K. consumers are loyal to brands that create emotive bonds by fostering community, recognising their customers as individuals, and delivering bespoke offers and product recommendations that reflect this.

Even more, 61% of U.K. consumers are willing to pay more to purchase from a trusted brand, whereas only 53% of Spanish and 40% of French consumers are. Globally, that figure comes in at 57%.

And there’s been an 86% increase in consumers who want suggested products and services based on their preferences in return for their loyalty compared to only a 56% increase globally, an 82% increase in French consumers, and just a 39% increase in Spanish consumers.

“When done correctly, loyalty programs govern the value exchange between brands and consumers, and not just for a single interaction but for direct engagement over the customer lifetime. With contextually differentiated, personalised experiences, they can be the conduit for the one-to-one relationships that build customer lifetime value,” says Nick Watson, VP Client Success at Cheetah Digital.

Greater personalisation yields ROI and long-term consumer excitement

​In the value exchange economy, U.K. consumers are rewarding brands that make personalisation a priority with more than half saying they will trade personal and preference data to feel part of a brand’s community.

At the same time, there’s been nearly a 60% increase in U.K. consumers who feel frustrated with a brand whose personalisation initiatives don’t recognise their unique desires and needs. In Spain, there was a 50% increase, and in France, the increase was even more substantial, coming in at 82%. Globally, there was a 52% increase.

“First and foremost, marketers need to create a strategy that involves getting closer to their customers. Customers are saying, ‘We’re happy to provide our data and sign up to your marketing program in exchange for offers sent directly to me that are relevant,’” says Watson.

Trust in advertising on the decline

​As Google and other browsers cement their plans to comprehensively curtail third-party cookie tracking and consumers get even more proactive about protecting their online privacy, marketers must shift to a first- and zero-party data strategy to power their advertising and marketing initiatives.

More than 60% of U.K. consumers don’t trust social media platforms with their data, and they’re in good company with 53% of Spanish consumers and 66% of French consumers, revealing the same.

Even more, 64% of U.K. consumers share that they believe cookie tracking is “creepy”. In Spain, that sentiment drops to 60%, and in France, even less believe it’s creepy at 53%. Globally, this figure comes in at 62%.

“People simply don’t know what social media platforms are doing with their data,” Watson points out. “When Cambridge Analytica happened, I think a lot of people began losing trust in social platforms. That’s why we’re seeing an increasing number of consumers who want more control over their data – they want to know how their data is being used.”

Access the UK data findings here.
Access the global report here.