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STUDY REVEALS 88% OF CONSUMERS HAVE MADE PURCHASES AS A RESULT OF PERMISSION-BASED E-MAIL

Posted on November 3, 2001

      DoubleClick Inc. unveiled the results of its 2001 Consumer Email study on October 30th. The data from the study states that over 88% of consumers have purchased as a result of permission-based email, demonstrating an opportunity for marketers this holiday season. The data also reveals that 70% of consumers plan to use email to assist them with upcoming holiday shopping.

      Email marketing leads to consumer spending The data from the study highlights the growing importance of email for consumer's purchasing habits:

Email usage is growing: 82% of consumers have made a purchase in the past year as a result of clicking on a permission-based email, compared to 61% in the 2000 study

Spending is increasing: Consumers spent an average of $1,023 U.S. over the course of the year, up from $750 U.S. last year

Immediate purchases are rising: 37% of shoppers clicked through an email and purchased immediately, up from 20% last year

Consumer relationships are key: 86% have purchased from the same merchant more than once, consistent with the previous year's data at 83%

      ''The study clearly demonstrates that direct marketers and online merchants should embrace permission-based email as an integral component of their overall marketing plan to effectively drive sales," said Court Cunningham, Vice President and General Manager of DARTmail Technology Solutions, DoubleClick. "The data also reveals that email is critical to increasing repeat purchases and therefore lifetime customer value. Email is more effective at stimulating repeat purchases than the quality of goods or even customer service.''

Email opportunities for marketers during the holiday season

The study shows that consumers would like to receive emails on a weekly basis on a wide variety of topics depending on their interests:

Online merchants' special offers: The top preference is special offers from online merchants for 77% of respondents

Local retailers/restaurants' special offers: 65% of consumers currently receive or are interested in receiving special offers from local retailers and restaurants

Household tips: 57% of consumers currently receive or are interested in receiving emails on household tips/recipes/crafts

Travel: 55% of respondents currently receive or are interested in receiving travel information

Entertainment: 49% of consumers currently receive or are interested in receiving emails concerning entertainment

      "Clearly, marketers should make note of consumer's diverse interests and frequency requests for email when reaching out to their customers this coming holiday period,'' continued Cunningham.

Email as a communications channel

      According to the study, Internet users currently receive twice as much permission-based email on a weekly basis compared to what they were receiving in 2000, averaging 36 per week this year compared to 18 last year. The data demonstrates that 40% of respondents credit email communications as a primary reason for loyalty to online merchants, compared with 30% from the 2000 study.

      Furthermore, email is now the most popular means of learning about new products, services and promotions, with 64% of respondents using email in this way, compared to 58% last year.

      However, marketers should take note that the main concern for providing personal information online, for 88% of respondents, is the misuse of personal information concerning SPAM and credit card usage.

      The study was conducted by NFO WorldGroup and fielded by NFO InDepth Interactive between August 24 and August 27, 2001 and is based upon 1,015 respondents. Respondents use the Internet at least once a week, average approximately 45 years in age and are equally segmented between men and women. Beyond Interactive, DoubleClick's digital marketing agency, directed survey design and data analysis.

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