This marketing channel leads in purchasing frequency

One marketing channel rules them all when it comes to how often it delivers an offer that drives a consumer purchase.

According to the 2024 Global Consumer Trends Index Report from marketing technology provider Marigold, email is the most popular marketing channel when it comes to consumer purchases, with half of global consumers surveyed (including U.S. respondents) stating they have purchased an email offer in the last year.

Email led other popular marketing channels, including social media ads (48%), social posts (43%), SMS/MMS messages (24%) and banner advertisements (21%), in purchasing frequency.

The survey also revealed a number of other interesting data points regarding customer loyalty:

• Personalization is important, as of 85% of respondents say their favorite brand treats them like an individual and 82% say it strives to develop a relationship with them.
• Close to two-thirds (63%) of consumers will pay more to shop with the brands they’re loyal to.
• More than four-in-10 (43%) respondents will be relying more often on loyalty program benefits before making purchases. Overall participation is also up, with 39% of respondents more likely to engage with a loyalty program this year than last year, with only 8% reporting being less likely to engage.
• When it comes to sharing their data in exchange for something, nine in 10 respondents value both discounts/coupons (91%) and loyalty points/rewards (89%). Other popular inducements include early/exclusive access to offers (83%), a chance to win something (81%), unlocking content (60%) and brand community (55%).

Other notable findings include:

• Roughly two-thirds of millennial (66%) and Gen Z (64%) respondents cite they’re likely to engage with messages about brand purpose-related activities, compared to 46% of baby boomers. Younger respondents also replied they find more value in community and unlocking exclusive content than older consumers.
• More than six-in-10 (63%) respondents don’t trust the advertising they see on social media and 55% of respondents are engaging with social media less for the sake of their mental health.

"Loyalty is an all-encompassing strategy, not simply a product,” said Wendy Werve, chief marketing officer of Marigold. “This report underscores the significance of messaging-driven loyalty and trust-building through personalization in every interaction. Brands must go beyond generic incentives to establish meaningful relationships with savvy consumers who have become frustrated with irrelevant content and offers.”

[Read more: Levi’s, Sephora, Nike, Amazon, CVS among leaders in loyalty]

Marigold and Econsultancy conducted a survey involving 10,394 consumers from September-November 2023 across several markets, including Australia and New Zealand, the Benelux Region, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.