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Targeting troubles : Half of UK consumers say the marketing they receive is ‘ irrelevant ’
Online retailers need to reassess the way they target shoppers with half ( 50 %) of UK consumers saying the digital content they receive from retailers is ‘ irrelevant ’. That is according to new research from Optimizely , the leading digital experience platform ( DXP ).
Calling on insights from 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK , the research found there is a growing disconnect between customer expectations and the digital experiences they receive from retailers . In 2023 , 48 % of consumers felt that the content they received was targeted to their interests . Now , in 2024 , that figure has dropped to just 42 %.
This belief that campaigns are not effectively targeted and personalised is also being felt across different channels . Only 54 % of consumers believe that email marketing campaigns are effectively tailored to them , down from 63 % in 2023 . Similarly , only 59 % of consumers feel website content is tailored to them , down from 71 % in 2023 . Just 55 % believe social media content is personalised for them compared to 69 % last year .
To address this , Optimizely ’ s report argues that brands need to focus on experimenting with new approaches to personalisation . According to the data , 75 % of UK marketers believe experimentation is essential for creating truly personalised content . Two in five marketers ( 40 %) are also turning to Artificial Intelligence to help them create more targeted and personalised content and campaigns .
Optimizely ’ s findings underscore the need for brands to refine their personalisation practices and invest in experimentation .
By doing so , marketers can discover new ways to enhance targeting and maximise relevance in their digital communications .
“ Personalisation is an incredibly powerful tool for retailers , but there is no onesize-fits-all approach ,” said Shafqat Islam , President at Optimizely . “ While most brands are already using some degree of personalisation technology , they simply aren ’ t evolving at the same pace that customer expectations are . Marketers must focus on optimising their personalisation practices by investing in experimentation in order to find new ways to improve targeting and maximise relevance .”
Optimizely provides powerful testing , AI-rich optimisation and customer data capabilities to help marketers create and deliver 1:1 experiences that drive revenue and brand loyalty . x www . intelligentcxo . com
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