Insights on Marketing & Technology

Fighting marketing fatigue: Perceived relevance is the key to increasing message frequency and revenue
Empirical research findings challenge traditional perspectives on email marketing fatigue and revolutionize outbound marketing strategies

Recent research* published in the Journal of Advertising (US) analyzed the email marketing behavior of nearly 15,000 consumers over a three-month period. Among the key findings, the research revealed that the number of messages delivered by marketers can be safely increased if recipients perceive communications to be personalized and relevant. The study found that the recipients’ recollection of message frequency was lower when email subject lines and email copy were perceived to be relevant by the  recipient—even when the  frequency of communications was increased over time. It seems marketing fatigue is not measured by actual communication frequency, but “perceived frequency” leading to a revolutionary finding: marketers can safely increase the number of communications without fatiguing a target audience if communications are uniquely personalized at an individual level. Increased relevance also minimizes the likelihood that more frequent messaging will result in a negative perception of the brand or communication; as well as reduce detrimental outcomes such as opt outs or worse, spam complaints.

This white paper will contextualize these research findings for marketers and reveal key insights and recommendations for maximizing conversion and engagement in email campaigns and minimizing damaging outcomes from these communications.