In the three months to August 2010, just under a quarter of people aged over 15 responded to one or more marketing channels. In 2009 the figure was 19.2%. The rise equates to 1.5 million more people.

The growth started just on a year ago and is on-going.

The most responsive areas (in order) are

direct mail, TV, newspaper/magazine ads, email, internet adverts.

There are many commentators who are saying that email is about to take a tumble, although I am not at all sure this is true. Steve Abbott, the British Population Survey’s marketing director is quoted as saying, “We haven’t yet got to the point where people are ignoring email marketing totally, but there could soon be a tipping point.”

However this ignores the way email is changing. The old “email everyone” approach has been consigned to the dustbin and instead firms are focussing on researching their own lists of potential customers and then emailing them on a weekly basis with information and conversation rather than with hard hitting ads. The companies that are seeing a decline are those who rigorously stick by the old approach.

Tony Attwood

Source:

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/3017858.article?cmpid=MWE01&cmptype=newsletter