Business and Marketing

Irrelevant communications cause consumers' loyalty to quiver. Two thirds says they get too many brand emails.

Personalization is no easy feat. Although data can help marketers be on-point with their targeting, many continue to miss the mark. In fact, the Aimia Institute reports that 57% of Americans take steps to actively avoid companies. And marketers are feeling the sting of their faulty aim. Respondents say that poor communications cause them to close accounts or subscriptions (70%), unfollow brands on social media (66%), opt out of email communications (59%), block phone numbers (57%), or delete apps (54%).

The frequency of communication also seems to be a major factor when it comes to missing the relevancy bull's eye. Although some companies try to be straight as an arrow in terms of abiding by consumers' email preferences, others can't resist over-emailing. And consumers are firing back; 68% of Americans say they receive too many emails and 17% say they can't handle the current volume.

However, not all companies have been shot down. According to Aimia Institute's data, 56% of Americans are still willing to share their personal details to receive relevant offers, and 48% consider personalized emails from brands useful. The study also finds that some industries are better at sending relevant communications than others. For instance, one third of respondents say they receive very relevant information from credit card providers, compared to 29% who say the same for supermarkets and banks. But fuel brands need to work on their aim: Just 18% of Americans polled say they receive relevant messages from these types of companies.

Business Breaking News: Want to Compete with Big Brands? Get Social

When it comes to branding, social media is giving small businesses the chance to compete with the big guys, new research finds.

The rise in social media's popularity has changed the way consumers learn about businesses and products, by giving them the opportunity to discover more from one another, according to a study published recently in the journal Business Horizons.

In the past, large businesses were able to flex their branding muscle by pouring money into advertising designed to increase customer awareness and build a positive reputation. Today, however, social media has increased consumers' power, allowing them to interact with one another and skip the established marketing channels, thus diminishing large businesses' stronghold on the market.

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