e-Dialog’s global consumer study shows e-mail drives significant offline purchase and brand advocacy activity among consumers in APAC

SINGAPORE, 6 July, 2010 – Independent research from e-Dialog, a company within the GSI Commerce (Nasdaq: GSIC) Marketing Services division, has revealed that e-mail is a powerful driver of multichannel activity, particularly among Asia-Pacific consumers.

According to the e-Dialog Global E-mail Attitudes Survey of 13,000 consumers in 13 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the U.S., 67 percent of consumers in Asia-Pacific have made a purchase in a store or over the phone as a result of receiving a marketing
e-mail. This is significantly higher than the global average of 58 percent. On top of this, 65 percent of consumers in the region—and 57 percent globally—said they would be more likely to buy a product in a store after receiving a marketing e-mail about it.

E-mail’s multichannel influence demonstrates need for connected marketing

In addition to the cross-channel sales opportunities this data suggests, there are also significant prospects for marketers in Asia-Pacific to increase customer acquisition across channels. While Web sites are the preferred place for consumers globally to opt-in to e-mail promotions, Asia-Pacific consumers show a higher likelihood to give their
e-mail address through other means. For example, 21 percent would be prepared to text their e-mail address to an SMS short code or to opt-in through a message on a social networking site, as compared to the global standards for this activity of 13 and 16 percent respectively.

Darren Fifield, managing director, e-Dialog Asia-Pacific said: “The survey suggests that coordinating marketing communications across digital and offline channels can provide a substantial sales opportunity for marketers in the Asia-Pacific region. Brands that are simply using e-mail as a direct-sales tool are missing an opportunity. Yes, it is a great means of driving online sales, but as the data suggests, its influence reaches so much further than the inbox. Global marketers need the coordination and expertise to measure and optimize these connected marketing initiatives, while taking into account the regional nuances that the study has brought to light.”

E-mail drives social-sharing, brand discovery and mobile interactions

While e-mail’s primary role has always been to prompt purchases, the trend among Asia-Pacific consumers indicates that e-mail is also a trigger for brand discovery, advocacy and social-sharing. More than any other region, 67 percent of APAC consumers indicated a willingness to share special offers and promotions that they receive via e-mail on their social networks. Furthermore, consumers in Japan and South Korea far exceeded the global average for their likelihood to conduct further brand and product research after an e-mail-inspired purchase.

And while the personal computer is usually the primary e-mail interface or online purchasing device, consumers in Asia-Pacific—with their strong penchant for PDA usage—indicate the highest incidence of e-mail interactivity on their mobile devices. Forty-eight percent of respondents say they frequently act on the e-mail received on their mobile devices when they are at their desktops. Moreover, 57 percent of consumers in the region have purchased a product or service based on a promotional SMS message.

“We know that e-mail drives a high proportion of online revenue for our clients but judging an e-mail campaign on online sales figures alone does not provide an accurate reflection of its wider impact. Each time you launch an e-mail campaign, its effects will ripple across your recipients’ online networks,” continued Fifield. “A brand that has the mechanisms in place to deliver relevant content across all channels has the added advantage of being able to foster even more purchasers and social brand advocates who can spread the campaign message much further than an individual mailbox.”

Available for download now at http://www.e-dialog.com/globalresearch, the full report titled Global Perspectives: A Study of Global Consumer Attitudes to Digital Marketing, includes detailed findings from the survey as well as significant recommendations and tactics for global marketers. The survey consisted of nationally representative interviews with 13,000 consumers across 13 different countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Korea and China. It was conducted on behalf of e-Dialog’s Centre for Digital Marketing Excellence by Lightspeed Research in April 2010. Analysis was carried out in conjunction with industry analysts from The Relevancy Group and Intelligent Insights.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About e-Dialog

Established in 1997, e-Dialog’s marketing technologies and services empower marketers to meaningfully connect with customers by engaging in relevant conversations through e-mail, mobile devices, social networks, e-commerce and at the point of sale. e-Dialog’s multichannel suite gives marketers direct access to timely customer insight that drives targeted and opportunity-rich consumer dialogs. With e-Dialog, marketers quickly evolve customer relationships from the newly acquired to the highly engaged.

Consistently recognized by top analyst firms for both outstanding service and first-class technology, e-Dialog is a global provider to some of the world’s most recognized brands, including  AirTran Airways, Avis Budget Group, Boots, British Airways, CVS/pharmacy, Nintendo, the NFL, PETCO, Reuters, the Royal Bank of Scotland group of companies, and The TJX Companies. With offices in Boston, London, New York, Seattle and Singapore, e-Dialog is a wholly owned subsidiary of GSI Commerce Inc. (NASDAQ: GSIC). For more information, visit www.e-dialog.com.

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