How well do you know your customers?

Nearly two-thirds of consumers (65%) are overwhelmed by the communications they receive from brands, according to the new “Audience of One” report released by visual experience platform Movable Ink.

The stakes are higher for brands to personalize their messaging (without being too creepy), and also to make sure the information they use accurate. For instance, one in four consumers unsubscribed from emails when the brand addressed the message to the wrong person.

Other findings from the study include:

• Two-thirds of respondents (68%) will remain loyal to a brand if they’re actively engaging and building personal relationships with them;
• Three in five consumers (61%) say they are likely to buy goods or services when a company has created a personalized experience in their branded content to them; and
• One in three report having received inaccurate product recommendations.

Why we care: Marketers are always pushing themselves to deliver more relevant messaging to gain a competitive edge, to spread awareness and to drive sales. The bar continues to be raised. But it’s not just the personalization tools and data management that drive the standards. Ultimately, it’s the consumer’s response to the improved strategy that matters most.

The findings about inaccurate product recommendations should also raise a flag with marketers, because that’s a little bit more of a gray area. If customer data isn’t unified, consumers can receive inaccurate recommendations for things they’ve already bought, or bought enough of to last them for a long time. Or the recommendation is simply irrelevant. In all of these cases, a sizeable number of consumers will feel that the brand doesn’t know them well enough. Too many messages that don’t cross the threshold for acceptability risk leaving a customer feeling betrayed. Of course, avoiding burning through a list isn’t a new concept for marketers. The risk just appears to be greater when messages are in high volume, when a wrong name or ill-informed recommendation can nudge a customer further from a sale and closer to unsubscribing.