Personalisation likely to unsettle customers

49% of consumers are willing to sign up for personalisation. However, when it’s done wrong, it makes them uncomfortable.

Research done by Periscope By McKinsey shows that consumers will not tolerate receiving irrelevant or intrusive messages. On the other hand, almost half of the surveyed shoppers said that they respond to personalisation and often sign up for it.

Results of the survey also show that consumers in all countries still feel that they receive mass marketing messages. Personalised messages generate a response for approximately one-third of the researched target groups.

Motivating factors

The top motivating factor for acting on a personalised message turned out to be offers or deals that will save the consumer money. It is considered important in the US 61%, UK 59%, France 54% and Germany 49%.

However, when a shopper’s personal privacy is being invaded, the consumer starts to feel unsettled. The most anxiety is caused by location tracking, followed by unsolicited communication from unknown companies and receiving messages within seconds of making a purchase. According to the research, women are more likely to find location-based messages unsettling than men.