2018 Adobe Consumer Email Survey

© 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.© 2018 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
2018 Consumer Email Survey
Research conducted by:
United States Report

What: An online survey with panel participants
Who: White-collar works,must own a smart phone
When: Data collected from June 21 to June 27, 2018
Where: Results are shown for US only (n=1,001)
Trending: Slides that have the note below in the bottom right were tested against 2017 data for
significant changes, the arrows denote a significant change. Slides that have this note but no arrows
mean there were no differences.
Statistical testing: Statistical differences are shown at the 95% confidence level.
Note: Data was not weighted. Data collected was balanced to past year’s age and gender proportions.
Prior to 2018, it was weighted to match the proportion of technology industry workers (this question was
not included in the 2018 survey).
As Internet panel sample was used for this study, the sample was not drawn from the population using probability sampling; thus, a margin of error is not reported
(margin of error accounts for sampling error). If the data had been collected using a probability sampling method, the margin of error would be +/- 3.1%, 19 times out
of 20. Given this sampling approach, the outcomes of the statistical tests reported reflect results as if performed on data collected using probability sampling.
Methodology
Adobe Marketing Insights & Operations (MIO)
h Significantly higher than 2017
i Significantly lower than 2017

© 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.© 2018 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 3
Profile of Participants

Who Participated in the Survey
11%
20%
27%
27%
15%
18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 49
50 to 64
65 or above
Age
 The participants in this research represent common working ages, mainly between the ages of 25-64. This is
consistent with research conducted in 2017.
Male
46%Female
54%
Gender
Base: All respondents (1,001)
s1 -- What is your gender? (not including those who said prefer not to answer base: 999)
s2 – In what year were you born?
Significantly higher than 2017
Significantly lower than 2017i
h

Email Usage

Frequency of checking email
18%
49%
11%
13%
9%
Frequency of checking work email
outside of normal work hours
q1 -- While at work, how often do you typically check your personal email in a given day?
q2 -- Outside of normal work hours, how often do you check your work email in a given day?
(D) (E)
11% 24% D
47% 50%
14% E 8%
16% E 11%
12% E 7%
7% 12% D
50% 53%
16% 13%
15% 15%
13% E 6%
10%
52%
14%
15%
9%
Frequency of checking personal
email while at work
Never
Every few
hours
Every hour
Multiple times
per hour
Constantly
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Checking
work email
outside of
work hours
Never 12% 16% 20% A
Every few hours 56% B 43% 49%
Every hour 13% 13% 10%
Multiple times
per hour
13% 14% 13%
Constantly 6% 13% A 8%
Checking
personal
email while
at work
Never 8% 8% 10%
Every few hours 48% 44% 55% B
Every hour 22% C 19% C 12%
Multiple times
per hour
15% 17% 15%
Constantly 6% 11% 9%
 Most employees check their work email outside work, and personal email while at
work at least every few hours. Younger workers are more likely to check personal
emails hourly while at work.
h
h

Frequency of checking email
 Similar to 2017, most employees feel they check their email as often as they should, while men and younger
employees (under 35) are more likely to say they check their email too often.
25%
70%
5%
I check way too often, and should really
cut down
I check my email as often as I should
I don't check my email enough, and
should really do a better job of staying on
top of it
Frequency of email checking in general
q5 -- How would you characterize your frequency of email checking in general?
(D) (E)
30% E 20%
66% 73% D
4% 7%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
31% C 34% C 21%
59% 61% 74% AB
9% 5% 5%
h

1 hour
or less
>1 hour
to 2 hours
>2 hours
to 4 hours
>4 hours
to 6 hours
More than
6 hours
Time spent checking email
40%
22%
16%
9%
12%
(D) (E)
39% 41%
22% 21%
17% 16%
9% 9%
13% 12%
51% 53%
18% 18%
14% 13%
8% 8%
10% 9%
52%
18%
13%
8%
9%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
1 hour or less 42% B 30% 43% B
>1 hour to 2
hours
20% 25% 21%
>2 hours to 4
hours
13% 19% 16%
>4 hours to 6
hours
13% 9% 9%
More than 6
hours
12% 16% 11%
Personal
Email
1 hour or less 46% 45% 55% B
>1 hour to 2
hours
18% 17% 18%
>2 hours to 4
hours
20% C 14% 12%
>4 hours to 6
hours
7% 11% 7%
More than 6
hours
8% 12% 9%
Mean
number of
hours:
3.1
Mean
number of
hours:
2.5
i
(57%)
(17%)
(11%)
(8%)
(8%)
(2.1)
(40%)
(19%)
(14%)
(12%)
(15%)
(3.3)
2018 %
(2017 %)
 Employees are spending more time checking personal emails in 2018 compared to
2017, while time spent checking work email remains similar.
h
q6a -- Please estimate the total number of hours and minutes per weekday you spend checking your work email
q6b -- Please estimate the total number of hours and minutes per weekday you spend checking your personal email
*Note only hours are shown, minutes are not included in this result.
Total number of hours per weekday you spend checking…
Personal emailWork email
h

Frequency of checking work email before work
39%
27%
23%
11%
I don't check work email until I get into the
office
I check work email as I'm getting ready,
eating breakfast or having coffee
I check work email while still in bed
I check work email as I'm about to leave
the house or on my commute into the
office
Length of time before checking work email after you wake up on a
work day†
(D) (E)
27% 49% D
29% 25%
27% E 19%
16% E 7%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
19% 26% 46% AB
29% 25% 27%
44% C 35% C 16%
8% 13% 11%
q7a -- It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to check your work email?
†Previously, this question asked “It's a workday, and you've just woken up. How long does it typically take you to check your work or personal email after you wake up?”. Thus, results cannot be trended to previous years.

Frequency of checking personal email before work
44%
28%
15%
14%
I check personal email as I'm getting
ready, eating breakfast or having coffee
I check personal email while still in bed
I don't check personal email until I get into
the office
I check personal email as I'm about to
leave the house or on my commute into
the office
Length of time before checking personal email after you wake up on a
work day†
q7b -- It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to check your personal email?
(D) (E)
45% 43%
28% 27%
12% 17% D
15% 12%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
32% 34% 48% AB
43% C 41% C 21%
9% 8% 18% AB
16% 17% 12%
†Previously, this question asked “It's a workday, and you've just woken up. How long does it typically take you to check your work or personal email after you wake up?”. Thus, results cannot be trended to previous years.

Checking work emails in various situations
 In the past month, work email is most commonly checked while watching TV/movies, in bed, on the phone or in
the bathroom. One-quarter have not checked work email in the following situations, with women and those 35
or older being more likely to select none.
41%
31%
30%
28%
22%
22%
19%
12%
12%
10%
8%
25%
While watching TV/movie
While in bed
While on the phone
While in the bathroom
While walking
While commuting to/from work
During a meal with others
While in a face-to-face conversation
While working out
While driving
While at a formal ceremony
None, I haven't checked during any
Situations where work email has been checked in the past month
q10 -- In the last month, during which situations have you checked your work email? (Multi-response)
(D) (E)
41% 41%
29% 34%
28% 31%
31% 26%
26% E 18%
25% E 18%
22% 17%
13% 12%
15% E 10%
15% E 7%
11% E 5%
17% 31% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
31% 46% A 41% A
44% C 41% C 27%
31% 36% C 28%
33% 39% C 24%
28% C 34% C 18%
22% 24% 21%
19% 28% C 17%
12% 16% 11%
14% 18% C 10%
9% 16% C 9%
15% C 12% C 5%
12% 11% 30% AB
†Previously, this question asked “In the last month, during which situations have you checked your email?”. Thus, results cannot be trended to previous years.

Checking personal emails in various situations
 In the past month, nearly all have checked personal email in at least one of the following situations, with
watching TV/movie, in bed, in the bathroom, and on the phone being the most common situations.
60%
50%
40%
35%
28%
27%
21%
17%
16%
14%
9%
8%
While watching TV/movie
While in bed
While in the bathroom
While on the phone
While walking
During a meal with others
While commuting to/from work
While in a face-to-face conversation
While working out
While driving
While at a formal ceremony
None, I haven't checked during any
Situations where personal email has been checked in the past month
q10a -- In the last month, during which situations have you checked your personal email? (Multi-response)
(D) (E)
50% 69% D
45% 55% D
40% 41%
32% 37%
29% 27%
27% 26%
26% E 17%
17% 17%
18% 14%
17% E 12%
13% E 6%
6% 9%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
45% 57% A 64% A
56% 60% C 47%
41% 58% AC 35%
36% 45% C 32%
31% 37% C 25%
17% 34% AC 26% A
16% 27% A 20%
15% 24% AC 15%
18% 26% C 12%
15% 26% AC 10%
16% C 14% C 7%
1% 2% 10% AB
†Previously, this question asked “In the last month, during which situations have you checked your email?”. Thus, results cannot be trended to previous years.

Checking work email while on vacation
 Over one-quarter of all employees (and over one-third of women) say they never check their work emails while
on vacation. This is an increase from 23% in 2017.
28%
24%
28%
16%
3%
Never
Rarely
Occasionally
Frequently
Constantly
Frequency of checking work emails on vacation
q14_a -- work email?: While on vacation, how often do you check your…
(D) (E)
21% 35% D
24% 24%
32% E 25%
19% E 13%
5% E 2%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
19% 27% 30% A
36% C 26% 22%
32% 25% 29%
11% 17% 16%
2% 5% 3%
h
h

Checking personal email while on vacation
 Personal emails are checked while participants are on vacation.
5%
16%
42%
28%
8%
Never
Rarely
Occasionally
Frequently
Constantly
Frequency of checking personal emails on vacation
(D) (E)
5% 5%
16% 17%
41% 44%
29% 28%
9% 7%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
9% 8% C 4%
21% 17% 15%
45% 40% 43%
16% 23% 32% AB
8% 11% C 6%
†Previously, this question asked “While on vacation, how often do you check your work email?”. Thus, results cannot be trended to previous years.
q14_b -- personal email?: While on vacation, how often do you check your…

Devices for checking emails
 Smartphones continue to be the most commonly used device for checking emails.
 Compared to last year, fewer employees are checking emails on desktop/laptop, and more employees are
checking on their smartwatch (driven mostly by men).
85%
69%
22%
5%
0%
Smartphone
Desktop/Laptop
Tablet
Smartwatch
Other (e.g., car display)
Devices used to regularly check email
q8 -- On which of the following devices do you regularly check email? (Multi-response)
(D) (E)
84% 87%
71% 67%
22% 22%
7% E 3%
1% 0%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
89% 90% C 84%
62% 65% 71%
22% 23% 22%
7% 7% 3%
1% 0% 0%
h
h
h
i

53%
43%
4%
0%
0%
Primary device for checking emails
q7a_a -- What is your primary device type for checking work email?
q7a_b -- What is your primary device type for checking personal email?
(D) (E)
53% 53%
44% 42%
3% 5%
0% 0%
0% 0%
32% E 26%
63% 67%
4% 7%
0% 0%
0% 0%
29%
65%
6%
0%
0%
Desktop/
Laptop
Smartphone
Tablet
Smartwatch
Other
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
Desktop/
Laptop
41% 46% 57% AB
Smartphone 56% C 53% C 38%
Tablet 2% 1% 5% AB
Smartwatch 2% 0% 0%
Other 0% 0% 0%
Personal
Email
Desktop/
Laptop
18% 22% 33% AB
Smartphone 77% C 76% C 60%
Tablet 5% 2% 7% B
Smartwatch 1% 0% 0%
Other 0% 0% 0%
 Fewer employees checked their work or personal emails on computers in 2018;
older (35 years old or older) are more likely to check on a computer.
 More employees reported preferring to use a smartphone to check both work and
personal emails, compared to 2017.
h
Primary device type for checking…
h
i
h
i

Opening emails
7%
6%
17%
11%
17%
41%
(D) (E)
6% 8%
9% C 4%
19% C 15%
12% 10%
19% 16%
34% 47% B
15% 12%
15% 14%
30% 28%
20% 21%
8% 14% B
12% 12%
13%
14%
29%
20%
12%
12%
0 to 20%
21 to 40%
41 to 60%
61 to 80%
81 to 99%
100%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
0 - 20% 16% 6% 6%
21 - 40% 8% 8% 5%
41 - 60% 29% C 26% C 12%
61 - 80% 14% 11% 11%
81 - 99% 10% 14% 20%
100% 23% 34% 46%
Personal
Email
0 - 20% 24% BC 13% 11%
21 - 40% 18% 20% C 12%
41 - 60% 30% 34% 27%
61 - 80% 13% 17% 23% A
81 - 99% 8% 6% 14% B
100% 7% 9% 14% A
Mean %
of work emails
opened:
77%
Mean %
of personal
emails opened:
59%
Total number of received emails opened
hBase: All respondents (1,001)
q4a -- What percentage of emails received do you open?
i
i
i
h
h

Reading emails
8%
5%
16%
15%
16%
39%
(D) (E)
8% 9%
6% E 4%
19% E 14%
16% 14%
15% 17%
36% 43% D
14% 13%
13% 15%
27% 23%
19% 22%
9% 11%
18% 17%
13%
14%
25%
21%
10%
17%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
0 - 20% 15% C 9% 7%
21 - 40% 12% BC 2% 4%
41 - 60% 25% C 28% C 12%
61 - 80% 12% 17% 15%
81 - 99% 13% 12% 18% B
100% 23% 31% 45% AC
Personal
Email
0 - 20% 21% C 16% 11%
21 - 40% 16% 20% C 12%
41 - 60% 26% 28% 24%
61 - 80% 19% 16% 22%
81 - 99% 7% 6% 11% B
100% 11% 13% 20% AB
Mean %
of emails
read:
76%
Mean %
of emails
read:
61%
Total number of received opened emails read
hBase: All respondents (1,001)
q4b -- Of those emails you open, what percentage do you actually read?
0 to 20%
21 to 40%
41 to 60%
61 to 80%
81 to 99%
100%
ii
i
h
h
i
h

Emotion when checking email
41%
20%
17%
14%
8%
(D) (E)
35% 45% D
20% 20%
20% E 14%
15% 14%
10% E 6%
39% 45% D
15% 13%
35% 34%
7% 6%
4% 2%
42%
14%
34%
6%
3%
Indifference
Accomplished
Excitement
Anxiety
Dread or guilt
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
email
Indifference 33% 30% 45% AB
Accomplished 14% 17% 22% A
Excitement 23% 21% 15%
Anxiety 17% 19% C 13%
Dread or guilt 13% C 13% C 6%
Personal
email
Indifference 31% 36% 46% AB
Accomplished 11% 12% 15%
Excitement 35% 38% 33%
Anxiety 15% C 9% C 4%
Dread or guilt 7% C 4% 2%
 Over four-in-ten employees (particularly those 35+) feel indifference when
checking either work or personal email.
 When checking personal email, four-in-ten feel indifference (particularly those 35+)
while over one-third feel excitement.
Emotion when checking…
q3 -- Which emotion do you most often feel when you check your?
i
h
i

NET Increasing
25%
20%
Future use of email
q9a -- Looking ahead at the next two years, which best describes how you see your use of work email changing?
q9b -- Looking ahead at the next two years, which best describes how you see your use of personal email changing?
(D) (E)
23% 18%
53% 56%
24% 26%
19% E 14%
60% 67% D
21% 20%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
NET
Decreasing
33% C 23% 17%
Staying the
same
40% 44% 60% AB
NET Increasing 27% 33% C 23%
Personal
Email
NET
Decreasing
28% C 22% C 12%
Staying the
same
46% 51% 70% AB
NET Increasing 26% 26% C 18%
 Most employees expect their work and personal email use to remain the same over the next two years,
especially among older employees (35 years old or older).
 The proportion of employees who say their email use is decreasing has risen since 2017: 20% (up from 15%
in 2017) now think their work email use will decrease, while 16% (up from 12%) think their personal email use
will decrease.
7%
3%
13%
13%
54%
64%
19%
16%
6%
5%
Work email
Personal email
Decreasing substantially Decreasing a little
Staying the same Increasing a little
Increasing substantially
h
h
h

39%
27%
27%
24%
Relieving
It's borderline OCD
Amazing
Impossible
Reactions to the idea of “inbox-zero”
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Getting to ‘index-zero’: 68% C 62% C 51%
Reactions
to the idea
of ‘index-
zero’
Relieving 39% 40% 39%
It's borderline
OCD
28% 31% 26%
Amazing 27% 32% C 25%
Impossible 24% 17% 26% B
No, 45%
Yes,
55%
Getting to “inbox-zero”
Reaction to “inbox-zero”
 Over half (55%, up from 50% in 2017) of employees (primarily those 18 to 34 years old) get to “inbox-zero”.
 Four-in-ten feel that reaching “inbox-zero” is relieving, while about one-quarter each feel that it is borderline
OCD, amazing, or impossible.
(D) (E)
57% 54%
37% 42%
26% 28%
27% 26%
24% 23%
q20 -- Getting to “inbox zero” is defined as acting on every email as it comes in to move it out of your inbox immediately (delete, respond, or
delegate). Is that something you currently do?
q21 -- What is your reaction to the idea of “inbox zero”'
h
h
i

Work Communication in General

Current communication preference
 Email is the most commonly used method for communicating with colleagues, and is increasingly more likely to
be used by older age groups and women. Email, face-to-face, and over the phone are all less likely to be
selected in 2017, with enterprise social networks becoming a more popular choice.
72%
61%
60%
35%
19%
16%
10%
2%
Email
Face-to-face conversations/in-person meetings
Phone
Instant messaging
Video conferencing or video chat
File sharing service
Enterprise social network
Other
Communication methods with colleagues at work used regularly
q11 -- Today, which of the following communication methods do you use regularly to interact with colleagues at work? (multi)
(D) (E)
68% 75% D
56% 65% D
58% 62%
36% 34%
22% E 16%
16% 17%
12% 8%
0% 3% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
57% 65% 76% AB
44% 52% 66% AB
52% 62% 61%
25% 41% A 35% A
15% 21% 18%
22% C 23% C 14%
16% C 15% C 7%
1% 0% 2% B
h
h
i
i
i

Current communication preference
 Face-to-face conversations with colleagues are is now tied with email as the preferred method of
communication, as email is less likely to be selected in 2018 (31% vs. 36% in 2017).
31%
31%
16%
11%
4%
3%
3%
1%
Face-to-face conversations/in-person meetings
Email
Phone
Instant messaging
Other
Preferred method of communication with work colleagues
q12 -- Today, how do you prefer to communicate with your work colleagues?
(D) (E)
31% 32%
32% 30%
16% 17%
10% 12%
4% 3%
4% 3%
4% 2%
0% 1% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
19% 23% 36% AB
26% 27% 32%
25% C 18% 15%
9% 13% 11%
10% C 6% C 2%
7% C 6% C 2%
4% 6% C 2%
0% 0% 1% AB
h
h
i
h

Most appropriate communication method for different interactions
 For all discussions shown below, either email or face-to-face conversations are considered the most appropriate
communication methods.
 Interestingly, 44% of 18-24-year-olds and 52% of 25-34-year-olds think it’s most acceptable to have a face-to-face
conversation to quit their jobs – so in other words 56% of the 18-24 age group and 48% of the 25-34 age group think it’s
most appropriate to quit their jobs via a different be it email, phone, etc., than face-to-face. What’s more, 15% of the 18-
24 age group and 10% of 25-34 age group think its appropriate to quit their jobs via instant message or enterprise social
network.
q17-- Which of the following would you consider the most appropriate communication method for:
50%
43%
34%
33%
28%
22%
13%
18%
30%
17%
39%
39%
42%
68%
10%
8%
19%
10%
15%
18%
8%
11%
8%
21%
5%
8%
7%
3%
4%
3%
3%
6%
3%
3%
A status update on a project
Delivering feedback
A brief question
Suggesting a new approach
or idea
Asking for help on a big
project
Alerting your boss of an
important issue
Quitting your job
Most appropriate communication method for…
Email Face-to-face conversations/in-person meetings
Phone Instant messaging
Video conferencing or video chat Enterprise social network
*Age and gender splits are shown in the appendix

Most annoying phrase used in work emails
 ‘Not sure if you saw my last email’ is the most annoying phrase people use via email at work.
25%
13%
11%
11%
10%
9%
9%
6%
6%
Not sure if you saw my last email...
Per my last email...
Per our conversation...
Any updates on this?
Sorry for the double email
Please advise.
As previously stated...
As discussed...
Re-attaching for convenience.
Most annoying phrase people use via email at work
q19 -- What's the most annoying phrase people use via email at work?
(D) (E)
21% 29% D
15% 12%
12% 11%
13% E 9%
10% 9%
9% 10%
9% 9%
6% 6%
6% 6%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
24% 17% 28% B
12% 15% 13%
9% 14% 11%
14% 9% 10%
11% 9% 10%
5% 10% A 10% A
6% 12% A 8%
9% 7% 5%
10% 6% 5%

Email Innovation and Marketing

Email improvements
 18- to 24-year-olds feel that smart auto-replies has improved their email experience the most.
 25- to 34-year-olds feel that category filtering has improved their email experience the most.
 Consumers 35 or older feel that stronger spam filters has improved their email experience the most.
26%
16%
14%
12%
7%
7%
19%
Stronger spam filters
Improved mobile viewing
Filtering
Better email design
Smart auto-replies
Voice assistants responding to emails for me
None
Which of the following has most improved your email experience
in the last few years?
q15 -- Which of the following has most improved your email experience in the last few years?
(D) (E)
23% 28%
17% 15%
15% 14%
14% 10%
9% E 5%
9% E 5%
13% 24% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
16% 22% 28% A
22% 15% 16%
16% 19% C 12%
9% 14% 11%
17% BC 8% 5%
15% C 9% C 5%
6% 12% A 23% AB
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Most innovative communication method
 Instant messaging is seen as the communication method that has innovated the most over the past five years,
particularly for those 18 to 24, and 35+.
24%
22%
21%
13%
12%
7%
Instant messaging
Email
Phone
Communication method has innovated the most
over the last five years
q18 -- Which of the following communications methods has innovated the most over the last five years?
(D) (E)
26% 23%
22% 22%
20% 22%
10% 15% E
13% 12%
8% 7%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
27% B 16% 26% B
19% 20% 23%
15% 19% 23% A
6% 12% A 14% A
20% C 21% C 9%
13% C 11% C 5%
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Brand contact
 Down from last year, half of employees (those 25 or older in particular) would prefer to be contacted by brands
via email.
 Phone calls and chatbots are increasingly likely to be preferred methods of contact by brands.
50%
20%
7%
7%
7%
7%
3%
Email
Direct mail
The brand's mobile app
Social media channels
Text message/SMS
Phone call
Chatbots
Preferred method of contact by brands
q25 -- When it comes to receiving offers from marketers, how do you prefer to be contacted by brands?
(D) (E)
45% 55% D
20% 20%
8% 6%
7% 6%
8% 6%
9% E 5%
4% E 1%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
32% 44% A 55% AB
12% 16% 23% AB
14% C 7% 5%
9% 9% 5%
13% C 7% 6%
13% C 14% C 4%
6% 2% 2%
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Changing marketing emails
 Employees would prefer that marketing emails were less about promotions and provided more information.
This is especially true for those 35 years old or older.
39%
27%
12%
9%
9%
3%
Make them less about promotion and more
about providing me information
Content that's better personalized to my
interests
Ability to make a purchase without leaving an
email
More engaging content like embedded videos
and images
Incorporate more content from actual
product/service users
Other
If you could change one thing about the emails you get from brands
what would it be?
q16 -- If you could change one thing about the emails you get from brands what would it be?
(D) (E)
36% 43% E
25% 29%
14% 11%
12% D 7%
10% 8%
3% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
30% 29% 44% AB
23% 26% 28%
21% C 15% 10%
14% C 15% C 7%
12% 14% C 7%
0% 1% 4% AB
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Marketing emails and the purchase process
 That said, when it comes to the purchase process, marketing emails from brands provide nearly four-in-ten
employees (women and those 35+ in particular) with an added incentive to purchase (down from 42% in 2017).
37%
27%
19%
17%
Giving me additional incentives to purchase
Making me aware of a brand I wasn't familiar
with
Reminding me of a purchase I need to make
Helping me select between products I'm
considering
When it comes to the marketing emails you receive from brands, what
role does email typically play in your purchase process? (D) (E)
27% 45% D
32% E 22%
21% 18%
19% 16%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
19% 24% 43% AB
29% 29% 25%
25% C 31% C 15%
27% BC 15% 16%
q26 -- When it comes to the marketing emails you receive from brands, what role does email typically play in your purchase process?
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27%
31%
Work (Mean)
Personal (Mean)
% of email offers interested in enough to open
Interest in opening email offers
 Over the past year, between one-quarter and one-third of email offers were interesting enough to open.
q22_a – Work emails: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open?
q22_b – Personal emails: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open?
(D) (E)
30% E 24%
33% 30%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
33% C 35% C 24%
39% C 36% C 29%
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Annoying things when reading email from a brand on a smartphone
 Employees are split when asked what the most annoying aspect of reading emails is on smartphones: 16-20%
mentioning one of having to scroll to much, having to wait for images to load, too much text, font being too
small, and layout not being optimized for mobile (down from 21% in 2017) as the most annoying.
20%
18%
17%
17%
16%
5%
5%
2%
I have to scroll too much to read the entire
email
I have to wait for images to load, or download
an image to see it
Too much text
Font size is too small
The layout is not optimized for mobile
Lack of video
Unattractive design
Other
Most annoying thing when reading email from a brand on a smartphone
q23 -- What's the most annoying thing when reading email from a brand on your smartphone?
(D) (E)
19% 22%
15% 20% D
17% 16%
16% 17%
15% 17%
8% E 2%
6% 4%
3% 2%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
14% 18% 22% A
15% 20% 18%
21% 15% 16%
13% 13% 18%
15% 16% 16%
11% C 8% C 3%
10% C 8% C 3%
1% 0% 3% AB
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Most annoying thing when receiving an email offer from a marketer
 Nearly half of employees (and more than half of women) find being emailed too often by a marketer (down from
50% in 2017) as the most annoying when receiving email offers. This year, employees are more likely to find
emails that don’t include a buy button to be most annoying.
45%
23%
22%
22%
16%
14%
9%
8%
7%
1%
2%
Getting emailed too often by a brand
Emails that are too wordy/poorly written
An offer that makes it clear that the marketers data about me is wrong
An email urging me to buy a product or service I've already purchased
Too much personalization, where it is creepy
Poor design
Too little or no personalization
Emails that don't include a buy button to facilitate purchase
Emails without video or images
Other
None of the above make email annoying/intrusive
Most annoying thing when receiving an email offer from a marketer
q24 -- When you receive an email offer from a marketer, which of the following is most annoying? (Multi-response: select up to 3)
(D) (E)
37% 52% D
23% 24%
24% 21%
24% 20%
16% 17%
16% E 12%
11% E 7%
9% 8%
9% E 5%
1% 1%
2% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
32% 38% 49% AB
12% 22% A 25% A
27% 24% 21%
26% 20% 22%
18% 23% C 14%
17% 17% 12%
10% 11% 8%
20% BC 7% 7%
11% C 12% C 5%
0% 0% 2% AB
1% 1% 3% B
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Importance of customized communication from brands
 Customization of emails from brands is of medium to high importance, across all age groups and both genders.
11% 8% 36% 26% 19%
How important is it that brands customize their communication with
you as an individual?
Low importance 2 3 4 High importance
q27 -- On the following scale, how important is it that brands customize their communication with you as an individual?
(D) (E)
11% 12%
9% 7%
31% 40% D
29% E 23%
20% 18%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
Low importance 8% 7% 13% B
2 17% BC 6% 8%
3 38% 31% 37%
4 20% 32% A 25%
High Importance 17% 24% 17%

Frustrating lack of personalization in emails
 One-third of employees say receiving recommendations that don’t match their interest is the most frustrating
way emails lack personalization.
 Nearly one-quarter (and one-quarter of women) feel that including expired offers is the most frustrating lack of
personalization in brand emails.
33%
22%
17%
15%
14%
Recommending items that do not match your
interests
Including offers that have already expired
Misspelling your name
Sending an offer not appropriate to the season
or your location (e.g., sending deals for shorts
during winter)
Sending you promotions for things you've
already purchased
The most frustrating way brands lack
personalization in your emails (D) (E)
32% 33%
18% 25% D
19% 16%
15% 15%
16% E 12%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
29% 27% 35% B
21% 18% 23%
17% 22% C 16%
18% 21% C 13%
16% 11% 14%
q28 -- What of the following is the most frustrating way brands lack personalization in their emails?

Appendix

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
A status update on
a project?
Email 31% 39% 55% AB 46% 53% E
Face-to-face conversations/in-person
meetings
16% 12% 19% B 18% 17%
Phone 11% 14% C 9% 10% 10%
Instant messaging 16% 14% 9% 12% 10%
Video conferencing or video chat 6% 7% C 2% 3% 4%
Enterprise social network 7% C 6% C 2% 4% 3%
File sharing service 13% C 7% C 3% 6% D 4%
Delivering
feedback?
Email 31% 35% 47% AB 38% 47% E
meetings
21% 26% 33% AB 31% 30%
Phone 12% 9% 7% 9% 7%
Instant messaging 13% C 12% C 6% 7% 9%
Video conferencing or video chat 6% 5% C 2% 4% D 2%
Enterprise social network 7% C 5% C 2% 5% D 2%
File sharing service 10% C 6% 3% 6% 3%
q17-- Which of the following would you consider the most appropriate communication method for:

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Suggesting a new
approach or idea?
Email 19% 27% 37% AB 35% 32%
meetings
38% 32% 40% B 33% 44% D
Phone 13% 13% 8% 12% E 8%
Video conferencing or video chat 6% 8% 5% 5% 6%
File sharing service 12% BC 5% 2% 5% 3%
A brief question?
Email 21% 25% 38% AB 34% 34%
meetings
17% 18% 17% 17% 17%
Phone 21% 16% 19% 18% 20%
Video conferencing or video chat 5% 5% C 2% 4% 2%
Enterprise social network 5% 6% C 2% 4% 3%
File sharing service 10% C 7% C 1% 5% E 2%
q17 -- Which of the following would you consider the most appropriate communication method for:

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Asking for help on
a big project?
Email 21% 23% 31% AB 28% 28%
meetings
28% 34% 42% AB 34% 43% E
Phone 12% 17% 15% 16% 14%
Instant messaging 16% C 8% 7% 8% 8%
Video conferencing or video chat 6% C 4% 2% 3% 2%
Enterprise social network 10% C 7% C 2% 6% D 2%
File sharing service 6% 5% 2% 5% D 2%
Alerting your boss
of an important
issue?
Email 17% 19% 24% A 23% 22%
meetings
34% 38% 45% A 39% 45%
Phone 20% 15% 19% 19% 18%
Video conferencing or video chat 5% 5% 2% 3% 3%

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Quitting your job?
Email 15% 14% 12% 16% D 9%
meetings
44% 52% 77% AB 60% 75% E
Phone 11% 11% 6% 7% 9%
Instant messaging 6% 6% C 2% 5% D 2%
Video conferencing or video chat 6% C 6% C 1% 3% D 1%
Enterprise social network 9% C 4% 1% 4% 2%

2018 Adobe Consumer Email Survey

2018 Adobe Consumer Email Survey

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2018 Adobe Consumer Email Survey