Adobe Consumer Email Survey Report 2017

© 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Email Use 2017 – US report
Ryan Dietzen | Marketing Insights & Operations (MIO)
Research conducted by:

What: An online survey with panel participants
Who: White-collar participants own a smart phone
When: Data collected from July 10 to July 17, 2017
Where: Results are shown for US only (n=1,007)
Trending: Slides that have the note below in the bottom right were tested against last waves 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 weighted to match the proportion of technology industry workers from last wave.
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)
 Significantly higher than 2016
 Significantly lower than 2016

• Most respondents check their work and personal email at least every few hours, which they feel is as often as they
should. That said, fewer respondents are checking their work and personal email than last year.
▬ Fewer respondents are checking their email while still in bed (with younger respondents most likely to do so), while
more are waiting until they get to the office (particularly older individuals).
▬ Fewer respondents are checking emails while on vacation, while on the phone, while walking, while working out, and
while at formal ceremonies.
• Smartphones continue to be the most commonly used device for checking emails, although computers are the
preferred device for checking work email. In addition, the rate of checking emails on tablets has gone down since
2016.
• 82% of work emails and 60% of personal emails are opened. Of those, 83% of work emails and 64% of personal
emails are read.
• Most respondents expect their email use (both personal and work) to remain the same over the next two years.
• Respondents most likely feel indifference when checking their work or personal email. Additionally, half get to
“inbox-zero” which is most likely to make them feel relieved.
Summary of Results
Email Usage

• Email, face-to-face conversations, and phone calls are the most used communication methods (to communicate with
colleagues).
▬ Respondents mentioned that both email and face-to-face conversations are preferred, however over half mentioned that
email is their company’s primary communication tool.
• Although still second to email, preference for face-to-face conversations with colleagues has increased over the past
year.
• For quick questions for a colleague, respondents are split as to their preferred communication method: nearly equal
amounts are likely to use email, phone, or a face-to-face conversation.
• For many different types of work discussions, email and face-to-face conversations are considered the most
appropriate communication methods.
▬ In general, face-to-face communication becomes more appropriate as the nature of the topic becomes more serious.
Summary of Results
Work Communication in General

• Spam filters and mobile viewing have improved respondent’s email experiences the most over the last few years.
• Instant messaging, followed by email and video conferencing, are seen as the communication methods that have
innovated the most over the past five years.
• 61% of respondents would like to be contacted by brands through email. However, their stated preference is for
marketing emails that are less about promotions, and more about providing information.
▬ That said, when it comes to the purchase process, marketing emails provide two-fifths of respondents (females in
particular) with an added incentive to purchase.
• Just over a quarter of work and personal email offers are interesting enough to open.
• When reading emails from brands on a smartphone, respondents would like emails to be better optimized for mobile,
not have to wait for images to load, minimize the need to scroll, and use appropriate fonts.
• The most annoying thing about receiving email offers is getting emailed too often. Indeed, few respondents mentioned
that they would like to receive daily emails from their bank, favorite retail brand, restaurant, or telecom provider.
• Regardless of age group or gender, customization of emails from brands is of medium to high importance.
▬ The most common frustration related to personalization is recommendations that do not match respondent interests.
Summary of Results
Email Innovation and Marketing

© 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 6
Profile of Participants

Who Participated in the Survey
11%
19%
31%
26%
13%
18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 49
50 to 64
65 or above
Age
 Most US white collar respondents are between 25 to 64.
Yes
22%
No
78%
Work in technology industry*
42%
28%
22%
8%
Never, come to the
office everyday
A few days a month as
schedule permits
On a regular basis
All the time, I never go
to the office
Percentage of Time Working Remotely
Male
49%
Female
51%
Gender


Base: All respondents (1,007)
s1 -- What is your gender? (not including those who said prefer not to answer base: 1,006)
s2 -- How old are you?;
s4 -- Do you work in the technology industry? *note data has been weighted to previous year’s proportions
s6 -- What percentage of your work time is spent working remotely (meaning outside the office)?
Significantly higher than 2016
Significantly lower than 2016


Email Usage

Frequency of checking email
20%
44%
11%
14%
11%
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)
14% 25% D
46% 42%
14% E 8%
16% 13%
10% 12%
7% 13% D
51% 51%
18% E 12%
13% 13%
11% 10%
10%
51%
15%
13%
11%
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 20% 17% 21%
Every few hours 49% 38% 45%
Every hour 14% 13% 10%
Multiple times per
hour
10% 19% A 14%
Constantly 8% 14% 11%
Checking
personal
email while
at work
Never 16% B 6% 11% B
Every few hours 46% 46% 53%
Every hour 21% 19% C 13%
Multiple times per
hour
11% 15% 13%
Constantly 6% 14% A 10%
 Most respondents check their work and personal email at least every few hours.
 That said, fewer respondents are checking their email at all than in 2016, with females being
more likely than males to never check their email.






Frequency of checking email
 Similar to 2016, most respondents feel they check their email as often as they should, while women are more likely to say they
don’t check their email enough.
22%
73%
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
q3 -- How would you characterize your frequency of email checking in general?
(D) (E)
24% 20%
72% 73%
3% 7% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
34% C 27% C 19%
62% 65% 76% AB
4% 8% 5%


Time spent checking email
40%
19%
14%
12%
15%
(D) (E)
45% E 34%
19% 19%
15% 14%
9% 15% D
12% 18% D
63% E 50%
14% 20% D
10% 12%
7% 9%
6% 9%
57%
17%
11%
8%
8%
1 hour
or less
>1 hour
to 2 hours
>2 hours
to 4 hours
>4 hours
to 6 hours
More than
6 hours
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
1 hour or less 41% 31% 42% B
>1 hour to 2
hours
19% 18% 19%
>2 hours to 4
hours
14% 17% 13%
>4 hours to 6
hours
8% 15% A 12%
More than 6
hours
17% 19% 14%
Personal
Email
1 hour or less 50% 46% 61% AB
>1 hour to 2
hours
19% 18% 16%
>2 hours to 4
hours
9% 14% 10%
>4 hours to 6
hours
13% 11% 7%
More than 6
hours
9% 12% C 6%



Mean number
of hours:
3.3

Mean
number of
hours:
2.1 



Total number of hours per weekday you spend checking…
Work email Personal email
(41%)
(16%)
(18%)
(9%)
(16%)
(3.3)
(30%)
(18%)
(18%)
(13%)
(21%)
(4.1)
Red numbers = 2016
 Respondents are spending less time checking emails in 2017 compared to 2016, with males
and those 35 or older being the most likely to spend one hour or less. This may be driven by a
number of characteristics mentioned in subsequent slides.

q4a -- Please estimate the total number of hours and minutes per weekday you spend checking your work email
q4b -- 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.

Frequency of checking work email before work
 Part of the reason that respondents are checking their email less is that fewer are checking their email while still in bed (with
younger respondents be most likely to check while in bed), and more (particularly older individuals) waiting until they get to
the office to check email.
26%
37%
11%
26%
I check my email while still in bed
I check email as I'm getting ready, eating
breakfast or having coffee
I check my email as I'm about to leave the
house or on my commute into the office
I don't check email until I get into the office
Length of time before checking email after you wake up on a work day
q5 -- 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?
(D) (E)
24% 28%
41% E 34%
13% 9%
22% 29% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
51% C 43% C 18%
29% 35% 39% A
5% 10% 12% A
14% 13% 31% AB




Checking emails in various situations
 Another reason time spent checking emails has decreased is fewer respondents checking emails while on vacation, while on
the phone, while walking, while working out, and while at formal ceremonies.
69%
54%
46%
43%
38%
34%
32%
32%
18%
16%
14%
6%
8%
While watching TV/movie
While in bed
While on vacation
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
Situations where email has been checked in the past month
q10 -- In the last month, during which situations have you checked your email? (Multi-response)
(D) (E)
63% 75% D
46% 62% D
47% 45%
42% 45%
35% 41%
35% 32%
34% 31%
29% 34%
15% 20% D
17% 14%
15% 14%
6% 7%
10% 7%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
61% 75% A 69%
65% C 76% AC 47%
34% 48% A 47% A
58% C 53% C 39%
50% C 43% 35%
46% C 46% C 28%
29% 43% AC 30%
34% 47% AC 27%
17% 25% C 15%
28% C 23% C 12%
14% 23% AC 12%
11% 8% 5%
0% 2% 12% AB








Checking work email while on vacation
 Additionally, nearly one-quarter of all respondents (and over one-quarter of females) continue to say they never check their
work emails while on vacation.
23%
24%
32%
17%
4%
Never
Rarely
Occasionally
Frequently
Constantly
Frequency of checking work emails on vacation
q26 -- While on vacation, how often do you check your work email?
(D) (E)
17% 28% D
24% 25%
34% 29%
20% E 14%
5% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
20% 20% 24%
23% 26% 24%
39% B 27% 32%
12% 19% 17%
6% 8% C 3%


Devices for checking emails
 Smartphones continue to be the most commonly used device for checking emails, especially for younger individuals (less than
35 years old) and females.
 Compared to last year, fewer respondents are checking emails on tablets.
81%
74%
21%
2%
0%
Smartphone
Desktop/Laptop
Tablet
Smartwatch
Other (e.g., car display)
Devices used to regularly check email
q7 -- On which of the following devices do you regularly check email? (Multi-response)
(D) (E)
78% 84% D
77% E 71%
20% 23%
3% 2%
0% 0%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
86% C 92% C 77%
67% 67% 77% AB
14% 20% 23% A
3% 4% 2%
1% 0% 0%



62%
35%
4%
0%
0%
Primary device for checking emails
q7a -- What is your primary device type for checking work email?
q7b -- What is your primary device type for checking personal email?
(D) (E)
63% 60%
33% 35%
3% 4%
0% 0%
0% 0%
40% E 30%
55% 62% D
5% 8%
0% 0%
0% 0%
35%
59%
6%
0%
0%
Desktop/
Laptop
Smartphone
Tablet
Smartwatch
Other
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
Desktop/
Laptop
50% 51% 66% AB
Smartphone 48% C 47% C 29%
Tablet 2% 2% 5% B
Smartwatch 0% 0% 0%
Other 0% 0% 0%
Personal
Email
Desktop/
Laptop
27% 23% 40% AB
Smartphone 71% C 75% C 53%
Tablet 3% 2% 8% AB
Smartwatch 0% 0% 0%
Other 0% 0% 0%
 More respondents checked their emails on computers in 2017, with older (35 years old or
older) being most likely to check on a computer.
 Fewer respondents than in 2016 reported preferring to use a smartphone to check work
emails.
 
Primary device type for checking…


Personal emailWork email

Opening emails
6%
3%
11%
13%
21%
46%
(D) (E)
8% 5%
4% 2%
14% E 8%
16% E 9%
19% 23%
39% 53% D
13% 14%
15% 12%
26% 24%
22% 21%
12% 13%
13% 15%
14%
14%
25%
21%
12%
14%
0-20%
21-40%
41-60%
61-80%
81-99%
100%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
0-20% 8% 7% 6%
21-40% 4% 4% 3%
41-60% 22% C 16% C 8%
61-80% 8% 14% 13%
81-99% 17% 17% 23%
100% 40% 43% 48%
Personal
Email
0-20% 17% 17% 12%
21-40% 15% 18% 12%
41-60% 33% C 30% 23%
61-80% 21% 17% 23% B
81-99% 7% 7% 14% AB
100% 7% 11% 16% A
 Work emails are more likely than personal emails to be opened, with nearly half of
respondents (and over half of females) saying they open 100% of their work emails.
Mean %
of emails opened:
82%
Mean %
of emails
opened:
60%
Total number of received emails opened
Base: All respondents (1,007)
q39a -- What percentage of emails received do you open?

Reading emails
5%
3%
10%
15%
18%
49%
(D) (E)
7% E 4%
5% E 1%
12% 8%
15% 14%
16% 20%
46% 53% D
12% 13%
11% 10%
22% 24%
23% 18%
11% 12%
21% 22%
13%
11%
23%
20%
12%
22%
0-20%
21-40%
41-60%
61-80%
81-99%
100%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
0-20% 8% 5% 5%
21-40% 7% 5% 2%
41-60% 20% C 13% 8%
61-80% 13% 18% 14%
81-99% 10% 16% 20% A
100% 42% 44% 52% B
Personal
Email
0-20% 16% 17% C 11%
21-40% 14% 13% 10%
41-60% 36% C 28% C 20%
61-80% 14% 17% 22% A
81-99% 8% 10% 13%
100% 12% 16% 24% AB
Mean %
of emails read:
83%
Mean %
of emails
read:
64%

Total number of received opened emails read
Base: All respondents (1,007)
q39b -- Of those emails you open, what percentage do you actually read?
 Opened work emails are also more likely than opened personal emails to be read.
 Nearly half of respondents (and over half of females and those 35 years old or older) read
100% of the work emails that they open.

Emotion when checking email
45%
21%
14%
13%
7%
(D) (E)
44% 46%
19% 23%
14% 13%
15% 11%
8% 7%
46% 50%
15% 11%
5% 3%
31% 33%
3% 3%
48%
13%
4%
32%
3%
Indifference
Accomplished
Anxiety
Excitement
Dread or guilt
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work email
Indifference 36% 39% 48% AB
Accomplished 12% 17% 23% A
Anxiety 15% 18% C 12%
Excitement 29% BC 16% 10%
Dread or guilt 8% 10% 7%
Personal
email
Indifference 37% 41% 52% AB
Accomplished 9% 8% 15% AB
Anxiety 16% BC 5% 2%
Excitement 33% 43% C 29%
Dread or guilt 4% 3% 2%
 Nearly half of respondents (particularly those 35 years old or older) feel indifference when
checking either work or personal email.
 Excitement to check work email is highest among those 18 to 24 years old.
Emotion when checking…
q38 -- Which emotion do you most often feel when you check your?

NET Increasing
28%
23%
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)
16% 14%
57% 58%
27% 29%
13% 12%
62% 68% D
25% E 20%
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Work
Email
NET Decreasing 19% 18% 13%
Staying the
same
40% 47% 63% AB
NET Increasing 41% C 36% C 24%
Personal
Email
NET Decreasing 23% BC 12% 11%
Staying the
same
47% 60% A 69% AB
NET Increasing 30% C 28% C 20%
 Most respondents expect their work and personal email use to remain the same over the next two years, especially among
older respondents (35 years old or older). The proportion of respondents who say their personal email use is increasing has
dropped since 2016.
7%
3%
8%
10%
57%
65%
20%
18%
8%
5%
Work email
Personal email
Decreasing substantially Decreasing a little
Staying the same Increasing a little
Increasing substantially



  


41%
27%
26%
26%
Relieving
Amazing
Impossible
It's borderline OCD
Reactions to the idea of “inbox-zero”
18 to
24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Getting to ‘index-zero’: 66% C 56% C 46%
Reactions to
the idea of
‘index-zero’
Relieving 48% 42% 39%
Amazing 36% C 36% C 23%
Impossible 16% 24% 29% A
It's borderline
OCD
19% 26% 27%
No, 50%
Yes,
50%
Getting to “inbox-zero”
Reaction to “inbox-zero”
 Half of respondents (primarily those 18 to 34 years old) get to “inbox-zero”.
 Two-fifths feel that reaching “inbox-zero” is relieving. The next most common emotion among those 18 to 34 is amazement,
while the next most common emotion among those 35+ is that it’s impossible.
(D) (E)
52% 49%
40% 42%
25% 29%
25% 28%
27% 25%
q48 -- 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?
q49 -- What is your reaction to the idea of “inbox zero”'

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.
80%
69%
68%
37%
18%
17%
6%
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
q40 -- Today, which of the following communication methods do you use regularly to interact with colleagues at work? (multi)
(D) (E)
80% 79%
68% 70%
72% E 65%
35% 40%
20% 16%
16% 17%
6% 6%
1% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
64% 76% A 83% AB
62% 65% 71%
58% 66% 70% A
38% 44% C 36%
18% 25% C 16%
21% 18% 16%
13% C 9% C 4%
2% 0% 2% B

Current communication preference
 Although still second to email, preference for face-to-face conversations with colleagues has increased over the past year as
the preferred communication method with a colleague.
36%
34%
14%
10%
3%
1%
1%
1%
Email
Phone
Instant messaging
Other
Preferred method of communication with work colleagues
q17 -- Today, how do you prefer to communicate with your work colleagues?
(D) (E)
34% 38%
34% 34%
17% E 12%
7% 12% D
4% 2%
2% 1%
1% 1%
1% 1%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
24% 32% 39% A
30% 29% 36%
21% C 17% 12%
13% 15% C 8%
2% 3% 3%
6% C 2% 0%
3% 1% 1%
1% 0% 1% B




Company’s primary communication tools
 Over half of respondents mentioned that email is their company’s primary communication tool. This was most common
among those aged 25 or older.
52%
20%
13%
9%
4%
2%
0%
Email
Phone
Instant messaging
Other
Your company’s primary communication tool
q41 -- What is your company's primary communication tool?
(D) (E)
50% 54%
19% 21%
16% E 10%
8% 10%
4% 3%
2% 2%
0% 0%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
38% 53% A 54% A
23% B 13% 22% B
14% 14% 12%
14% C 12% 7%
8% C 5% 2%
2% 3% 2%
0% 0% 0%

Communication tool for a quick question
 For quick questions for a colleague, respondents are quite split on which communication method they would use: nearly equal
mounts would use email, phone, or a face-to-face conversation.
 However, email is the most preferred among those 25 or older.
29%
25%
25%
16%
3%
2%
1%
Email
Phone
Instant messaging
Other
Communication method likely to use
q42 -- Which of the following communication methods are you most likely to use to communicate with a work colleague about a quick question?
(D) (E)
29% 28%
28% 22%
24% 25%
15% 18%
2% 2%
1% 3%
1% 1%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
19% 31% A 29% A
25% 17% 27% B
27% 26% 24%
15% 19% 16%
7% C 6% C 1%
4% 1% 2%
2% 0% 1% B

Most appropriate communication method for different interactions
 For nearly all discussions shown below, email and face-to-face conversations are considered the most appropriate
communication methods.
 In general, face-to-face communication becomes more appropriate as the nature of the topic becomes more serious.
q45 -- Which of the following would you consider the most appropriate communication method for:
60%
52%
39%
35%
32%
25%
11%
16%
30%
42%
15%
40%
44%
76%
9%
8%
8%
25%
18%
21%
7%
8%
5%
4%
19%
5%
6%
3%
4%
A status update on a project
Delivering feedback
Suggesting a new approach or
idea
A brief question
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

Email Innovation and Marketing

Email improvements
 Those 35 or older feel that stronger spam filters has improved their email experience the most.
 Those 18 to 34 feel that improved mobile viewing has improved their email experience the most.
23%
20%
13%
12%
6%
4%
22%
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?
q43 -- Which of the following has most improved your email experience in the last few years?
(D) (E)
23% 24%
20% 21%
13% 13%
13% 11%
6% 5%
5% 3%
22% 23%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
16% 19% 25% AB
39% BC 24% C 17%
18% 17% 11%
14% 12% 11%
5% 10% C 5%
5% 7% 3%
3% 12% A 28% AB

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+.
28%
21%
21%
15%
11%
4%
Instant messaging
Email
Phone
Communication method has innovated the most
over the last five years
q46 -- Which of the following communications methods has innovated the most over the last five years?
(D) (E)
28% 27%
21% 21%
20% 22%
14% 17%
13% E 8%
3% 4%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
35% B 20% 29% B
18% 26% 21%
13% 23% A 22% A
14% 12% 17%
20% C 12% 9%
1% 7% AC 3% A

Brand contact
 Up from last year, just over three-fifths of respondents (those 25 or older in particular) would prefer to be contacted by brands
via email.
 Fewer would prefer to be contacted by brands all other contact methods, with chatbots being the least preferred.
61%
18%
6%
5%
5%
4%
1%
Email
Direct mail
The brand's mobile app
Social media channels
Text message/SMS
Phone call
Chatbots*
Preferred method of contact by brands
* Chatbots was a new level in 2017.
q37 -- When it comes to receiving offers from marketers, how do you prefer to be contacted by brands?
(D) (E)
60% 62%
18% 18%
7% 6%
4% 5%
4% 5%
5% 3%
2% 1%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
44% 61% A 63% A
15% 11% 20% B
9% 6% 6%
14% BC 2% 4%
4% 9% AC 4%
10% C 8% C 2%
4% 2% 1%








Changing marketing emails
 Respondents would prefer that marketing emails were less about promotions and provided more information. This is
especially true for those 35 years old or older.
40%
27%
12%
9%
8%
4%
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?
q44 -- If you could change one thing about the emails you get from brands what would it be?
(D) (E)
39% 42%
26% 28%
12% 12%
11% E 7%
9% 7%
3% 5%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
36% 32% 43% B
27% 32% 26%
12% 14% 12%
12% 14% C 7%
12% 6% 7%
1% 2% 5% AB

Marketing emails and the purchase process
 That said, when it comes to the purchase process, marketing emails from brands provide two-fifths of respondents (females in
particular) with an added incentive to purchase.
42%
26%
17%
15%
Giving me additional incentives to purchase
Making me aware of a brand I wasn't familiar with
Helping me select between products I'm
considering
Reminding me of a purchase I need to make
When it comes to the marketing emails you receive from brands, what
role does email typically play in your purchase process? (D) (E)
35% 49% D
31% E 21%
17% 17%
17% E 12%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
32% 42% 44% A
35% B 22% 26%
17% 15% 18%
16% 21% C 13%
q47 -- When it comes to the marketing emails you receive from brands, what role does email typically play in your purchase process?

26%
31%
Work (Mean)
Personal (Mean)
% of email offers interested in enough to open
Interest in opening email offers
 Over the past year, more email offers to both work and personal email accounts were interesting enough to open.
q32_a – Work emails: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open?
q32_b – Personal emails: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open?
(D) (E)
25% 26%
28% 33% D
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
32% C 28% 24%
38% C 35% C 28%



Annoying things when reading email from a brand on a smartphone
 Respondents are split when asked what the most annoying aspect of reading emails is on smartphones: roughly a fifth
mentioning one of not being optimized for mobile, having to wait for images to load, having to scroll to much, or the font being
too small as the most annoying.
21%
20%
19%
17%
14%
4%
2%
4%
Not optimized for mobile
Have to wait for images to load
Have to scroll too much
Font size is too small
Too much text
Unattractive design*
Lack of video
Other
Most annoying thing when reading email from a brand on a smartphone
* Unattractive design was a new level in 2017.
q33 -- What's the most annoying thing when reading email from a brand on your smartphone?
(D) (E)
19% 23%
15% 25% D
19% 19%
19% 16%
16% E 11%
5% E 2%
2% 1%
5% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
22% 26% 20%
24% 22% 19%
19% 12% 20% B
13% 11% 20% B
14% 15% 13%
5% 7% C 3%
3% 5% C 1%
0% 2% A 5% AB



Most annoying thing when receiving an email offer from a marketer
 As in 2016, one half of respondents (and more than half of females) find being emailed too often by a marketer as the most
annoying when receiving email offers.
50%
27%
24%
20%
14%
13%
10%
6%
5%
1%
3%
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
Poor design
Too much personalization, where it is creepy
Too little or no personalization
Emails without video or images
Emails that don't include a buy button to facilitate purchase
Other
None of the above make email annoying/intrusive
Most annoying thing when receiving an email offer from a marketer
q34 -- When you receive an email offer from a marketer, which of the following is most annoying? (Multi-response: select up to 3)
(D) (E)
46% 53% D
26% 27%
24% 24%
21% 20%
17% E 11%
12% 15%
12% 8%
7% 5%
5% 4%
1% 1%
4% 3%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
44% 53% 50%
22% 21% 29% B
32% B 20% 24%
26% 20% 20%
15% 18% 13%
17% 13% 13%
10% 13% 9%
12% C 9% C 4%
7% 8% C 3%
0% 1% 1% A
1% 2% 4% A




Frequency of brand emails
 Few respondents mentioned that they would like to receive daily emails from their bank, favorite retail brand, restaurant, or
telecom provider.
 Those who do prefer daily emails are more likely to be younger (18 to 34 years old), while those who prefer monthly emails are
more likely to be 35 years old or older.
q50 -- What is your desired email frequency for brands you care about?
17%
11%
10%
8%
38%
49%
46%
19%
45%
40%
44%
73%
Your bank
Favorite retail
brand
Your favorite
restaurant
Your telecom
provider
Daily Weekly Monthly
(D) (E)
18% 17%
35% 41% D
48% 42%
13% 10%
43% 54% D
44% E 36%
12% E 8%
42% 49% D
46% 43%
11% E 5%
20% 18%
69% 77% D
18 to 24
25 to
34
35+
(A) (B) (C)
Your bank
Daily 38% BC 22% C 13%
Weekly 38% 43% 37%
Monthly 25% 35% 51% AB
Favorite retail
brand
Daily 28% BC 18% C 7%
Weekly 43% 52% 49%
Your favorite
restaurant
Daily 24% C 19% C 5%
Weekly 40% 44% 47%
Your telecom
provider
Daily 24% BC 14% C 4%
Weekly 29% C 21% 16%
Monthly 46% 65% A 79% AB

Interest in brand communication
 Over three-fifths of respondents are most interested in receiving special offers and promotions, from brands that they are
interested in. This is especially true for those 35 years old or older.
62%
22%
11%
5%
Special offers and promotions
Account alerts
Tips and tricks to use /get the most out of the
products/services
How actual users are using the products/services
Most interested in receiving from brand
q51 -- For the brands you care about, which of following are you most interested in getting from them?
(D) (E)
59% 65%
21% 23%
14% E 9%
6% 4%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
49% 54% 66% AB
28% 23% 21%
14% 12% 10%
9% C 11% C 3%

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% 11% 37% 26% 16%
How important is it that brands customize their communication with
you as an individual?
Low importance 2 3 4 High importance
q52 -- On the following scale, how important is it that brands customize their communication with you as an individual?
(D) (E)
12% 10%
11% 10%
37% 37%
25% 27%
15% 16%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
Low importance 10% 9% 11%
2 12% 10% 10%
3 38% 32% 38%
4 26% 30% 25%
High Importance 13% 19% 15%

Frustrating lack of personalization in emails
 Over one-third of respondents say receiving recommendations that don’t match their interest is the most frustrating way
emails lack personalization.
 Almost a quarter (and more than a quarter of females) feel that including expired offers is the most frustrating lack of
personalization in brand emails.
34%
24%
15%
14%
13%
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
Sending you promotions for things you've already
purchased
The most frustrating way brands lack
personalization in your emails (D) (E)
34% 33%
21% 27% D
16% 15%
15% 13%
14% 11%
18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C)
24% 34% 35% A
25% 21% 25%
21% 14% 15%
18% 17% 13%
12% 15% 12%
q53 -- 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 41% 55% A 64% AB 59% 60%
Face-to-face conversations/in-person
meetings
15% 12% 18% 17% 16%
Phone 17% C 9% 8% 10% 8%
Instant messaging 13% C 9% 6% 6% 9%
Video conferencing or video chat 5% 5% 2% 4% E 2%
Enterprise social network 5% 7% C 1% 3% 3%
File sharing service 2% 3% 1% 2% 2%
Delivering feedback?
Email 39% 51% A 54% A 48% 56% D
meetings
27% 27% 32% 31% 30%
Phone 14% C 9% 6% 10% E 5%
Instant messaging 9% 4% 4% 5% 4%
Video conferencing or video chat 2% 2% 2% 2% 1%
Enterprise social network 5% C 4% C 1% 2% 2%
Appropriateness of emojis (continued)

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Suggesting a new
approach or idea?
Email 28% 37% 41% A 37% 41%
meetings
40% 38% 43% 39% 45%
Phone 10% 9% 7% 10% E 5%
Enterprise social network 2% 3% 1% 2% E 1%
A brief question?
Email 26% 33% 37% A 35% 35%
meetings
16% 16% 15% 13% 18% D
Phone 24% 24% 26% 28% E 23%
Enterprise social network 4% 3% 1% 3% 1%

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Asking for help on a
big project?
Email 21% 32% A 33% A 32% 31%
meetings
39% 35% 42% 38% 42%
Phone 15% 18% 18% 18% 17%
Instant messaging 12% C 7% 4% 6% 5%
Video conferencing or video chat 4% 3% 2% 3% E 1%
Enterprise social network 6% C 3% 1% 1% 2%
Alerting your boss of
an important issue?
Email 21% 30% 24% 27% 23%
meetings
39% 38% 46% B 40% 48% D
Phone 18% 19% 23% 22% 21%
Video conferencing or video chat 4% 3% C 0% 2% 1%
Enterprise social network 6% C 4% C 1% 3% 1%

18 to 24 25 to 34 35+
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Quitting your job?
Email 17% 11% 10% 13% E 9%
meetings
55% 69% A 81% AB 72% 80% D
Phone 9% 10% 6% 8% 6%
Instant messaging 5% 5% C 1% 3% 2%
Enterprise social network 5% C 1% 0% 1% 0%

Adobe Consumer Email Survey Report 2017

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Adobe Consumer Email Survey Report 2017