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More than 88% of the 8,000 consumers surveyed from the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia prefer to engage in a two-way conversation with a brand about a product, according to a study by Attentive, a text messaging marketing platform.
The study, titled the State of Conversational Commerce Report from Attentive finds that 91% of consumers have already opted into at least one brand’s SMS program or are interested in doing so. Consumers are also willing to share personal information in exchange for free shipping, complimentary gifts, or personalised recommendations.
Attentive calls this phenomenon Conversational Commerce, which they define as the interactive, people-driven experiences that support the entire customer buying experience. These conversations work towards a point of conversion or commerce—from awareness, all the way through post-purchase.
“Conversational commerce radically changes how consumers shop in their day-to-day, and SMS marketing is at the heart of this shift,” said Sara Varni, CMO at Attentive.
“Brands are recreating the in-store experience online, which enables consumers to take an active role in starting a conversation. These two-way conversations naturally lend themselves to invaluable zero-party data collection that amplifies marketers’ efforts.”
The study also revealed that 87% of consumers would reach out to resolve checkout issues, showing that conversational commerce has seen wide adoption in the shopping journey and presents an opportunity for brands to engage with customers to close a revenue gap through personalized, immediate attention.
The desire to converse with brands shows that consumers are willing to share more than basic contact information, as the majority of US shoppers would share their name, email, and gender to get personalized recommendations.
Notably, this aligns with the data marketers are most interested in-–location and product preferences. When brands collect personal information throughout the customer journey, they’re collecting the building blocks of zero-party data that enable them to deliver more tailored experiences and incentives.
Other Findings
The study also noted some changes in this year’s report that contrasted with last year’s edition. For example, consumer priorities have changed.
Unlike last year when convenience reigned supreme, this year, discounts are the biggest lever brands must influence consumers to spend more than they planned.
The study also found that despite being dialed into value, consumers are willing to spend significant amounts of money on items personally marketed to them via SMS. In the US, over 61% have spent between $50 and $500 on an item marketed to them via text, presenting an opportunity for high-end brands to meet their customers on the channels they prefer.
