Consumers today engage with brands through a wider range of mediums than ever previously available. As channels diversify, consumers set new expectations for how brands should be communicating with them.
The challenge for marketers today? Transforming fragmented, often outdated, campaign content into deeply personalized experiences that will capture attention, yield tangible results, and develop loyalty.
A new study from Adobe for Business, which surveyed over 1,000 American consumers, has revealed what consumer expectations look like for content personalization today, providing key insights for performance marketers to enhance campaign optimization.
Understanding consumer content preferences - format and frequency
Knowing how and when to engage with your consumer audience with brand content is the key to resonating, and the survey confirmed that consumers have clear preferences regarding format and frequency.
All in all, consumers surveyed noted that their ideal preference for the frequency of brand touchpoints is twice a week; however, this varies by channel. If you’re planning new campaign content activations via social media or SMS, consumers are looking for new content three times a week. Consumer preferences differ for email, where consumers surveyed want to see new content twice a week. To avoid content fatigue within your target audience, it’s crucial to have clarity on consumer preferences and channel-specific frequency of content to maintain consistent engagement.
Consumers also want brands to deliver engaging visual content, according to the study. Short-form videos were the top format preference amongst 42% of surveyed consumers. This is followed by long-form videos (40%) and interactive content (37%) suggesting that a balanced approach to video content is often beneficial. Catering to both quick consumption and deeper engagement.
Content and platform preferences vary by demographic, with each generation favoring different content types. While older demographics surveyed, such as Baby Boomers (50%) and Gen X (54%), primarily interact with brands on Facebook, younger Americans, categorized as Millennials (63%) and Gen Z (66%), gravitate toward YouTube.
The differences don’t end there. Gen Z exhibits strong social media engagement on Instagram (65%) and TikTok (57%), with Millennials also showing a preference for Instagram (59%). Despite their preference for brand content interactions via Facebook, older-generation respondents are craving long-form video content. All other generations prefer to opt for short-form video; Gen Z respondents show a 174% greater appetite for short-form content compared to Baby Boomers.
These insights remind marketers to consider not only content format and frequency preferences but also the interactivity preferences of their target audience, specifically within generation segments. Understanding these distinct generational preferences highlights the need for varied content output and delivery strategies.
How to capture attention with personalization consumers want
In combination with insights into which channels and how often consumers want to be engaged, it’s essential to understand personalization method preferences within campaign content to not only foster brand resonance but also ensure brand compliance and support in driving conversions.
The study provides actionable insights for performance marketers into the campaign copy, visual elements, language use, and emojis that are gaining attention and driving action.
Consumers respond to branded content that uses value- and benefits-focused language such as “free shipping” and “save big” which drive them to visit a brand's website the most (74%). Demonstrating scarcity and urgency also elevates the likelihood of site visits with language such as “limited-time offer” or “exclusive deal”, influencing 45% of surveyed respondents.
Marketers should continue to use social proof, as it's a powerful motivator in capturing attention. Phrases such as "bestseller" and "#1 rated" attract 40% of the consumers surveyed. Gen Z respondents surveyed are most effectively impacted by social proof, according to the study (47%).
It’s not just buzzword use that catches consumer attention. The study also found that color plays a crucial role in campaign content, with 54% of consumers choosing blue as their top preference. The top color choice is blue, followed by red (44%) and gold (37%).
Don’t downplay the strategic use of emojis either, as 62% of consumers surveyed agreed that emoji usage would encourage them to visit a brand’s site. The top emojis that draw consumers to your brand's site are 🎁 (29%), 🔥 (25%), and 💰 (20%). Gen Z respondents, in particular, are the most engaged with emoji usage compared to all other generations, with 🔥 (28%), ✨ (27%), and ❤️ (26%) being their top choices. These findings highlight the true function of emojis as a distinct language for the younger digitally native generation.
There continues to be considerable promise in using contemporary slang in campaign copy as well. The study revealed that 43% of all consumers and 55% of Gen Z respondents surveyed report that it could drive them to convert. Overall, respondents identified the top three slang phrases to include as “Vibe” (33%), “Legit” (29%), and “IYKYK” (25%).
Gen Z respondents slightly differ, reporting that “It’s giving…” was found to be the most effective slang term for targeting them (31%). Over one in five Gen Z respondents stated that the use of “slay” will pique their interest and boost conversions. The varying personalization preferences uncovered in the study confirm the importance of campaign strategies that are flexible and allow for dynamic content variation.
The key to building consumer trust and pitfalls to avoid
Even well-personalized campaigns can result in a loss of consumer trust if consumers feel like they’re not being listened to in the content of the campaigns.
The Adobe for Business research revealed the trust signals that consumers most highly value, leading them toward a favorable purchase decision. Consumers identified customer reviews and testimonials as the top trust signal, confirming the benefits of leveraging user-generated content. Easy returns policies, visible security badges, and clear contact information followed this top trust signal.
While social proof, such as the number of followers a brand has ranked lower overall, it still boosts brand trust for purchase decisions among Gen Z and Millennial respondents, 10% more than it does for older generations. On the other hand, older generation consumers surveyed noted that their brand trust could be gained by ensuring contact information is readily available, 16% more so than among younger Gen Z and Millennial respondents.
While we know the tactics that encourage brand trust that lead to purchase decisions, what signals deter consumers? The most significant purchase barrier, according to the study, is the presence of misleading claims and aggressive sales tactics, both of which are cited by 71% of respondents. The top two reasons for avoiding brand purchases were followed by hard-to-find information on the brand website (63%), poor website design and user experience (62%), and a lack of transparency (61%).
This is strong confirmation for marketers that it’s crucial to avoid these brand purchase barriers that can not only severely erode trust but also negatively impact campaign performance across channels. Achieving content variation at scale is essential for engaging with the audience authentically and building brand touchpoints that resonate.
The key to meeting the demands of modern consumers today is delivering high-quality, personalized content that creates relevant, engaging experiences. To enable and empower marketing teams to reach these consumer goals, workflows need to be assessed and optimized, allowing for strategic automation to be deployed and supporting resources at their fingertips.
Refreshing workflows not only clears the path for more deeply personalized customer experiences but also enhances brand loyalty while freeing up time within creative teams for them to focus on the work that will create the most impact.
To deliver exceptional content, teams must assess and optimize their workflows to be able to craft personalized, relevant, and engaging experiences at scale that modern consumers expect. Workflow optimization empowers teams with the right resources, and by strategically implementing automation, brands can effectively meet the evolving expectations of their customers.
This approach frees up time within creative teams for them to be truly creative while enhancing brand loyalty by clearing the path for more deeply personalized customer experiences. The path forward involves reimagining marketing strategies to build stronger brand loyalty and deliver unparalleled customer experiences.
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