More than six out of 10 US high school and college students surveyed “never” or “hardly ever” read marketing e-mails, according to an October 2008 survey by eROI. The majority of respondents said companies were not effectively speaking to them personally through e-mail.
But e-mailing is hardly dead among students. Although texting was named as the favorite way to communicate by the largest percentage of respondents, e-mail was second, cited by 26% of students.
The report’s authors said, “E-mail plays an important role in college students’ life as a personal communication device, but not as a major marketing channel. Ultimately, marketers need to ensure their products are relevant and take the time to craft e-mails that truly speak to students.”
Two-thirds of students surveyed by eROI said they rarely or never took action after reading marketing e-mails.
An August 2008 study conducted by Harris Interactive for Alloy Media + Marketing confirms that the vast majority of college students still use e-mail. More than eight out of 10 respondents used it every day, unchanged from 2007.
Together, the studies point out that students have no problem with e-mail per se, but have no interest at all in irrelevant marketing messages.
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