[January 16, 2013]

New Research Finds Consumers Want Marketers to Invest More in Email, Facebook, Web

Consumers want marketers to invest more in email, Facebook (News - Alert) and the Web, according to a new study by global interactive provider ExactTarget (NYSE:ET).

Featured in ExactTarget's Marketers from Mars study released today, the study found 33 percent of consumers want marketers to invest more in email, 24 percent want marketers to invest in the brand's website and 22 percent of consumers want marketers to invest in creating a better Facebook experience.

"Consumers are moving from single channel interactions into multi-channel relationships," said Jeff Rohrs, ExactTarget's vice president of marketing. "Our Marketers from Mars research provides exclusive insight into consumer expectations, offering marketers exclusive new insight on how to avoid the pitfalls of personal biases or becoming a 'focus group of one' when creating marketing strategy."

Key findings of the research include:

• Email
  • 45 percent of marketers prefer to interact with brands on email compared to 36 percent of consumers with a smartphone, and 49 percent of consumers who do not own a smartphone
  • 93 percent of marketers and 49 percent of consumers have made a purchase as a direct result of an email marketing message
  • 93 percent of consumers subscribe to at least one brand'semail, remaining consistent compared to 2010

• Facebook
  • 21 percent of marketers prefer to interact with brands on Facebook compared to 31 percent of consumers with a smartphone and 26 percent of consumers who do not own a smartphone, making it the second most common place both marketers and consumers look to connect with brands online
  • 58 percent of consumers have "Liked" a brand on Facebook, a 20 percent increase since 2010
  • 41 percent of marketers report they have made a purchase as the result of a message they saw on Facebook, compared to 21 percent of consumers

• Twitter (News - Alert)
  • Among those actively using Twitter, 58 percent of marketers and 46 percent of consumers follow brands to receive advanced notice about new products
  • 61 percent of marketers Follow at least one brand on Twitter
  • 12 percent of consumers Follow a brand on Twitter, a 7 percent increase since 2010

The launch of ExactTarget's Marketers from Mars follows the release of a new commissioned study conducted by Forrester (News - Alert) Consulting on behalf of ExactTarget that found 35 percent of marketers ranked managing marketing campaigns across multiple marketing point solutions as one of their greatest challenges - despite 78 percent who said they believe cross-channel marketing is important or very important to their business. To download a complimentary copy of the research, visit www.exacttarget.com/CrossChannelStudy.

About ExactTarget

ExactTarget is a leading global provider of cross-channel interactive marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media, Web and marketing automation. ExactTarget's suite of integrated applications enable marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven digital marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with offices in North America, Europe, South America and Australia, ExactTarget trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "ET." For more information, visit www.ExactTarget.com.

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