Aimia : Consumers Swipe Left as Brands Overwhelm with Marketing Messages

'Deletist' consumers use ad blockers and other means to cut off brands who bombard them with communications on their mobiles

London, 25 August 2016: Two in five consumers now feel 'overwhelmed' by the volume of communications they receive from brands, according to new research from Aimia, the data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company. They are responding by cutting off brands completely, through blocking numbers, deleting apps and using ad blocker technology.

Against a backdrop of brands spending over £3.4 billion on mobile marketing in the UK last year, with expectations that this will rise to nearly £9 billion by 2020*, Aimia's latest Deletist Consumer research shows people feel bombarded on their mobile phones by growing volumes** of text messages and excessive notifications from apps. Year-on-year figures show the problem is worsening:

• Nearly half (48%) of people say they receive too many SMS messages from brands, up from 39% in 2015.
• Over four in ten (44%) feel brands send too many push notifications through apps, up from less than a third (30%) of people last year.
• Half of the population (50%) say the volume of messages they receive on social media newsfeeds has risen, with the same number (51%) feeling they receive too many messages on their social media newsfeeds.
• The majority of messages received are not applicable to individuals' needs and interests, with just 17% describing the communications they receive as very relevant***. Deletist Consumers, digitally literate individuals who adopt strategies to limit their exposure to unwanted communications, are responding by disconnecting completely with brands which send high volumes of irrelevant messages:
• Three in five (63%) Brits have blocked numbers and over half use ad blocker technology (52%);
• 51% have deleted apps because of push notifications and three-fifths (59%) have closed accounts and subscriptions;
• 56% have unfollowed brands on social media and 47% have changed preferences to minimise brand communications.

Jan-Pieter Lips, President of International Coalitions at Aimia, said:'The rise of mobile is a gift for marketers. Never before has there been such a direct way to communicate with customers and it's a channel which will continue to grow. However, if used incorrectly, brands will damage customer relationships rather than strengthen them. In a world where customer data is essential, brands that push customers away through irrelevant marketing messages will be at a significant disadvantage to their competitors over the long term'.

The data shows some improvement regarding email communications, with a decline in the amount of people who feel they receive an excessive amount of marketing emails, from 75% in 2015 to 61% today. However, the figure remains high.

The research points to a missed opportunity for brands, as consumers are willing to engage if communications are relevant. Nearly half (47%) have shared personal information so companies can send them relevant offers and discounts.

Lips continues,'Customers aren't averse to receiving communications from brands - quite the opposite. They understand that sharing their personal details can benefit them, by receiving offers that save time and money. At present, only 5% of consumers think they receive a better service from sharing their data, so there is work to be done. It is important brands use customer data to inform marketing activity, working to personalise and tailor messages to customer preferences.

Media Contacts

Pippa Murphy
Headland
+44 (0)207 367 5214aimia@headlandconsultancy.com

Hannah Davis
Headland
+44 (0)20 3805 4856aimia@headlandconsultancy.com

Notes to editors:

Deletist Consumer Research carried out among 2,005 people, May 2016 by Intelligent Research

2014 (November) research carried among 2,078 people in UK by Intelligent Research.

*Research by eMarketer, March 2016 (http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Driving-UK-Ad-Spend-Growth/1013685)

**41% perceive the volume of SMS messages received to have increased in the past year.

***'Very relevant' refers to respondents who answered 9-10 when asked on a scale of 1-10 how relevant the marketing communications received were to their interests and needs across a range of different sectors.

About Aimia

Aimia Inc. (TSX:AIM) is a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company. We provide our clients with the customer insights they need to make smarter business decisions and build relevant, rewarding and long-term one-to-one relationships, evolving the value exchange to the mutual benefit of both our clients and consumers.

With about 3,200 employees across 17 countries, Aimia partners with groups of companies (coalitions) and individual companies to help generate, collect and analyze customer data and build actionable insights.

We do this through our own coalition loyalty programs such as Aeroplan in Canada, Nectar in the U.K. and Air Miles Middle East, and through provision of loyalty strategy, program development, implementation and management services underpinned by leading products and technology platforms such as the Aimia Loyalty Platform and Smart Button, and through our analytics and insights business, including Intelligent Shopper Solutions. In other markets, we own stakes in loyalty programs, such as Club Premier in Mexico and Think Big, a partnership with Air Asia and Tune Group. Our clients are diverse, and we have industry-leading expertise in the fast-moving consumer goods, retail, financial services, and travel and airline industries globally to deliver against their unique needs.

For a full list of our partnerships and investments, and more information about Aimia, visit www.aimia.com.