In study published recently, Twilio is interested in use of messaging channels between a user and a brand, across the world. The survey shows that the French are among the last to prefer SMS to e-mail, especially in relations with brands.
SMS remains the preferred messaging channel of the French
This study of 5,000 people in France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States shows that the French are a little against the grain. Indeed, France is the only country in which the use of SMS dominates that of e-mail, with 21% of users saying they prefer this channel, compared to 20% for e-mail. The study shows that it is the oldest generations who prefer this channel of communication. If we compare with Germany, only 14% of respondents say they prefer SMS.
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The French nevertheless declare that they have a “high standard” for SMS. As this channel is very intrusive, respondents say they want the promotional message to be “perfectly personalized, according to their interests”. As detailed in the report, the younger the consumer, the more engagement with SMS declines. Among baby boomers, 26% prefer it. On the other hand, among consumers of generation X, they are only 21% then even less among millennials (19%) and even a little less for generation Z (17%).
Email dominates globally
The e-mail follows the SMS in France. Respondents say they like it “when it is simple, concise and easy to understand”. 56% of French people say that the object can make all the difference. It can influence their decision to open an email or not. This is why so many brands are doubling their inventiveness in their objects. This is a key point to maximize your open rate. According to Twilio, “French recipients want subject lines to give an idea of what’s in the body of the email, so they can figure out if it’s worth their time and interest (or not)”.
The French nevertheless say they are annoyed by the volume of messages (21%), and believe that it is too difficult to unsubscribe (17%). On a global level, it must be recognized that the preferred messaging channel for consumers is e-mail. 18% of respondents worldwide believe that this channel is the least intrusive and the most suitable for receiving information from a brand. 77% of respondents say they check their mailbox at least once a day and 31% even claim to consult it between 3 and 5 times a day, whether for personal, professional or commercial needs.