There are over 15,000 marketing tools on the market, plus a growing number of AI copilots and agents jockeying for a place in your tech stack. On average, a marketing team will include 12-20 of them in their stack. That’s a lot of logins, dashboards, and data sources that all need to be in sync.

The problem isn’t usually having the wrong tools; it’s the gaps between them. 

When systems don’t share data, marketers miss opportunities they don’t always see. But you don’t need to completely overhaul your stack to improve results. Often, it’s the overlooked connections between the tools you already have that make the biggest difference. In this article, we’re going to look at where these gaps might be in your stack and where integrations could make the biggest difference. 

Goal 1: Driving revenue and sales from marketing

Timely, relevant marketing campaigns can deliver up to 7x ROI, but only when systems share data in real time.

An abandoned browse email needs website behavior to know which pages were viewed. Personalized product recommendations rely on order data. Every campaign becomes more relevant when your marketing platforms understand what drives your customers. 

Check for these commonly missed connections

If driving more revenue is your priority, start by checking these foundations:

• Is your ecommerce platform or CRM connected to your marketing automation platform?
• Are you set up to track website browsing behavior?
• Is full order detail syncing, product, category, and value, not just a purchase flag?
• Do returns and refunds sync with the customer profile?

If those are in place, dig a little deeper. This is often where marketers discover the connections that make campaigns more responsive.

• How often is data being synced: real-time, hourly, or daily?
• Can you trigger a send off a single browse or cart action?
• Can you segment by product-level data, not just total spend or order count?
• Can you attribute revenue back to the specific campaign or send that drove it?

The connections that matter most

To make campaigns respond in the moment customers act, these systems should be sharing data:

• Your CRM or customer database
• Your ecommerce platform, booking system, or wherever transactions happen
• Your marketing automation platform
• Any tool tracking on-site or app behavior

Goal 2: Increasing customer retention and loyalty

On average, 80% of future revenue comes from 20% of your existing customers, so giving them a reason to come back is essential. And with 53% of consumers saying loyalty programs influence which brands they shop with, rewarding customers at the right time matters more than ever.

But when loyalty data sits outside your marketing platform, rewards, reminders, and review requests often run on fixed schedules rather than responding to real customer behavior. 

Check for these commonly missed connections

If customer retention is your goal, look for ways loyalty data isn’t automatically feeding into your marketing.

• Is your loyalty program integrated with your marketing platform, or is the data exported manually?
• Do reviews feed back into customer profiles, or sit in a separate dashboard?
• Can something like a lapsing tier or changing point balance trigger a send on its own?

If the basics are covered, look at how your data is being used.

• Can you segment by loyalty tier alongside behavior, not just points balance?
• Are win-back campaigns based on each customer’s buying habits, or does everyone receive the same 60-day email?
• Can a five-star review trigger a different journey than a two-star review?

The connections that matter most

To create loyalty campaigns that inspire repeat business, these systems should work together: 

• Your loyalty or retention platform
• Your review or ratings platform
• Your CRM or customer database
• Your marketing automation platform

Add-on loyalty tools are a great place to start, but every automated reward, review request, or win-back campaign depends on data moving between systems. Dotdigital Loyalty is built into Dotdigital Marketing, so loyalty data can trigger campaigns as soon as a customer’s points balance, tier, or activity changes, without waiting for another system to sync.

Goal 3: Improving brand awareness

Building brand awareness isn’t about showing up once; it’s about showing up consistently wherever customers discover you.

Customers might click an ad, visit your website, hear about you from an influencer, walk into a store, and finally subscribe to your emails. Every interaction builds on the last, but only if your systems share data. When they don’t, every channel starts from scratch.

Check for these commonly missed connections

These are some of the most overlooked areas when marketers are trying to grow awareness and acquisition.

• Do your retargeting ads use data from your marketing platform, so shoppers see the products they recently viewed?
• Does influencer and referral activity feed back into your marketing platform, so you can automatically reward advocates and measure their impact?
• Does your POS system sync in-store purchases to the same customer profile?
• Do your marketing channels (email, SMS, WhatsApp, and web) share customer data so every interaction feels like one conversation instead of four disconnected ones?

The connections that matter most

To create a joined-up brand experience, these systems should work together:

• Your ad or retargeting platform
• Your influencer or referral platform
• Your POS system, if you sell in person
• Your marketing channels (email, SMS, WhatsApp, and website)

Goal 4: Making use of data and analytics for decision-making

Most teams aren’t short on data; they’re short on a fast way to turn data insights into a decision. Connecting your stack closes that gap. Insights and trends are easier to see, and reporting stops being a task that takes all day.

Check for these commonly missed connections

Start by looking at how data moves through your business today.

• Is data flowing automatically, or is someone manually exporting and uploading?
• If it is syncing, how often, in real time, hourly, or daily? 

Then look for gaps that could be slowing down decision-making.

• Do you use an LLM? Is it connected to your marketing data, or are you exporting reports and uploading them every time you have a question?
• Do you use analytics tools? Do they sync with data from other teams, such as sales or customer service, or only with marketing data?
• When a customer contacts support, does that interaction feed back into the same profile your marketing decisions are based on?

The connections that matter most

To build a complete picture of your customers and your marketing performance, these systems should share data:

• CDP
• Data warehouse
• Marketing automation platform
• CRM
• Analytics tools
• Customer service platform
• Ecommerce store
• Booking system
• Loyalty platform

Getting these sources to talk to each other is what turns nine separate systems into one clear picture. Knowing how customers are responding to your marketing and what’s moving your numbers lets you make faster, data-backed decisions about your next campaign.

Bring it all together

Disconnected stacks rarely cause dramatic marketing fails. Instead, they create hundreds of missed opportunities because campaigns don’t trigger when you need them, and decisions are made on an incomplete picture of your customer. 

But you don’t need to rebuild your entire stack or get your hands on more tools to start seeing better results. Focus on the business goal you’re trying to achieve. Whether that’s growing revenue, improving retention, building awareness, or making faster decisions, look for the missing connections between your tools that might be holding you back. 

Once you’ve fixed the gaps that matter most, your stack starts to grow with your ambitions, not ahead of them.

Our latest product update closes that gap. Bringing you AI agents and a brand new loyalty platform, you can now deliver personalized messages that feel less like marketing and more like a one-to-one relationship with your brand. 

That’s just the beginning of what’s coming. Let’s take a closer look. 

Turn one-time shoppers into loyal customers with Dotdigital Loyalty

Dotdigital Loyalty is your new home for customer loyalty and retention, and it lives right inside the Dotdigital platform. Your loyalty data (points, tier progression) and your marketing data (recent opens, products purchased, marketing preferences) sit side-by-side from day one, so experiences are built on what you know about your customers. 

Customers earn points for the moments that build a relationship, not just the ones that drive a sale: purchases, of course, but also birthdays, anniversaries, reviews, social follows, or SMS sign-ups. You’re celebrating the people who spend the most and the ones who show up for your brand in smaller ways, making every customer feel valued. 

Programs are yours to shape. Build up to four tiers, set your own rewards, and let customers progress through tiers automatically as their points add up. Rewards are flexible and range from fixed discounts to free shipping and free gifts, redeemable at checkout online or in-store through Shopify POS.

Because those rewards are built on real customer data rather than a generic set of rules, they land differently. For your customers, it’s less like a discount and more like something special, just for them.

The email automations you’ll need to get started (like welcome, points updates, redemption pushes, and expiry warnings) are already built and waiting for you, so your time goes into the program itself, not the mechanics behind it.

If you’re just getting started with loyalty and retention, we’ve pulled together a blog series to walk you through building a program that fits your brand:

• Is a loyalty program right for you?
• Customer loyalty stats you need to know
• How to build a loyalty program that works
• How to launch a loyalty program

If you’re ready to dive in, the new ‘Building customer loyalty‘ marketing course in the Dotdigital Academy walks you through everything you need to know.

Let AI handle the repetitive work, so you can focus on strategy

We have two new AI agents that sit inside the Dotdigital Marketing platform, ready to take on the time-consuming tasks and free you up for the ideas only you can bring.

Content Agent

Our Content Agent lives inside your email editor, so you’ve got a colleague on hand to help brainstorm ideas, draft copy, edit text, style buttons, or generate and edit images. Train it on your brand voice, so every suggestion sounds like your brand, not generic AI copy. And because it lives in the platform and knows your data, it can drop personalization fields straight into the copy it writes.

You approve every suggestion, whether that’s to a single block or the whole campaign, so nothing goes out without a human touch. 

Segment Agent

Even with drag-and-drop builders, segmentation takes time, especially when you’re targeting a complex, multi-rule audience. Afternoons can easily get lost filtering through data and setting rules. But not anymore. Now, all you need to do is ask.

Describe the audience you want in plain language, and Segment Agent builds it for you. Ask for something like:

“Build a segment of customers who haven’t purchased in 30 days, are at high risk of churning, follow football or basketball, and live close to our flagship stores.”

That’s a segment that would’ve taken a while to build manually, done in one sentence instead.

And if you don’t have the exact data field you need, Segment Agent works with what you’ve already got, so you spend time crafting the message for the segment, not hunting for the data to build it.

These new agents are available in a private preview for customers. To join the waitlist, register here. 

Personalization that moves at your speed

Some personalization tools come with a catch: get it exactly right, and you’re waiting on a developer to get the data and scripts in place. Move fast, and you have to settle for something more generic. But not with Dotdigital. Our updates make it simpler to build, launch, and troubleshoot personalized experiences yourself.

Build triggered emails visually

With this update, triggered emails in Dotdigital Personalization move to visual, no-code building. Create and customize abandoned browse, abandoned cart, and other triggered emails using the same SmartBlocks editor you already use.

Personalize your website with any Dotdigital segment

Your Dotdigital Marketing lists, segments, and contact data fields now sync directly into Dotdigital Personalization, ready to be used to create hyper-personalized on-site experiences. The sync keeps pace with your customers: segments and lists are refreshed regularly, so every website visitor sees the most relevant message.

Get set up without custom scripts

We know you don’t want to always call for help when it comes to connecting your site to your marketing. That’s what our Personalization SDK is here to solve. One tag sends data into Dotdigital Marketing and Dotdigital Personalization at the same time, meaning there’s less onboarding, less maintenance, and no more waiting on developers.

See exactly what your tag is tracking

Tag Explorer is a new in-platform tool for testing and troubleshooting your Dotdigital tag. It launches an overlay directly on your live website, showing what data the tag is capturing in real time and flagging anything that looks off, like whether an issue comes down to a tag error or cookie consent behavior.

Connect Dotdigital Personalization to Shopify faster

The Dotdigital Shopify connector has been updated to use the latest tag code, bringing it in line with the Personalization SDK. One install now automatically sends data to both Dotdigital Marketing and Dotdigital Personalization, with no custom scripts or separate setup required. 

Get started with Dotdigital Personalization.

Spend less time building campaigns, more time launching

Campaign creation involves a lot of small steps: clicks, tab-switching, hunting for the right data field. They add up fast when you’ve got a long to-do list. We’re simplifying that with faster workflows and sharper editing tools built right into the Dotdigital platform.

• Copy sent campaigns: Use the new copy button to duplicate a sent campaign and get the next one ready to launch fast
• Image edit panel: Crop, edit, replace, add text, and set alt text and links, all without leaving the panel
• A smoother build, start to finish: Move between steps in any order, so you can select your audience before you even start building. Progress and audience selections save automatically, so you can step away and pick up where you left off, and plain text versions now generate in the background

Keep your customer data connected, wherever it goes

Customer data doesn’t stay still: contacts unsubscribe, numbers change, and platforms fall out of sync with each other. We’re keeping everything connected and easy to reach, wherever it needs to go, so you can easily act on what your data tells you.

Stay connected, even after someone unsubscribes

New API support lets you resubscribe SMS and WhatsApp contacts automatically, syncing straight from your CRM into Dotdigital. Contact details can also be updated even on unsubscribed contacts, so profiles don’t go stale while nobody’s allowed to touch them.

After all, unsubscribes aren’t always goodbyes. Sometimes someone just goes quiet until they need you again. Either way, when they do come back, their profile is already accurate, and you can reach them on their preferred channel once again.

Get a clearer view of every interaction

We’ve expanded the Events API to cover message sends, statuses, and receipts across every channel. However you pull your data out (into a CDP, data warehouse, or analytics tool) it now flows through in one clean connection instead of several. That means richer customer profiles, faster insights, and far less manual data wrangling to get there.

What’s next?

So, you now have a loyalty program that runs on real marketing and customer data, AI agents that take the repetitive work off your plate, personalization you can deliver faster, and data that stays in sync, so it’s ready the moment you need it. Together, that’s what it takes to send to thousands and still make one person feel like you’re only talking to them. We’re making your tech do more of the work, so you can spend more time on the ideas and strategy that make your campaigns flourish.

The Dotdigital 2026 Summit took place on July 2, with over 800 marketers and marketing enthusiasts gathered together at Old Billingsgate, London (just opposite our London HQ in fact).

The day covered everything you’d expect from an amazing marketing conference: from behavioral science and AI, to customer journeys, mobile marketing, data, automation, leadership and authenticity. And there was one clear thread running through every single session: the best marketing centers around humans! Those who create it, and those who consume it.

It comes from having the confidence to trust your expertise, embrace new technology and be brave enough to stand out.

Here are six takeaways that will stay with us long after the final keynote.

1. Different is memorable. Similar is forgettable

Phil Agnew, host of the Nudge podcast, opened the day with a simple but underused marketing truth – people remember what’s different.

Drawing on behavioral science, including the Von Restorff Effect, Phil demonstrated how the human mind instinctively notices things that stand out from everything around them. Yet marketers’ strongest urge is to do what their competitors are doing, out of fear of falling behind. 

Whether it’s watch brands following the exact same format with every ad, or marketers following the latest creative trend, playing it safe often means becoming invisible.

The challenge isn’t to be louder. It’s to be uniquely yourself.

2. AI isn’t replacing marketers, it’s freeing them to be more human

Of course, AI featured heavily throughout the day. But the conversation has changed.

A year ago, the discussion centered on replacing jobs or reducing marketing headcount with AI tools. This year felt reassuringly different. Speakers explored how AI can automate repetitive work, remove bottlenecks, and free marketers to spend more time doing what humans do best: thinking strategically, solving problems creatively, and building meaningful customer experiences.

Katie King, CEO of AI in Business, summed it up perfectly by exploring the future of managing both humans and machines. The most successful teams won’t choose one or the other; they’ll know when each adds the most value.

3. Authenticity matters more in the age of AI, not less

One of the biggest surprises of the day was just how often authenticity came up alongside AI.

Eighteen months ago, those conversations rarely happened together; now they’re inseparable. AI can draft copy, analyze data, and accelerate campaigns – but it has to be used smartly if you’re interested in audience engagement (which we all should be). Audiences can tell when something lacks human empathy, personality, or experience.

The marketers who stand out are the ones using AI in combination with their own expertise and not being afraid to challenge its outputs. Technology can scale your content, but it’s people that make it matter.

4. Trust is your most valuable marketing asset

Trust became another recurring theme throughout the Summit.

For marketers, trust isn’t built through perfect messaging. It’s built through consistency, transparency, and showing up as who you really are. Fresh off the back of our own brand launch, with the central ethos of ‘marketing made human,’ this felt particularly relevant. 

Rebrands, new campaigns, and bold ideas all require one thing before they succeed: trusting the process. Stephen Libby, known to many as the 2026 joint winner of The Traitors UK, reminded us that the opportunities that feel the most uncomfortable are often the ones worth pursuing. Being honest, embracing vulnerability, and backing yourself aren’t just personal leadership qualities; they’re qualities that audiences recognize and relate to in brands, too.

5. Great teams create great marketing

Marketing isn’t an individual sport. Michelle Corp, Ecommerce Director for Lily’s Kitchen, shared honest reflections from her own leadership journey that resonated with everyone who’s ever managed a team through uncertainty. Or backed a decision that didn’t quite land.

The strongest teams aren’t the ones that never fail; they’re the ones that support each other when things don’t go to plan. Psychological safety isn’t just good leadership; it’s good marketing.

6. Courage trumps hesitation 

Throughout the day, another pattern emerged with all our speakers. Every speaker had, at some point, done something that felt uncomfortable. Launched something new, taken a career risk, backed an unconventional idea – or just trusted their instincts when they didn’t have data to guide them.

Dr Jo Salter, MBE, closed the Summit with powerful lessons on resilience and performing under pressure, reminding us that confidence doesn’t always come before action. Sometimes confidence comes because of action. The marketers making the biggest impact are those brave enough to act before certainty arrives.

While AI will (in fact, does) help us work faster, only people can build trust, inspire confidence and create marketing that customers genuinely remember. The future belongs to brave, human marketers – let’s grab it with both hands.

Now, we’re not lawyers, so this guide doesn’t constitute legal advice, but we have been in the business of getting emails successfully into customers’ inboxes for over 25 years. And have a whole team of deliverability and messaging experts in-house, helping us do that in the most responsible way. So we’re pretty confident in sharing these key points with you.

Data privacy laws can have a big impact on how you approach certain marketing initiatives, but that doesn’t mean there will be a negative impact on your results. In fact, these regulations can actually improve your email marketing success. The laws have been created to protect and please consumers, and will help your marketing do the same.

The current state of data privacy laws across North America

California was the first state to implement a data privacy act in 2020, and other states are now catching up. In the space of five years, 20 new data privacy laws have come into effect, with eight more introduced or in committee approval stages. That’s over half the states in the USA introducing their own variation of a data privacy law. This is a lot to follow, so we’re going to make it as simple as possible. Let’s start with a timeline that shows the status quo:

What we already know

All of the US data privacy acts aim to give everyone control over their personal data by introducing a requirement for transparency and accountability from organizations handling that data.

Under these laws, when a data subject (someone the business holds personal data on) requests access to their own personal data, the business needs to provide it. Having a clear and comprehensive customer data system makes it easier for you to prepare for these types of requests.

The types of data requests you might get from a customer include:

• Finding out what data has been collected
• Finding out why their data is being collected and processed
• Obtaining a copy of their data
• Amending the data held
• Restricting or opting out of the selling, or sharing, of some or all of their personal data with third parties
• Restricting, or opting out of, the use of some or all of their personal data for profiling or targeted advertising
• Requesting that the processing of their data be stopped
• Sharing their data with another platform on their behalf
• Request the data held to be deleted

Customers having the right to their own data is something we can’t see going away. And rightly so. While it can sound like a huge task to manage such a wide range of specific data needs, if data privacy best practices are followed, these requests should be fairly simple and straightforward.

The upside to the regulations

The new and existing laws can benefit your marketing. By adopting best practices and ensuring compliance, you increase trust with your most data-conscious customers.

Strong data privacy practices will result in more effective marketing and reduces the time you spend dealing with legal issues. Let’s look at some best practices that can be easily adopted right away.

Get ahead with data privacy best practice tips

Marketing best practices move faster than the process of creating new data-legislation, so keeping up with the expectations and comfort levels of your audience is a proactive way to stay ahead of regulations. The most basic requirements most customers have (and deserve) when it comes to looking after their data are captured here:

Obtain explicit consent: Always seek clear and explicit consent from customers before collecting their data. Even better, explain why you want those specific details and what they can expect back in return (e.g., location data to show them relevant in-store events). This builds trust and ensures compliance with regulations.

Limit data collection: Only gather data that is necessary for your marketing activities. This minimizes risk, simplifies data management, and shows your customers that you respect their data by only asking for what you really need and what you can realistically use to benefit them.

Implement strong data security measures: Strengthen the data you collect by requiring a double opt-in (where a trigger email or communication is sent to the customer to confirm the data has been shared intentionally and accurately). This ensures complete consent within your marketing lists and protects your database from bots.

Use accredited and privacy-first tools: Choose marketing technology that supports you in meeting privacy laws and makes it easy to uphold high standards across your marketing activity.

What else do you need to know?

Alongside the change in data privacy laws, there is an increasing conversation around ‘dark patterns’. A dark pattern is any technique that tries to manipulate people into doing something that they wouldn’t otherwise do.

Examples of dark pattern marketing include:

• Advertising or sales content that is disguised as editorial content
• Creating a false sense of urgency; things like fake countdown timers that never hit 00:00, and products where 99 other people always seem to have this item in their cart
• Uneven weighting on options; having “accept” or “reject” is evenly weighted, offering “accept” or “manage preferences” would be uneven
• Hiding unsubscribe buttons by making the text size much smaller than other text, or in the same font color as the background
• Manipulating people into sharing unnecessary data, e.g., misleading people into selecting the highest data-sharing option

Remember: Just because something is a common technique in your industry, doesn’t make it okay – if it’s a dark pattern, you could be penalized.

Next steps

This guide is here to help you navigate the implementation of data privacy laws, but as we’ve already said, we’re not lawyers, so before implementing or removing any complex data regulations, it’s always worth chatting to your legal team.

Talk to your lawyers

Data privacy is an important issue, and it’s something marketers need to work with legal departments on. The rules vary from state to state, so take the time to get some advice from an expert on your local laws. They can guide you through the specifics for your business.

Talk to your wider team

Data is a huge part of successful marketing, but the responsibility for ensuring overall data compliance needs to happen at an organizational level. Collaborate with all teams that handle data, whether that’s an actual data team, your developers, your sales teams, customer success, and even your vendors’ solutions architects, to understand exactly how the data is being handled at every stage. This is also a great way to identify any additional integrations, tools, or solutions that could help you improve the customer journey and the level of care being applied to the personal data you’ve been trusted with.

Talk to us

Having supported our UK and European customers when GDPR was introduced, we’re in a great place to help our US customers adapt to the changing legal landscape. We’re ISO 27001 certified in Information Security Management Systems, so you can trust us to do our part when it comes to managing your data safely and securely. We’re really proud of that.

Learn more about responsible marketing.

And because SMS is all about saying more with less (you’ve only got 160 characters to work with, after all), we’ll keep this short and to the point.

Here are some of the standout SMS marketing stats that show why so many marketers are making room for SMS marketing in their channel strategy.

SMS marketing growth statistics

Our 2026 Global benchmark report found that SMS sends have increased by 57.2% year-on-year for Dotdigital customers.

That’s a huge jump, especially for a channel that has been around for decades. Rather than being replaced by newer marketing channels, SMS is becoming a bigger part of the marketing mix.

Email inboxes can be very crowded, and changes to the inbox placement algorithms can also impact whether your messages get seen. Mobile marketing channels avoid this altogether and are a solid channel when you have a short, but important update or alert you want to get in front of your customers quickly.

SMS is great for time-sensitive marketing messages, such as flash sale alerts or back-in-stock notifications, and transactional updates like order and delivery status.

SMS marketing success statistics

The channel is growing due to the ease of setup and healthy engagement brands are seeing.

Mobile marketing channels are getting great results, as it’s a device people are already spending time on; most adults spend around 5 hours a day on their mobile phone.

Consumers are comfortable hearing from brands via SMS message, and 13% of consumers say SMS is one of their favorite channels to interact with brands.

Once subscribed, customers are highly likely to engage too. SMS click-through rates (CTR) are 7x higher than email.

SMS engagement benchmarks

• Global SMS CTR benchmark: 25.7%
• Unique SMS CTR benchmark: 19.91%
• Global SMS unsubscribe rate: 0.43%

What is a good SMS unsubscribe rate?

SMS can feel more personal than email, which is exactly why marketers need to use it carefully. The best-performing brands treat SMS as a high-value channel, reserving it for genuinely useful updates, timely offers, and important customer communications.

SMS campaigns are great for campaigns that are time sensitive and genuinely relevant for the recipient, things like: sales alerts, event information, fundraising updates, and appointment reminders.

Get the frequency, timing, and relevance right, and subscribers tend to stick around. For SMS marketing, an unsubscribe rate under 1% is considered good, and Dotdigital customers are seeing an average SMS unsubscribe rate of just 0.4%.

Mobile commerce and SMS marketing trends

• 57.5% of Cyber Monday 2025 online sales came via mobile devices
• Mobile sales increased by 8% year-on-year
• Consumer behaviour continues to shift towards mobile-first shopping

As shopping behaviour continues to shift to mobile devices, the marketing channels that naturally fit that journey become increasingly important. SMS meets customers where they’re already browsing, researching, and buying, making it a natural fit for ecommerce brands – especially on busy sales holidays like Black Friday, where inboxes are busier than usual.

Why SMS is a low-effort, high-impact channel

One of the reasons SMS adoption is growing is that it’s a great channel for a busy marketer to activate. You don’t need any design or imagery, and your copy should be succinct.

With Dotdigital, if you’ve already created an email campaign, AI can convert it into an SMS campaign for you, reducing character counts and adapting the message for the channel automatically.

Why SMS marketing works as a two-way channel

Unlike many marketing channels, SMS doesn’t have to be a one-way broadcast. Customers can reply directly, ask questions, provide feedback, or continue the conversation.

This keeps the marketing usage of the channel similar to how your audience will naturally use the channel to talk to family and friends.

With Dotdigital, we’ve made replying to messages as easy to manage as possible.

You can see:

• The SMS campaign that a customer is replying to
• The customer’s details
• Send quick replies based on your own pre-saved responses

Why SMS marketing deserves a spot in your strategy

These numbers prove that SMS is a great channel for marketers. Consumers are spending more time on mobile devices and are open to SMS as a marketing channel. Brands already using the channel are seeing strong results and sending more SMS campaigns as a result.

For marketers looking to connect with customers more directly, save time on campaign creation, and get meaningful engagement, SMS is the perfect solution.

Want more SMS marketing benchmarks and guidance?

Check out our SMS cheatsheet to learn when to use SMS, how to navigate compliance rules, and best practice advice to get the most from the channel.

As part of our research for our latest Customer trend index report, we surveyed 1,000 US consumers to find out how they discover new brands, how they want to be reached, what gets them across the line, and what builds lasting loyalty. The findings fall into four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

Here’s what you need to know to build stronger relationships with your American audience. 

How they find you

1. In-store browsing (51%) and word of mouth (50%) are the top two discovery channels

One percentage point is all that separates in-store browsing (51%) and friend and family recommendations (50%) as American customers’ favorite channels for brand discovery, with search engines being the channel of choice for 39%.

There are over a million retail stores in the US, but with the borderless nature of ecommerce, the industry is booming, with over 28.5 million ecommerce stores worldwide. So, while in-store browsing leads, it’s the other discovery channels that can drive serious growth for brands. 

Building word of mouth as a discovery channel deserves serious time and attention. People trust the real opinions from more than almost anything else you can put in front of them. Referral programs, post-purchase sharing prompts, and review requests can help you get customers to do some of your best marketing for you.

2. Using AI as a discovery channel is growing in popularity

18% of US shoppers say they use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover new brands. That sounds modest until you break it down: among full-time workers, it’s 30%, and among the highest income bracket (over $99,750 household income), it’s 42%. Regionally, 28% of customers in the West use AI for brand discovery, over double the uptake in the Midwest (10%).

For growing segments of your audience, AI is becoming an integral part of the customer journey. To help your brand show up in AI-generated answers, make sure you’re creating strong content that can be crawled and pulled into searches, like FAQs and articles comparing products.

3. Influencers still help 43% of US customers find new brands 

43% of US consumers have discovered a new brand via influencer content in the last six months. This rises to 64% for Gen Z, but drops to 19% for Baby Boomers.

There’s no question that influencer content works, but it works much better with consumers under 45. Spending influencer budget against unengaged demographics is burning through your precious marketing budget.

How they want to hear from you

4. 28% of US customers want to know what rewards they can get in exchange for their data

While 35% of customers are happy to share their email addresses with brands, a significant portion of your audience (28%) is uncomfortable sharing any contact data, but will do so if they consider the rewards worth it. 

Building trust through a clear sign-up process that explains why you need an email or phone number and what’s in it for the customer (like a discount or exclusive product drops) helps you build a marketing list full of happy and engaged contacts. 

5. Email (42%) and in-store (46%) are the preferred engagement channels

When it comes to their favorite channels for interacting with brands, US customers put in-store first at 46%, email second at 42%, brand website third at 38%, and mobile app fourth at 37%.

Looking at it from a generational view, email comes out on top as the preferred channel for Millennials (45%), and remains a firm second-favorite for Gen Z (40%) and Gen X (41%) and third for Baby Boomers (41%).

That makes email the natural anchor for your customer experience. It’s where your identity (your voice, visuals and personality) gets built and communicated. Making sure your emails are consistent is the first step towards creating a brand people want to engage with across other channels, too. 

6. Mobile apps are central for Gen Z shoppers (44%)

Overall app preference sits at 37%, but for Gen Z it jumps to 44%, putting it ahead of both email and in-store.

For this generation, the app is often where the brand relationship lives. Which means the experience inside it needs to feel like the same brand they see in their inbox, on your site, and across social. Inconsistency across channels is more noticeable to younger shoppers, who know what a personalized, relevant experience looks like. 

7. Weekly is the sweet spot for contact frequency for US customers

34% of US consumers prefer weekly contact from brands, followed by 27% who are happy with monthly contact. The range widens when you look at it by generation: Gen Z are the most open to frequent communication, with 21% comfortable hearing from brands every day, a preference shared by only 4% of Baby Boomers.

This can help you set a cadence for regular messages, like newsletters, launches, and content roundups. A regular rhythm lets customers know what and when to expect messages from your brand. You can then fill the space between these with behavior-driven automations (like abandoned browse flows) to reach customers at key moments in their journey and drive more impactful engagements. 

8. 1 in 5 US consumers say brand communications aren’t personalized enough

20% of US consumers feel the marketing they receive isn’t personalized enough. For Gen Z, that rises to 33%, and Millennials follow at 23%. The Midwest has the strongest appetite for more personalization at 23%, while shoppers in the West are the most satisfied with current levels of personalization.

For younger audiences, especially, generic communications are a big turn-off. Gen Z grew up with experiences tailored by social media algorithms, and brand messaging that doesn’t reflect what they’ve browsed, bought, or shown interest in feels like a big opportunity missed. Closing that gap doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your marketing; behavioral-triggered flows and smarter segmentation will have a big impact with minimal uplift from your team. 

9. Only 22% find marketing messages “very relevant”

The gap between “somewhat relevant” and “very relevant” is where many brands get stuck. 65% of US consumers find brand messages broadly relevant, but only 22% rate them as “very relevant.” 

Getting from broadly relevant to genuinely useful means going beyond demographic targeting. It means responding to what customers are doing in the moment. An abandoned cart email lands because it’s triggered by a real action. A back-in-stock notification works because it’s something the customer already wants. Those are the kind of relevant messages that drive people to act. 

What gets them to buy

10. US shoppers are the most impulsive of any market surveyed

23% of US consumers describe their buying behavior as largely impulse-led. That’s the highest figure across all four markets in the study, ahead of the UK (19%), Singapore (15%), and Australia (13%).

The generational split tells the real story. 41% of Gen Z shoppers describe themselves as impulse buyers, compared to 30% of Millennials, 22% of Gen X, and just 9% of Baby Boomers.

Timely, behavior-triggered communications, well-placed product recommendations, and friction-free checkout experiences all help to drive conversions for impulse purchases. 

11. Friend and family recommendations are the number one impulse trigger (43%)

43% of US consumers say a recommendation from someone they know is what tips them into an unplanned purchase. Timely brand emails follow at 38%, social ads at 34%. Influencer posts sit at 19% overall, but for Gen Z, they’re the biggest driver of impulse decisions, at 38%.

For brands targeting younger shoppers, creator partnerships and referral programs turn your existing customers and fans into advocates in a way no ad can do. 

12. Free and easy returns remain the most powerful conversion driver for undecided shoppers (40%)

When someone’s on the fence, 40% of US consumers say free and easy returns would push them over the edge. A discount or incentive follows at 37%, and reviews from other customers at 35%. Scarcity and urgency messaging works for just 17%.

Removing the risk associated with purchases, like offering free returns, can reduce friction and add real value for an undecided shopper. 

What keeps them coming back

13. Product quality dominates loyalty drivers, but loyalty programs are on the rise

70% of US consumers rate having the “best products” as most important for brand loyalty. In second place, a brand’s customer service and loyalty programs tie with 57% of shoppers scoring them as most important.

Product quality is the brand’s job, but loyalty programs sit squarely in the marketer’s control. A well-built loyalty program gives customers a reason to keep choosing you over a competitor with equally good products.

14. Free shipping (52%) and freebies (51%) lead the loyalty reward wishlist 

US consumers know what they want from loyalty programs: 52% want free shipping or returns, 51% want freebies, gifts, or samples, and 46% want birthday and anniversary rewards.

The most-wanted loyalty reward is the same thing that converts undecided shoppers. Reducing friction and adding real value is what customers want at every stage, not just at checkout. If your loyalty program leads with points accumulation but skips the stuff that actually changes behavior, it’s not going to give you the results you need. 

15. 46% of US consumers have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

Nearly half of US shoppers have consciously increased their spending to reach a reward tier. That number rises to 65% among full-time workers and 72% among the highest income bracket.

Generationally, Millennials lead at 55%, followed by Gen Z at 51%.

Building a loyalty program that delivers real value doesn’t have to be complicated. The data shows that giving shoppers a genuine reason to come back (like rewards they love) has a direct impact on the bottom line.

What this means for your marketing strategy

A few things stand out across all the data:

• Discovering new brands is a cross-channel experience
• The impact of AI and influencer content is growing quickly, especially among younger shoppers
• Email is the preferred engagement channel across all demographics
• Younger US consumers actively want more personalization and more relevant marketing
• Loyalty programs increase average order value

The demographic gaps in this data are wide. What works for a Gen Z shopper looks very different from what works for a Baby Boomer. Segmentation and personalization help you talk directly to the needs and wants of different audiences. It’s those kinds of personal, relevant messages that really earn the kind of trust that turns customers into advocates.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

We surveyed 1,000 UK consumers as part of our Customer trend index to find out how they discover new brands, which channels they actually want to use, what tips them into buying, and what keeps them loyal. The data doesn’t paint a picture of an audience that’s checked out, but rather of one that’s more selective and more loyal to the brands that get everything right.

Here’s what the findings show across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

How they find you

1. New brand discovery is a three-way tie

UK brand discovery doesn’t have a dominant channel. In-store browsing, recommendations from friends and family, and search engines all tied for first place at exactly 37% as shoppers’ preferred channels. Discovery relies almost entirely on shoppers in the moment, making it much harder for UK businesses. 

A single-channel acquisition strategy will leave a significant portion of your potential audience untouched. Brands need to show up consistently across touchpoints so shoppers recognize them wherever discovery happens. 

2. Gen Z is more likely to discover brands in-store than online (42%)

This is probably the finding that will surprise people most. Gen Z leads in-store discovery (42%), beating both Millennials (39%) and Baby Boomers (34%). The assumption that younger consumers live entirely online isn’t holding up, at least when it comes to finding new brands. 

Physical experiences are still where a lot of first impressions happen across all generations. The in-store or in-person experience needs to reflect the same brand identity, messaging, and value proposition that customers encounter online.

3. For Baby Boomers, search is the top discovery channel (41%)

Baby Boomers are the generation most likely to find new brands through search engines. For Gen Z, search sits at 33%.

This flips the usual narrative about Gen Z being more engaged online than Baby Boomers. In the UK, Baby Boomers are more digitally active in their discovery behavior than they’re given credit for, and if you’re not showing up for their queries, you’re invisible to a segment with real spending power before the conversation even starts.

4. Influencers have a genuine impact on nearly one-third of Gen Z shoppers

29% of Gen Z consumers have discovered a new brand through an influencer or creator. That figure drops to 24% for Millennials, 9% for Gen X, and just 3% for Baby Boomers.

If Gen Z is your primary audience, or the market you’re struggling to break into, influencer partnerships belong in your core strategy. And even where shoppers aren’t actively seeking recommendations, exposure alone is compounding, and accidental discovery is still discovery.

5. 32% of UK consumers have discovered a brand through AI in the last six months

Nearly a third of UK shoppers found a new brand or product using AI search in the last six months. For Gen Z, that figure is 53%, and for Millennials it’s 51%.

The overall picture is still split on AI usage. 51% of UK shoppers say they “rarely” or “never” use AI for shopping recommendations, but the generational story is different entirely. Among Gen Z and Millennials, AI-assisted discovery is becoming a mainstream behavior, and both groups are heading into their peak spending years.

The shift means brands need to start thinking beyond traditional search visibility. In AI-led discovery, the goal isn’t just about ranking for keywords, but ensuring your brand is consistently represented in the sources, reviews, and content that AI tools draw from when making recommendations.

How they want to hear from you

6. Email is the clear preference (47%) for brand interaction

47% of UK shoppers prefer email when engaging with brands they follow. Brand website comes second at 35%, in-store at 33%. Every other channel is well behind.

That’s a different picture from other markets. In Australia, in-store is the preferred channel for 54% of shoppers. In Singapore, mobile apps top the list at 45%. The UK is the only market where email clearly leads — and it holds across every generation, with even Gen Z putting it first at 44%.

As the most preferred channel, email should be treated as more than just a distribution channel. It’s where you shape the customer experience itself. When emails are relevant, timely, and genuinely useful, they move customers forward in their relationship with your brand and shape what they do next.

7. Most UK shoppers actually want monthly comms

37% of UK consumers prefer monthly contact from brands. Weekly contact is preferred by 23%. Daily sits at 4%. Younger shoppers have a greater appetite for weekly contact: 26% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials prefer it, but monthly remains the preference for both groups. For Gen X and Baby Boomers, a lower frequency of contact is favorable. 

This is most useful for shaping the cadence of your broadcast communications, such as newsletters, roundups, and new launches. Between these, audience engagement should be sustained through timely, behavior-led automations triggered by customer actions. This creates a predictable rhythm of regular updates, alongside relevant interventions that appear exactly when they’re needed.

8. 59% say personalized communications feel “just right”, but Gen Z disagrees

Just under two-thirds (59%) of UK shoppers are satisfied with how brands personalize their marketing message. That sounds fine until you look at Gen Z: 36% say brand communications are “not personalized enough”, and only 39% of Gen Z feel communications are right.

This is the generation that skipped over the era of irrelevant batch-and-blast marketing. They understand what good marketing looks like, they’ve been exposed to it online all their lives. Basic personalization (like first names in subject lines) doesn’t cut it anymore.  They expect more. They want brands to really know them, and to be predictive and proactive in their outreach. 

9. Only 16% of shoppers find marketing “very relevant” to them

58% of UK shoppers find brand marketing relevant in some sense, but only 16% find it “very relevant”. The gap between those two things is the difference between a message someone reads and one that actually changes their behavior.

Closing that gap means acting on the signals already available to you, like browsing history, purchase data, and real-time behavioral triggers. Automations built on actions and data don’t just improve relevance; they make sure messages land at the moment a customer is most likely to act on them.

10. Younger shoppers are the most engaged with marketing messages

74% of Millennials and 71% of Gen Z find marketing messages relevant to them, compared to 49% of Gen X and 41% of Baby Boomers. Younger consumers are more receptive to brand communications, but they also hold them to a higher standard. 28% of Gen Z say marketing still doesn’t feel relevant to them.

Getting personalization right for Gen Z and Millennials now, using segmentation, behavioral triggers, and content that meets them where they are, builds relationships that increase lifetime value, as their spending potential continues to grow.

What gets them to buy

11. 41% of UK shoppers mostly make considered purchases

When asked whether they lean toward considered or impulse buying, 41% of UK consumers said they mostly make considered purchases. A further 40% reported an even mix, and only 19% said they mostly buy on impulse.

Most of your audience is taking the time to think things through, weighing options, looking for reassurance, and waiting until they’re certain they want to buy. Product reviews, clear shipping and return policies, and honest FAQs are the kind of content that should be visible across the customer journey to tip undecided shoppers over the line.

12. 34% of considered purchase decisions are taking longer than they used to

Among those already making considered purchases, more than a third (34%) say the time it takes them to reach a decision has grown.

The window between intent and checkout is stretching, which means more chances to lose someone, but also more chances to win them. Automation can do some serious heavy lifting here. Abandoned browse and cart recovery flows aren’t just reminders; they’re a chance to answer any questions they might have before they’re confident enough to make a decision. 

13. 44% of Gen Z are taking longer to decide what to buy

44% of Gen Z report that their considered purchases are taking longer to decide on. 53% of students say the same. These aren’t the groups typically associated with slow, deliberate shopping. They’re the generation that grew up on one-click buying and next-day delivery, but now they’re taking more time to think about how they’re spending their money. 

Every scroll on social, review read, and website visit is shaping their decision long before they’re ready to buy. Automation flows triggered by actions, like repeat product visits or cart abandonment, are where you build the familiarity that makes a Gen Z shopper choose you when it counts.

14. Word of mouth is what tips the impulse buyer (48%)

Nearly half of impulse buyers in the UK (48%) say a recommendation from a friend or family member is what makes them act. Timely emails (like wishlist-pricedrops or browse abandonment) come second at 34%, followed by social ads at 28%.

Even spontaneous purchases need a sprinkle of social proof to get them over the line. The nudge that converts an impulse buyer often isn’t a discount but someone they trust saying, “You’d love this.” Referral programs, user-generated content in retargeting ads, and reviews or star ratings pulled into automated emails all give shoppers the social reinforcement they need to convert. 

15. Free and easy returns are the most effective conversion tool for undecided shoppers

34% of UK consumers say knowing returns are free and easy would tip them into an uncertain purchase, narrowly ahead of discounts and free delivery (32%) and customer reviews (28%).

Reducing perceived risk is a reliable conversion driver. For Baby Boomers, free returns are the top conversion driver at 44%. For Gen Z, it’s more evenly spread, and 25% are also persuaded by personalized website experiences, more than any other generation. But across every age group, answering “what if I don’t like it?” before the shopper even asks is one of the most effective ways to convert someone who’s on the fence.

What keeps them coming back

16. Product quality is still the top loyalty driver(66%)

66% of UK consumers rate having the best products as the most important loyalty factor. Customer service comes second at 52%, tied with friends and family recommendations, followed by loyalty programs at 48%.

Product quality sets the ceiling for everything else, but the other three drivers are where brands have room to actively build. Friends and family recommendations and loyalty programs sit just four points apart, and are more connected than they might appear. A loyalty program built around referrals and social sharing doesn’t just retain existing customers, it activates them. This turns your most loyal customers into a word-of-mouth engine that brings in the next ones.

17. Free shipping and returns lead the loyalty rewards wishlist(43%)

When asked what they want more of from loyalty programs, UK shoppers said: free shipping or returns (43%), freebie products and samples (42%), birthday or anniversary rewards (37%), cashback (33%), and personalized discounts (33%).

The same thing that closes a sale is what keeps customers coming back. Loyalty programs built around complex point tiers that don’t offer rewards people actually want are missing out on experiences that deliver repeat purchases. Birthday and anniversary rewards scored strongly across all generations, and are one of the easiest ways to create a moment that feels personal without complicated reward structures.

18. 37% of UK shoppers have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

More than a third of UK consumers have actively increased their spending to reach a loyalty reward. For Gen Z, that’s 57%, and for Millennials it’s 47%. 

Loyalty programs are genuine revenue generators. When the reward is compelling enough, customers don’t just come back; they spend more deliberately to reach the next tier or unlock the next discount. Whether it’s a birthday reward, a personalized discount, or a referral perk, the programs that drive spending are the ones where customers can actually see what they’re working towards.

What this means for your marketing strategy

A few things run through the UK data consistently:

• Discovery is genuinely cross-channel, but preferred channels vary by generation
• Email remains a core engagement channel, but most communications are only “somewhat relevant” to customers
• Considered buying is taking, and that shift is most pronounced in younger shoppers
• Free and easy returns convert undecided shoppers more reliably than discounts alone
• Loyalty programs are driving conversions, especially among Gen Z and Millennials

UK shoppers need to feel confident and trust a brand before they’re ready to convert. Automation, segmentation, and personalization are how you earn the trust that turns a first purchase into a second, and a customer into someone who recommends you to a friend.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

They stand out in a league of their own, painting an entirely different picture of consumer habits and preferences compared to the Western markets. We’ve broken down the findings across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

How they find you

1. Five channels battle it out to be Singaporean shoppers’ top brand discovery sources

In-store browsing leads at 51%, followed by friends and family at 49%, search engines at 49%, and brand advertising at 47%. Online marketplaces (like Amazon and Lazada) follow at 42%.

Nine percentage points is all that separates these five channels. More than any other market where two or three channels dominate discovery, Singapore shoppers favor a cross-channel experience that meets their needs in the moment. To show up when and where it matters, your brand experience (from tone of voice to visuals) needs to be consistent across all of them. In a market this connected, having a disjointed experience can cost you sales.

2. Singapore shoppers are discovering brands through AI at twice the rate of the UK

In the last six months alone, 64% of Singapore consumers discovered a new brand through AI search. That’s 23 percentage points higher than American shoppers at 41%, double the number of UK shoppers using AI at 32% and over double the rate of Australian shoppers at 31%.

Singapore shoppers aren’t necessarily turning to AI to find new brands, but they’re finding them there anyway. Which makes it worth asking whether your brand shows up well when they do. Getting your SEO and GEO foundations right now means you’re positioned well for when AI adoption grows further.

3. Influencer content reaches more than two-thirds of the market

68% of Singapore consumers discovered a new brand through influencer content in the last six months. That’s 25 percentage points ahead of the US at 43%, and more than double the UK and Australia, both sitting at 32%.

What also sets Singapore apart from the other regions is how evenly that influence spreads across age groups. In the US, influencer discovery drops from 64% among Gen Z all the way down to 19% for Baby Boomers. In Singapore, it runs from 83% for Gen Z shoppers to 40% fo shoppers aged 60+. 

Creator partnerships here have real reach across the whole market, so picking influencers who align with your audience matters more than follower count. A creator who genuinely connects with your target demographic will do more for your brand than one with a bigger but less relevant audience.

How they want to hear from you

4. Singapore consumers rank mobile apps as their #1 brand engagement channel

45% of Singapore consumers prefer mobile apps for interacting with brands they follow. In the UK, that number is 27%, in Australia, 25%. Even the US, often held up as a mobile-first market, sits at 37%.

Singapore shoppers are always-on consumers: they’re discovering, researching and engaging with brands through their phones in a way that outpaces most Western markets. Email follows closely as Singaporeans’ second-favorite channel at 43%, and brand websites at 41%, but it’s worth noting that in-store comes fourth at 35%. Even for a channel as established as physical retail, digital has pulled ahead. WhatsApp and messaging apps sit at 31% too, higher than in most other markets, reflecting a broader comfort with brands showing up in more personal digital spaces.

In a market this engaged, consistent digital experiences across app, email, and messaging are how you build the kind of familiarity that turns browsers into buyers.

5. Monthly contact is the preference for most shoppers (40%) but Gen Z wants to hear from you weekly

40% of Singapore consumers prefer monthly contact from brands they follow. 33% prefer weekly, and the appetite for daily communication is low at just 6%. Younger shoppers prefer more regular communication, with 36% of Millennials and 31% of Gen Z preferring weekly.

This is most useful for shaping the cadence of your broadcast communications, such as newsletters, roundups, and new launches. Between these, audience engagement should be sustained through timely, behavior-led automations triggered by customer actions. This creates a predictable rhythm of regular updates, alongside relevant interventions that appear exactly when they’re needed.

6. 25% of Singapore consumers feel brand communications aren’t personalized enough

Only 15% find communications too personalized; one of the lowest figures across all markets surveyed, but 25% consider marketing “not personalized enough”. Among Gen Z, the appetite for more personalization rises to 34%, and among Millennials to 28%.

Younger Singaporean consumers are actively looking for more relevant communication from the brands they follow, and they’re not getting it. With concerns about over-personalization sitting this low in this market, there’s clear permission to invest more in timely and relevant marketing. 

7. Only 11% of customers find their marketing messages “very relevant”

Look closer at how Singapore shoppers feel about personalization, and only 11% say the messages they receive are “very relevant” to them in the moment. Read alongside the personalization data above, a picture starts to form. Brands are reaching customers, but the harder part is delivering something that actually resonates.

Relevancy means messages that reflect where a customer actually is: responding to their actions, speaking to their needs in the moment, and connecting with their stage in the journey. That’s what separates a message that lands from one that just arrives.

What gets them to buy

8. Singapore consumers are the happiest to share their email addresses

43% of Singapore consumers are happy to share their email address with a brand, ahead of Australia (36%), the US (35%), and the UK (33%). But they’re also cautious about the data they’re willing to share. 30% will hand over contact data for the right rewards like discounts, loyalty points, or exclusive sale access.

Email is the natural starting point for a customer relationship here. Lead with that, then earn the rest over time through demonstrated value, or a well-timed incentive that makes sharing phone numbers or other data feel worth it.

9. Decision timelines are getting longer for a 33% of Singapore consumers

33% of Singapore consumers say their purchase decisions are taking longer, while 23% say decisions are getting shorter. For Gen Z, that rises to 35% and further still for Millennials, to 38%. 

People are researching more, comparing more, and taking longer to commit, but they are still making the purchase. Offering indecisive shoppers content that supports the research phase matters more as decisions stretch out. Having detailed product information, comparison content, and customer reviews is helping to drive conversions over this longer window. 

10. Word of mouth (49%) and timely emails (47%) are the top triggers for impulse purchases

When Singapore consumers make an unplanned purchase, the thing that pushes them over the line is almost as likely to be a brand email as a recommendation from someone they know. Coming in first place is word of mouth, at 49%, and timely emails (like back-in-stock notifications) follow closely at 47%. 

Across every generation, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, timely brand emails are a consistent impulse driver. These are triggered, behavior-based emails, like back-in-stock alerts, abandoned browse reminders and flash sale notifications. And with performance relatively even across age groups, you don’t need to segment your trigger logic by generation for it to be effective.

11. Free returns top the conversion driver list for undecided shoppers (47%)

When someone’s not sure about an online purchase, 47% of Singapore consumers say free and easy returns would push them to convert. Discounts and free delivery follow at 44%, and customer reviews at 33%. Where Singapore particularly stands out is product recommendations: 27% say these help them make a decision, compared to just 16% in the UK.

That split tells you something useful. Reducing the risk of a wrong decision matters, but so does helping shoppers find the right one in the first place. Recommendation logic on product pages and in abandoned cart emails is a strong feature that helps to actively close sales.

What keeps them coming back

12. 58% of Singapore consumers say a loyalty program keeps them coming back

The top loyalty drivers in the region are: 

1. Having the best products (73%) 
2. Family & friends rate the products (61%)
3. I rate the brand’s customer service (60%)
4. The brand has a loyalty program (58%)
5. The brand has the cheapest products (58%)

In a market this competitive, a well-built loyalty program can retain just as many customers as a lower price, and gives you a reason to keep them coming back that doesn’t eat into your margins.

13. 47% of Singapore shoppers want personalized discounts from loyalty programs

Singaporeans’ desire for personalized experiences extends all the way to the kind of rewards they want from loyalty programs. 47% want personalized offers as a reward from loyalty schemes — well above the US at 36% and the UK at 33%, and stronger than almost anywhere else we surveyed.

A loyalty program that delivers individual offers based on purchase history and preferences will outperform one that sends the same promotion to everyone.

14. 56% of Singapore consumers have spent more because of a loyalty program

More than half the market (56%) has increased their spending to reach their next reward tier. That makes Singapore one of the most loyalty-responsive markets in the survey. Gen Z leads at 62%, but even Gen X comes in at 45%.

If your program is built around what individual customers actually want, you have a real opportunity to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers who spend more every time they come back. Personalized offers, incentives that reflect purchase history, and rewards that feel earned rather than generic really deliver results in this region.

What this means for your marketing strategy

Singapore stands out in several ways across all areas of the data:

• AI and influencer discovery are further along here than almost anywhere else 
• Mobile-first, messaging-friendly channels are a strong preference
• Personalization is wanted, with younger audiences actively looking for more
• Loyalty programs convert into real spending

The thread running through all of it is relevance. Singapore shoppers are engaged, digitally native, and highly receptive, but they notice when brands aren’t keeping up. Brands that show up in the right channels, with the right message, at the right moment are the ones earning repeat customers, and those customers are bringing their friends along to help spread the love for your brand.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

What’s less obvious is that the same people who are harder to reach are spending more with brands that earn their trust. And they’re more open to AI and digital discovery than most marketers expect.

We surveyed 1,000 Australian consumers for our latest Customer trend index report, to find out how they find new brands, how they want to be contacted, what tips them into buying, and what makes them stick around. The findings break down across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

Here’s what every Australian marketer needs to understand right now.

How they find you 

1. In-store browsing is still the number one discovery channel (60%)

60% of Australian shoppers discover new brands by browsing in-store. It’s the top discovery channel across every income bracket and most age groups. Physical retail isn’t dead; it’s still where the majority of first impressions happen. 

If you’re a brand with a retail footprint, your in-store experience is a marketing channel. If you’re digital-only, it’s important to remember your competition isn’t just another website; it’s also the shop floor.

2. Word of mouth comes in a very close second (56%)

Friends and family are the second-most-influential brand discovery source overall. For Gen Z, word of mouth actually beats in-store browsing entirely (62% vs 49%). Peer recommendations are outpacing paid media among younger consumers because the channel is informal, but the influence it has is real. 

If you want significant growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences, referral programs and shareable experiences are a big opportunity. Make sure you build them deliberately and not as an afterthought.

3. Search engines matter most for Gen X (57%)

Gen X relies on search engines more than any other generation to discover new brands (57%). Millennials aren’t far behind at 51%, and even Baby Boomers come in at 45%. 

If you’re not showing up in search for Gen X queries, you’re invisible to more than half of that cohort before the conversation even starts. Despite the disruption caused by AI, SEO is still a necessity for brands wanting to be discovered organically. 

4. Influencers are essential for connecting with Gen Z (45%)

Nearly half of Gen Z consumers (45%) say they discover brands through influencers or creators. That drops to 33% for Millennials, 19% for Gen X and just 4% for Baby Boomers. Gen Z shopping trends are driven by creators in a way that simply doesn’t apply to older generations. 

The gap between Gen Z and Baby Boomers here (a 41 percentage point difference) is one of the starkest generational splits in the data. Influencer budget should reflect where it converts. If your audience skews under 45, creator partnerships belong in your core strategy, not your experimental budget.

5. AI shopping assistants are gaining ground, especially with younger consumers

11% of Australian customers say they use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover new brands. That number climbs to 18% for Gen Z and 16% for Millennials. 

Among frequent AI shopping users (those who use it “often” or “always”), Gen Z leads at 42%, and Millennials aren’t far behind at 35%. Just 5% of Baby Boomers fall into that category.

AI as a discovery channel is still early-stage overall, but it’s already the default for a significant slice of Gen Z. Optimizing for AI discoverability is a different discipline from SEO, and the window to get ahead of it is now, while the field is still relatively open.

6. 31% of Australian consumers have discovered a new brand via AI in the last 6 months

Almost a third of the market has already used AI to discover a brand. For Gen Z, that number is 56%. For Millennials, 52%. As Gen Z and Millennials age into their peak spending years, AI-assisted discovery is only going to grow as a customer behavior trend. 

Brands that start building their AI presence now through structured data, review volume, and content that answers specific questions will have an advantage in the future.

How they want to hear from you

7. In-store (54%), email (47%), and the brand websites (46%) are shoppers’ preferred contact channels

When it comes to engaging with brands they already follow, Australian shoppers consistently rank in-store first, then email, then the brand website. 

Email holds its ground as a core engagement channel across every demographic. It’s one of your most direct ways to communicate with your audience, so if the channel isn’t working the way you expect, you may need to examine what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. 

8. Mobile apps matter most to Gen Z and students

While overall mobile apps are the channel of choice for 25% of customers, that jumps to 44% for Gen Z and 50% for students. For younger consumers, the app isn’t just about convenience; it’s often their primary relationship with a brand. The experience inside it shapes whether they stay or go. 

If your audience skews younger, your app experience might be a major differentiator. A clunky app can frustrate people until you lose them to a competitor whose app works better.

9. Most Australian consumers want to hear from you weekly or monthly

34% of Australians prefer weekly contact from brands they follow. Another 34% prefer monthly. Gen Z is the most receptive to frequent contact, with 45% happy to hear from brands weekly. Baby Boomers want a slower pace, preferring monthly contact (34%), and they show the lowest appetite for daily emails (1%). 

Generational segmentation and varying send frequency alone are quick, high-impact changes you can make to improve email performance.

10. 67% of Australians say brand communications feel “just right”

Most Australian customers aren’t feeling overwhelmed or underserved by brands’ personalization efforts. But among those who do want more personalization, Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (24%) are most likely to feel like communications miss the mark. Students (30%) and unemployed consumers (28%) are also underserved. 

For the segments most likely to become long-term customers, Gen Z and Millennials, the miss rate is meaningfully higher. If your highest-growth audience segments feel like your marketing doesn’t speak to them, that’s a retention problem waiting to happen.

11. Only 12% find marketing messages“very relevant” to them

The gap between “somewhat relevant” and “very relevant” is the personalization opportunity hiding in plain sight. Most brand communications land somewhere in the “somewhat relevant” category, with only 12% fo customers feeling like brand messages are “very relevant”. The difference between them is whether you’re giving someone what they need in the moment, like a price drop on something they’ve been browsing, or a recommendation that actually fits. 

To build strong relationships that result in repeat purchases, you need to respond to give customers what they need, before they think to look for it. 

What gets them to buy

12. Australians are considered buyers, not impulse buyers (49% vs. 13%)

Nearly half (49%) of Australian consumers describe most of their purchases as considered, while they just say their buying behavior is impulse-led.  Impulse-led shopping is notably higher in the US (23%), the UK (19%), and Singapore (15%). Australians are also more likely to identify as considered buyers than consumers in the US (43%) and UK (41%).

This means shoppers here are taking their time. They’re comparing, reading reviews, and thinking it through. Long-form comparison content, detailed product pages, and genuinely useful reviews are driving real conversions. If your content strategy is built around impulse triggers, it’s no longer matching how most Australians actually make purchase decisions.

13. For impulse buys, friends and family recommendations drive conversion (50%)

Half of all impulse buyers say a recommendation from friends or family is what tips them over the edge. Timely emails (38%) and social ads (34%) follow closely behind. SMS is notably effective, especially for Gen Z, at 37%, while influencer posts also help to convert 37% of Gen Z impulse shoppers. 

Even impulse purchases aren’t entirely random; for Australian shoppers, they’re often socially triggered. So while only 13% of shoppers mostly make impulse purchases, you can still trigger spontaneous decisions with a timely, automated email or an SMS at the right moment to close the gap between browsing and buying.

14. Free and easy returns are the number one conversion driver for undecided shoppers (43%)

When someone’s on the fence, free and easy returns are the most powerful push for 43% of Australian shoppers. A discount or free delivery is close behind at 39%. Customer reviews follow at 36%. Post-purchase loyalty rewards come in fourth at 25%.

Scarcity and urgency messaging (like “selling fast” or “last one in stock”) only works for 16% of all consumers, but climbs to 26% for Gen Z and 24% for Millennials, so use it selectively.

Removing perceived risks that come with online shopping converts more Australians than price cuts. People want the reassurance that, if it doesn’t work out, the return process won’t be painful. If your returns policy is buried in the footer and your product pages lead with countdown timers, you may be using the wrong conversion tool. Make your returns policy visible, clear, and simple, as it’s doing more to drive conversions than most brands give it credit for.

What keeps them coming back

15. 72% of shoppers rate product quality as the loyalty driver

72% of Australians rate having the best products as the most important loyalty driver. Customer service is a close second at 54% and is tied with friends and family recommendations. Loyalty programs come in third, with 51% calling them an essential reason to return.

Product quality is the foundation of customer loyalty, but customer service and loyalty programs are what brands can actively build on top of it. Two of the top three loyalty drivers are squarely in a marketer’s control. Timely, well-automated customer service communications like order updates, post-purchase check-ins, and proactive responses go a long way toward creating experiences that last with customers. And with loyalty programs influencing half of all Australian shoppers’ decisions to return, having a scheme in place goes a long way towards driving repeat purchases.

16. Free shipping and returns tops the loyalty reward wishlist (58%)

When it comes to what customers actually want from loyalty programs, the answers are practical:

1. Free shipping or returns (58%)
2. Freebies, gifts, and samples (50%)
   Birthday and anniversary rewards (50%)
3. Cashback (49%)

The most-wanted loyalty reward is the same thing that converts undecided shoppers. Australians want the friction of cost and returns removed, and they’ll stay loyal to brands that do it consistently. Loyalty programs that lead with points and tiers but don’t address shipping and returns may offer rewards that customers don’t find compelling enough to convert.

17. 41% of Australians have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

For Gen Z, that figure hits 69%, and Millennials come in at 57%. Higher-income households (58% for those earning above $90,451) are also more likely to increase spending in pursuit of the next reward tier.

Last year’s customer survey for the Loyalty divide found that only 8% of consumers globally said they’d spent more because of a loyalty program. Australian shoppers are clearly genuinely responsive to loyalty programs and are willing to spend more if the rewards are right. Loyalty programs don’t have to be complicated. Think about what you can offer customers at the right moments: rewards for repeat purchases, perks that feel personal, reasons to come back that go beyond a discount code. 

How does this impact your marketing strategy?

A few things stand out in the data:

• Discovery is cross-channel, but digital is growing fast in younger cohorts
• Email remains a core engagement channel across all demographics
• Personalization is expected but rarely delivered to a “very relevant” standard
• Loyalty programs have a real commercial impact
• The path to conversion for most Australians runs through considered decision-making, not impulse.

It’s time to stop trying to talk to everyone in the same way, at the same time, with the same message. Segmentation and personalization will help you earn the trust you need to make a sale. And it’s trusting your brand that makes customers more likely to share and recommend you in the future. 

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

Hi, I’m Layla, Content Producer here at Dotdigital and your go-to for planning your social media calendar. June brings summer, with longer days and a more relaxed mindset. It’s a strong month for brands to tap into seasonal behavior, from events and travel to food, fitness, and social moments that feel spontaneous and shareable.

Below are key dates and themes to support your June planning. Use them to plan ahead, fill gaps, or just make sure you’ve always got something worth posting.

Important social media calendar dates in June

June 1 – Global day of parents #GlobalDayOfParents

June 1 – World reef awareness day #WorldReefAwarenessDay

June 2 – Leave the office early day #LeaveTheOfficeEarlyDay

June 3 – Global running day #GlobalRunningDay

June 3 – World bicycle day #WorldBicycleDay

June 4 – National cheese day #NationalCheeseDay

June 5 – World environment day #WorldEnvironmentDay

June 6 – D-day anniversary #DDayAnniversary

June 7 – National cancer survivors day #NationalCancerSurvivorsDay

June 7 – World food safety day #WorldFoodSafetyDay

June 8 – World oceans day #WorldOceansDay

June 12 – World day against child labour #WorldDayAgainstChildLabour

June 14 – World blood donor day #WorldBloodDonorDay

June 15–21 – Refugee week #RefugeeWeek

June 17 – Clean air day #CleanAirDay

June 19 – Juneteenth (US) #Juneteenth

June 20 – World refugee day #WorldRefugeeDay

June 21 – Summer solstice #SummerSolstice

June 21 – World humanist day #WorldHumanistDay

June 22–28 – School diversity week #SchoolDiversityWeek

June 22 – Windrush day #WindrushDay

June 25 – Armed forces day #ArmedForcesDay

June 27 – PTSD awareness day #PTSDawarenessDay

June 30 – Social media day #SocialMediaDay

Themes for the month

Pride month (Global)

June 3 – Global running day

Global running day is the perfect opportunity to tap into the energy around fitness, wellbeing, and personal achievement. Whether your audience are seasoned runners or just getting started, brands can join the conversation by sharing motivational content, promoting active lifestyles, or highlighting relevant products. Make it interactive on social media by encouraging your audience to share videos or photos from their runs and tag your brand, whether it’s through a challenge, branded hashtag, or giveaway. This not only boosts engagement but also helps build a sense of community while creating authentic, user generated content.

June 3 – World bicycle day

World bicycle day celebrates sustainable travel and active lifestyles, making it a strong moment for brands to align with eco conscious messaging or wellbeing focused content. Use this date to highlight relevant products, share cycling tips, or spotlight your community, while driving conversions through limited time offers, deals, or discounts on cycling related items. It’s a great way to connect your messaging with meaningful action and give your audience a reason to engage.

June 4 – National cheese day

National cheese day brings a playful, indulgent angle to your content, making it ideal for food led storytelling and light hearted campaigns. Share recipe inspiration featuring popular cheeses, from quick snacks to comfort food favorites, or highlight product pairings that inspire your audience in the kitchen. For hospitality and restaurant brands, consider creating limited edition dishes or menu specials to draw customers in.

June 8 – World oceans day

World oceans day highlights the importance of protecting our oceans and preserving marine life, offering brands a meaningful moment to align with sustainability and environmental responsibility. Use this date to share educational content, spotlight eco friendly initiatives, or highlight products and practices that support ocean conservation. For travel brands, it’s also a great way to showcase visually rich content, sharing stunning ocean views and destinations from around the world to inspire future trips.

June 17 – Clean air day

Clean air day spotlights the importance of air quality and its impact on our health and wellbeing. It’s a natural fit for home appliance, air quality, and wellness focused brands to highlight products like air purifiers, fans, and filtration systems, while educating audiences on the benefits of cleaner air. Use this day to share informative content, product features, and practical tips that help improve everyday environments.

June 21 – Summer solstice

Summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, making it a natural fit for brands centered around experiences and seasonal moments. Event and hospitality brands can use this date to showcase things to do, from curated events to local guides and hidden spots. It’s also a strong moment for drinks and cocktail brands to introduce limited time summer specials or solstice themed serves, tapping into the celebratory feel of longer, lighter evenings.

June 30 – Social media day

I might be a little biased but social media day is honestly one of the best days on the calendar. Use this moment to celebrate the content you create and the community you’ve built. Share a blooper, go behind the scenes, shout out your most loyal followers, or finally post that idea you’ve been overthinking for weeks. B2B or B2C today everyone gets to have fun. Take the creative risk, try something new, and remind your audience why they hit follow in the first place.

June subject line ideas

To help you plan with ease, we’ve gathered creative ideas inspired by June’s key social moments and standout dates.

Here are some June-themed subject line ideas to inspire your campaigns:

Global running day – Your run day reward is waiting inside

World bicycle day – Cycle into summer with exclusive savings

National cheese day – We’re not fondue of missing a deal and neither are you

World oceans day – Coastal escapes made for your bucket list

Clean air day – Step outside and treat yourself this clean air day

Summer solstice – The longest day deserves something special — here it is

Social media day – This is worth a scroll

These subject line ideas are a starting point, but they work best when shaped with your brand’s voice. Add personality, emojis, or a touch of urgency to help them stand out and drive opens.

For an extra layer of inspiration, try tapping into AI-powered tools like Dotdigital’s AI, perfect for sparking fresh ideas, tweaking tone, or fine-tuning subject line length.

Spark engagement with your June marketing campaigns

June is all about leaning into longer days, lighter evenings, and a more social mindset. From seasonal highlights to awareness days, the month offers plenty of opportunities to create timely, engaging content that feels relevant to how your audience is spending their time.