Independent research from e-Dialog has revealed that e-mail is a strong driver of offline purchases and a powerful tool for promoting brand advocacy across social networks.

The e-Dialog Global E-mail Attitudes Survey of 13,000 consumers in 13 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific reveals that e-mail is a primary driver for multichannel purchasing decisions.

In the UK, almost half (43%) of the consumers questioned had made an offline purchase, in the high street or over the phone, as a result of receiving a marketing e-mail.

The survey suggests that co-ordinating marketing communications across digital and offline channels can provide a substantial sales opportunity for UK marketers. On top of the 43 per cent of UK consumers that have already made offline purchases following an e-mail, 47 per cent said that they would be more likely to make e-mail-prompted offline purchases in the future.

Simone Barratt, managing director, e-Dialog International says: “Brands that are simply using e-mail as a direct-sales tool are missing an opportunity. Yes, it is a great means of driving online sales, but as the data shows, its influence reaches so much further than the inbox. Marketers need to reassess their ROI from the e-mail channel.”

The trend amongst UK consumers also indicates that e-mail is also a trigger for brand discovery, advocacy and sharing activities. Twenty six per cent of UK consumers said they were led to sign into social networking sites as a result of receiving a marketing e-mail; this is almost identical to those who would sign into a social networking site of their own volition (27%).

The research also showed that 60 per cent of UK consumers would undertake further brand or product research after receiving an e-mail. This is on a par with the global average of 63 per cent, and higher than the European average of just 50 per cent.

Furthermore, 42 per cent of UK consumers said that just receiving a marketing e-mail would prompt them to click-through and look at a product, even if they didn’t ultimately choose to buy it.

Available for download now at http://www.e-dialog.com/globalresearch, the full report titled Global Perspectives: A Study of Global Consumer Attitudes to Digital Marketing, includes detailed findings from the survey as well as significant recommendations and tactics for global marketers.