We’re all familiar with the conventional wisdom around how to use gifs, emojis and a generally less formal tone in brand communications. It’s something we’ve seen bring positive commentary for a number of brands on social media. So you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a solid approach when engaging with your own customers. But how effective is this advice and how much of it is based on stereotypes?
Zendesk’s recent study, Shattering the Stereotypes of Chat, took a look at just that – aiming to understand the use of chat in brand communications and how it matches up with the reality of what consumers want when they reach out to a brand. So what did we find? A quick look shows that the stereotypes we have may not always be correct!
Click to open infographic
The infographic shows that some assumptions don’t hold true, like how 44% of 18-24-year-olds opt for email when communicating with a brand, this is the generation that we might assume is entirely invested in social media and to have shunned more traditional communication channels.
This range of preferences and less than predictable behaviour highlights the need for brands to take a holistic view and be ready to meet their customers across a range of channels. An omnichannel approach to customer service is key for retail and financial services for brands this holiday season.
If you want the full story, you can download the report here. And be sure to let us know if there was anything particularly surprising for you.
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