Millennials accept push notifications from location-based apps, but there are a few stipulations to be considered.
A new commissioned study from Retale found Millennials are likely to react to push notifications from their favorite brands, but are less likely to respond if the notification isn’t relevant.
Retale is a location-based mobile platform that conveniently helps shoppers save on in-store purchases from their favorite local retailers, and this study examined the actions and preferences of Millennials using push notifications on location-based apps.
The study, fielded online between Sept. 23-24, 2015, polled 500 Millennial adult men and women (18-34 years old) across the U.S.
Millennials Report Broad Acceptance of Location-Based Services
94% of Millennials are using location-based services, defined as apps that can identify where individuals are geographically via their smartphone. Most commonly used by brands and retailers to offer content on product offers at individual stores, location-based services are slightly more popular among Millennial iPhone owners (97%) than Android users (93%).
Millennials are Highly Engaged with Push Notifications
The majority of Millennials (84%) say they act on push notifications they receive. When it comes to push notifications from brands, engagement by Millennials is high (83%), with Millennial men (86%) responding to push notifications more often than Millennial women (79%).
“Millennials are heavily reliant on their mobile devices, and push notifications are an ideal way to connect with them about the latest offerings from brands and retailers,” said Pat Dermody, president of Retale. “The numbers show clearly that, for most Millennials, well-executed push notifications are not too pushy.”
Millennials Pay Close Attention to Favorite Brands
89% of Millennials are likely to act on the notification received from their favorite brand, with men (91%) somewhat more likely than women (85%) to take action towards notifications. iPhone users (92%) are more active on their mobile device when receiving a push notification compared to Android owners (86%).
When it comes to types of information preferred, Millennials like information about a “coupon, discount or deal for immediate use” (61%); “customer rewards” (61%); “new product information and sale availability” (35%); “nearby store locations and store hours” (35%); “receipts after completing a purchase” (27%); and “in-store guidance on where things are” (16%).
Timing and Relevant Push Notifications are Key
Millennials did share insight when questioned about circumstances for not responding. The most popular reasons for not responding are: “notifications aren’t relevant enough” (39%); “notifications feel intrusive” (34%); “they send me too many” (25%); “notifications don’t include deals” (14%); and “notifications are poorly timed” (11%).
“Of course, relevancy is critical for Millennials to accept push notifications. Retailers that share relevant material and are respectful of Millennials’ time will ultimately increase the amount of content Millennials will engage with,” concluded Dermody.
