Are we paying attention?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to look at the attention span given to bills, statements, official correspondence and direct marketing by consumers in major European economies and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Over 1,000 consumers were interviewed via web survey in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the USA, during May/June 2007. Respondents were asked to estimate the typical amount of time that they spent looking at a range of documents, from their monthly bank statement to the direct mail they received.

Findings

The research found that consumers spend more time looking at printed communications than those online. Different communications (i.e. mobile telephone bills, bank statements, tax correspondence, etc) hold the customers' attention for longer than others, and this differed on a country‐by‐country basis.

Originality/value

The value of the research to bank marketers is it highlights where banking communications sit in the battle for the customer's attention and how they can gain more value from existing forms of customer communications such as bills and statements.

Citation

Greenyer, A. (2008), "Are we paying attention?", International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 200-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/02652320810864661