A recent survey by GetApp reveals that U.S. consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by marketing communications, with 40% unsubscribing from emails and texts at least once a week—well above the global average of 25%.
The 2024 Advertising Preferences Survey highlights how marketing overload and irrelevant content drive this disengagement as consumers become more intolerant of frequent ads. Over half of U.S. consumers will unsubscribe if they receive four or more messages from the same brand in a month, and 44% will opt out even sooner.
“The volume of marketing content has reached a tipping point for many U.S. consumers,” said David Jani, a marketing analyst at GetApp. “Brands need to strike a better balance between driving campaign performance and respecting their customers. Consumers are making it clear that they won’t hesitate to disengage when bombarded with irrelevant or excessive marketing.”
Data privacy concerns are also influencing consumer behavior, with 52% of respondents feeling it’s difficult to stop marketers from accessing their personal information. Additionally, 60% are unwilling to share their data in exchange for targeted ads, signalling a growing distrust in how companies handle personal information.
Nearly all U.S. consumers (94%) have taken action against unwanted communications, from marking emails as spam to using anti-spam tools. Notably, 36% of those who unsubscribed claimed they never signed up in the first place, raising concerns over deceptive marketing practices.
To regain consumer trust, companies should streamline their communication efforts and limit message frequency. Marketers should also prioritise responsible data management, collecting only necessary information and providing transparency around opt-out processes.