DMA Financial Services Tracker Study - regional analysis

In this exclusive extract from the DMA's Financial Services Tracker Study, we use fast.MAP consumer data from July 2009 to pinpoint the different ways in which people want to be contacted by their banks, insurance companies and investment banks.

The data is broken down by region, giving financial marketers accurate insights into the best ways to communicate with existing and potential customers.

It also helps them evaluate which other channels - newspapers, comparison websites, email, landline and mobile phone - are effective ways to market financial services and products in regions across the UK.

Key findings of this fact-packed survey include:

•  Most consumers prefer their bank, insurance company or investment company to get in touch with them by letter. Email is the second most preferred method of communication.

• The percentage of consumers learning about financial products through independent and comparison websites has dropped since December 2008.

•  Adults in Scotland and the East Midlands prefer their insurance companies to contact them by letter.

•  People in the North West are 100% more likely than the UK average to want their bank to call them on their landline.

• Londoners are 28% more likely than the UK average to find out about financial products and services through the financial pages of their newspaper.

• Welsh consumers are the least likely to learn about financial products through the websites they use.

• Text is a very unpopular way of contacting consumers about financial matters, regardless of region.