Email Usage – Working Age Knowledge Workers (US Trended Results)

MCI | August 2019

Research partner:
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
 Headlines

Although up to 5 hours a day is Millennials are protecting Fewer people are Only ¼ of offers from
spent checking email (work + their personal time for achieving Inbox Zero - brands are interesting
personal), many feel this is ‘just personal pursuits many think it’s an enough to open - many
right’ --- impossible goal suffer from basic quality
--- Half of workers (of all ages) wait --- concerns, or are sent too
Work email is checked for 3+ hours a until they get to work to check Those who do (with Millennials often.
weekday. (209 minutes, compared to work email (but they’re still most likely) describe it as ---
256 in 2016) reading personal email & social relieving. Half of Millennials hit Personalization, done right, is
Personal email is checked for 2+ hours a media before they leave in the Inbox Zero, and only 1/3 of important to many, particularly
day (143 minutes in 2019) although it is morning. There is also a decline Boomers. for personal emails, but
being checked less often YoY (162 in the number of people checking
frustrations continue.
minutes in 2018, and 209 minutes in work email when on vacation.
2016)
These findings are the result of a survey of 1002 US citizens of working age, who work in office/management roles, and own smartphones. Data is balanced to age and gender proportions found in the general
population.
The survey was conducted from July 29 to August 6, 2019. This survey has been conducted annual since 2015. Where questions are trendable, arrows indicate statistical differences year over year.
This report includes highlighted results. Full results are available to the project team at https://portal.advanis.net/adbe This survey is replicated in other countries and reported separately.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
2
 Key Findings

© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

 Survey participants are mainly working aged, living in US, working
an ‘office’ or ‘white collar’
Chart Title or Question Being Answered (Base)

Age Gender Job

Gen Z: Born 1996 - Manager 27%

TBD 3%
Skilled office
Millennials: Born worker 25%
1977 - 1995 50%↑
Female Male Business
48% man/woman 11%
Generation X: Born 52%
1965 - 1976 19%↓
Professional
Manager 9%
Baby Boomers: Born
1946 - 1964 27%
Executive 9%
Traditionalists: Born Other office
1945 & before
1% 19%
(clerical,…

Email Usage US Results (July 2019)

Base: All respondents (1,002)
s1 – What is your gender? (not including those who said prefer not to answer base: 998)
s2 – In what year were you born?
s5 – Which of the following best describes your job? ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
4
 Time spent checking email has declined since 2016 but still
represents several hours each weekday
Minutes Spent Each Weekday Work Emails
Chart Title
Checking Email
300
80% open
59% useful
250
256
209
200 210↓ 209
198
162↑
150 142↓ 143 ↓ Personal Emails

100 57% open

2016 2017 2018 2019 37% useful

Work Email Personal Email

Email Usage US Results (July 2019)

Base: All respondents (2016 - 1,004, 2017 - 1007, 2018 - 1001, 2019 1002)
Q6 a and b .. Please estimate the number of minutes you spend each weekday checking your email
Q4b (% of emails you open) and Q4c (% of emails you find useful) - new question in 2019 ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
5
 Despite checking work emails for 3+ hours each day, and every
few hours outside of work, most feel their email checking
frequency is ”just right”
Checking Emails Often?
Over 3 hours a day (209 Chart Title Over 2 hours a day (143↓ Work emails are checked for 3+ hours +
minutes) checking work email minutes) checking personal
each day email each day frequently outside of work
Frequency of checking work Frequency of checking • This is consistent across all ages.
email personal email while at work
outside of normal work hours Personal email is checked less often
24% Never 8% (and less so than in past years), but
still often checked while at work
43%
Every few
52% • Although the frequency of checking
hours
personal email in total is declining, 31% of
Millennials (and 26% of Gen X) still do so
10% Every hour 15% multiple times per hour or more.

Multiple times
13% per hour
14%
Most people (71%, unchanged YoY for
several years) feel that the time they spend
checking email is “just right”. Millennials
10% Constantly 11%
and Gen X are most likely to feel that they
should cut back on checking.
Email Usage US Results (July 2019)
Base: All respondents (1,002)
q1 – While at work, how often do you typically check your personal email in a given day?
q2 – Outside of normal work hours, how often do you check your work email in a given day? ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
6
 Most people are checking email or social media before work,
although an increasing number resist the urge to check in before
work
It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to check your….

17 30
48%↑ % %
On a break at
work*
Millennials are
driving the
16
change to check % 8% When I get to work

work email at
work (matching
11
While commuting
behavior older 15%↑ 42 %
groups already 25
exhibit). % While getting

But, 1/3 check

25 % ready/eating
breakfast
personal email
or social media
% Still in bed
while still in bed. 13%↓ 25 26
Work Email
*Social Media New in 2019 - also ‘on break’ is only asked for social media
Email Usage US Results (July 2019)
Base: All respondents (1,002)
% Personal Email % Social Media*
q7 – It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to check your work email?
q7b – It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to check your personal email?
q7c – It's a workday, and you've just woken up. After you wake up, how long does it typically take you to look at a social media app? ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
7
 Users check work email during other life situations less often than
personal or social accounts. Boomers are most likely to resist
checking email/SM
During which of these situations have you checked your email or social media?
Work Email Personal Emails Social Media*
Millennial Gen X Baby Millennial Gen X Baby Millennial Gen X Baby
s Boomers s Boomers s Boomers
A B C A B C A B C
While watching TV/movie 36% 38% 26% While watching TV/movie 62% 66% 59% While in bed 62% 42% 22%
C C BC BC C
While in a meeting at work 35% 36% 20% While in bed 61% 42% 29% While watching TV/movie 61% 54% 44%
C C BC C C C
While on the phone 35% 28% 22% While in the bathroom 54% 34% 24% While in the bathroom 56% 31% 19%
C BC C BC C
While in bed 35% 23% 16% While on vacation 42% 44% 38% While on vacation 43% 37% 23%
BC C C
While in the bathroom 28%
BC
18% 12% While on the phone 35%
C
29%
B
23% While walking 40%
BC
23%
C
9%

While on vacation 26% 27% 23% While walking 35% 26% 14% During a meal with others 37% 20% 10%
BC C BC C
While commuting to/from work 25% 15% 10% During a meal with others 31% 23% 14% B While on the phone 34% 24% 13%
BC BC C BC C
While walking 23% 20% 7% While commuting to/from work 26% 15% 9% While commuting to/from work 27% 10% 4%

C
C C BC C BC C
During a meal with others 20% 15% 12% While in a face-to-face conversation with 22% 12% 7% While in a face-to-face conversation with 26% 11% 6%
C someone BC
AC
someone BC C
While in a face-to-face conversation with 18% 6% 7% While in a meeting at work 19% 20% 7% While working out 22% 11% 5%
someone BC C C BC C
While working out 13% 7% 4% While driving 18% 6% 5% While in a meeting at work 19% 14% 4%
BC BC C C

BC
While driving 11% 4% 4% While working out 17% 12% 6% While driving 19% 2% 3%
BC C C BC
While at a formal ceremony (e.g., 4%
B
1% 3% While at a formal ceremony (e.g., 9%
BC
C 3% 3% While at a formal ceremony (e.g., 14%
BC
5% 4%
graduation, wedding) graduation, wedding) graduation, wedding)
None of these 21% 30% 39% None of these 3% 8% 16% None of these 6% 18% 39%
A AB A AB A AB

Email Usage US Results (July 2019) Base: All respondents (1,002)

q10 – In the last month, during which situations have you checked your work email? (Multi-response)
q10a – In the last month, during which situations have you checked your personal email? (Multi-response)
q10b – In the last month, during which situations have you checked your social media app? (Multi-response) (New questions in 2019) A/B/C = Significant differences observed between generations at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
8
 Millennials and Baby Boomers are more likely to ignore email on
vacation (compared to 2018), although personal email is frequently
checked.
During vacation, how often do you check your work email?

62% ↓ 63% 55% ↓

Millennials Generation X Baby Boomers

Only ¼ check work Only ¼ check work Nearly half never check
email multiple times a email multiple times a email during vacation,
day while on vacation. day while on vacation. increasing from 34% in
1/3 will check personal 1/3 will check personal 2018.
email that often. email that often.
Email Usage US Results (July 2019)
Base: All respondents (1,002)
q14_a – Work email?: While on vacation, how often do you check your…
q14_b – Personal email?: While on vacation, how often do you check your… ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
9
 Fewer people are achieving ‘inbox zero’, with those who do saying
it is a relief. Many of those who don’t say it is impossible.
Inbox Zero

It’s Borderline It’s Borderline 22%

36% OCD OCD

16% Amazing! Amazing! 32%

46%↓
55% in 2018
19% Relieving Relieving
55%

41% 10%
Impossible Impossible
Text
51%↓ 44% 38%↓
Millennials Gen X Boomers

Email Usage US Results (July 2019)

Base: All respondents (1,002)
q20 – Getting to 'inbox zero' is defined as acting on every email as it comes in to move it out of your inbox immediately (delete, respond, or delegate). Is that something you currently do?
q21 – What is your reaction to the idea of 'inbox zero?' ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
10
 Only ¼ of email offers from brands are interesting enough to open,
mainly due to issues of frequency and quality
% of Email Offers From Brands
Chart Title What is most What is most
Interesting Enough to Open…
annoying? annoying?
50
(Work emails) (Personal emails)
• Emailed too often • Emailed too often
40
(38%) (43%)
31↑ 31
30
• Marketer’s data • Urging me to buy a
26 26↓
23↓ about me is wrong product I’ve already
26↑ 27 (25%) purchased (24%)
20
25
23↓
19↓ • Too wordy/poorly • Marketer’s data about
written (24%) me is wrong (23%)
10
• Urging me to buy a • Too wordy/poorly
product I’ve already written (23%)
0
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
purchased (21%)
Work Email Personal Email

Email Usage US Results (July 2019)

Base: All respondents (1,002) Email is the preferred way to receive offers (56% work, 60%
Q22_a – In work email: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open? personal) significantly more than direct mail, social, etc.)
Q22_b – In personal email: Of the email offers you receive from brands each day, what percentage are you interested in enough to open?
Q24_a – For email offers received at work?: When you receive an email offer from a brand, which of the following is most annoying...
Q24_b – For email offers received as a consumer?: When you receive an email offer from a brand, which of the following is most annoying... ↑↓ = Significant differences observed wave-over-wave at 95% confidence level.
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
11
 Personalization is most important for personal emails, and to
millennials
Importance of Personalization
Chart Title What is most What is most
Millennials Gen X Boomers frustrating? frustrating?
100%
(Work emails) (Personal emails)
• Recommendations • Recommendations
80% don’t match interests don’t match interests
(33%) (31%)
60% • Misspelling name • Misspelling name
46% (19%) (19%)
43%
40% 37% • Expired offers (19%) • Expired offers (19%)
30%
26%
23% • Offer not appropriate • Offer not appropriate
20% to season/location to season/location
(15%) (15%)
0% • Promoting things I’ve • Promoting things I’ve
Work Emails Personal Emails already purchased already purchased
(15%) (15%)
Email Usage US Results (July 2019)
Base: All respondents (1,002)
Q27a_a – For offers received at work?: On the following scale, how important is it that brands customize their communication with you as an individual...
Q27a_b – for offers received in personal email?: On the following scale, how important is it that brands customize their communication with you as an individual...
Q28a_a – For email offers received at work?: What of the following is the most frustrating way brands lack personalization in their emails...
Q28a_b – For email offers received in personal email?: What of the following is the most frustrating way brands lack personalization in their emails...
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
12
© 2019 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.