1 introduction Why Relevance is Relevant " T There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still. franKLin D rooseVeLT here's a backlash underway in today's economy. Consumers are in con- trol. They are making it clear that they are tired of being deluged by a flood of irrelevant advertisements and marketing messages. Overwhelmed by ad fatigue and messaging mayhem, they are responding with digital video recorders to skip over unwanted commercials, using spam blockers to elim- inate irrelevant e-mail and putting themselves on do-not-call lists to silence the endlessly ringing phone. They are even unsubscribing from e-mail lists that they once opted into as a connection to their companies of choice. It's no wonder. Years ago, a 1978 study by Yankelovich found that the aver- age American was confronted with more than 2,000 advertising messages per day. When the study was revisited in 2007, Yankelovich found that the number had soared to more than 5,000 messages per day. 1 Estimates from a study published in 2010 put the number at 16,000 advertisements per day. 2 Here are a few more stats to consider: While 64% of consumers say promotional offers dominate both the e-mail and traditional mail they receive, only 41% view these as must-read communications. 3 Of the 91% of consumers who opt out or unsubscribe from e-mails, 46% are driven to brand defection because the messages are simply not relevant. 4 Forty-one per cent of consumers say they would consider ending a brand relationship owing to irrelevant promotions, and an additional 22% say they would definitely defect from the brand due to irrelevance. 5