The study reached out to over 500 companies across the UK and US, with 72% of those surveyed saying they are to place a greater emphasis on digital over print, and 76% budgeting to make customer communications more mobile-friendly.

Smart Communications also spoke with more than 1,000 consumers in the two countries, finding that 86% of those surveyed prefer digital to any other form of communications channel.

Nearly 40% of US consumers indicated they changed their preference from direct mail to digital communications due to factors related to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

“As the business world raced to respond to a new set of needs tied to Covid-19, delivering end-to-end, digital-first customer experiences became increasingly important,” Smart Communications’ chief executive James Brown says.

“It’s no secret that companies that prioritised digital transformation efforts aimed at improving customer conversations have a more meaningful edge today than ever before – and yet, our study uncovered several key areas that businesses must continue to focus upon in order to meet evolving consumer needs during these unprecedented circumstances.

“Creating customer experiences that are personalised, timely and delivered via channels of choice, which are increasingly digital, is no longer a nice-to-have, but is critical to success.”

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