As retailers brace for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a new report from Optimove Insights suggests consumers aren't frustrated by the volume of marketing messages—they’re frustrated by messages that don’t apply to them.
The 2025 Marketing Fatigue Report, based on a survey of 1,034 U.S. consumers, found that 56% of shoppers are only bothered by frequent marketing when the content is irrelevant. When messages are personalized and timely, many consumers actually welcome more frequent communication.
“Consumers are underwhelmed when overwhelmed by irrelevant messages,” said Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday operate in minutes, not days. Marketers no longer have time for assembly-line workflows with handoffs between data, creative and execution. Positionless Marketing enables them to deliver high-frequency, high-relevance messages without slowing down.”
The report highlights six key trends that separate successful holiday marketing campaigns from those that contribute to consumer fatigue. At the center of high-performing efforts is Positionless Marketing, an AI-powered approach pioneered by Optimove that allows marketers to independently access data, create content and optimize campaigns in real time.
Key findings from the report include:
- Relevance over repetition: 56% said message frequency isn’t a problem if the content is tailored to their interests.
- Early and personalized works best: 72% said early outreach increases purchase likelihood—when it’s targeted. Untargeted early campaigns underperform.
- Price isn’t everything: While half of consumers choose based on discounts, 21% prioritize personalization, timing, and convenience.
- Email overload: 55% named email as the most overwhelming channel. Multi-channel outreach created significantly less fatigue.
- Exclusivity over urgency: 53% prefer loyalty or VIP messages over “limited time” offers.
- Holiday spending remains strong: 46% plan to spend more than last year. Personalized recommendations build buyer confidence.
The report concludes that fatigue isn’t about frequency—it’s about relevance. Brands that tailor messages to individual shoppers stand out, especially during peak retail periods.
Positionless Marketing, Optimove’s signature platform, allows marketers to bypass traditional bottlenecks between data analysts, creatives and campaign managers. The company claims the approach improves marketing efficiency by up to 88% and increases customer engagement by enabling instant, personalized outreach across channels.