Home topics news via pexels News News New research shows timing and value, not volume, win email subscribers Yajush Gupta February 9, 2026 Only 64% of ANZ consumers opt into emails, the lowest globally, as 41% of marketers cite sign-up completion as their biggest challenge What’s happening : New research from Intuit Mailchimp reveals a striking gap between what brands ask for and what consumers willingly provide, particularly around phone number collection where demand outpaces consent by more than two to one. Why this matters : More than four in ten Australian marketers cite getting visitors to complete sign-ups as their top challenge, the highest rate among all countries surveyed. Australian and New Zealand consumers are proving to be the world’s toughest audience for marketers trying to build email and SMS lists, according to new research revealing significant gaps between business practices and customer preferences. Only 64% of ANZ consumers have opted into marketing emails and 50% to text messages, the lowest rates among countries surveyed in Intuit Mailchimp’s new report, The Art of the Opt-In: Why List Building is Only the Beginning. The research, developed with Ascend2, includes findings from 1,489 consumers and 249 marketing professionals across Australia and New Zealand. Selective subscribers The selective nature of ANZ consumers creates particular challenges for businesses. More than four in ten marketers (41%) cite getting visitors to complete sign-ups as a top opt-in challenge, higher than in any other market surveyed. “The opt-in moment is a meaningful one: consumers are inviting