January 2003 about us    services    portfolio    news
Hi,

Welcome to 2003's first issue of On Track! If you haven't already done so, now is the perfect time to consider two important marketing questions:
  1. What worked in 2002?
  2. What didn't work in 2002?
It's this type of reflection that will help you refine your goals and objectives for 2003. For further insight, refer to MarketingSherpa's latest Special Report featuring tips, advice and inspiration from more than 600 marketers, including yours truly, that were asked to reveal their "biggest lesson learned" in 2002.

Enjoy the read!

Carolyn Gardner
President, cardcommunications
Don't just think about what you want to communicate, think about how often you need to communicate. While content is critical, always remember the importance of frequency. For example, a quarterly newsletter may seem like all you can manage, but is a quarterly newsletter enough to stay "front of mind"? Communicating too infrequently can be just as unwise as communicating too often. Plus, odds are your quarterly communication has way too much content anyhow. Be sure to read this month's "feature article" for more on developing a content recipe for success.
 
DoubleClick reports that permission-based email is the consumers' preferred method of online merchant communication. In my opinion, this can be attributed to the simple fact that when it comes to customization, cost, and speed of delivery, no other medium comes even close to the capabilities of email. Several interesting statistics evolved from DoubleClick's September 2002 survey; see "straight stats" for some highlights.



Of 1,000 consumers polled by DoubleClick, 75% rated email as their communication channel of preference, with only 25% preferring postal mail and 0% choosing telemarketing.

These same consumers confirm email is very important for online merchants citing 98% expect order confirmation, 88% shipping info and 77% billing info.

 
"Impress with Less"
By Carolyn Gardner

Last month we talked about list size and segmentation in an article titled "Quality Versus Quantity". We specifically looked at the importance of targeting appropriate audiences and providing them with personalized information they need and want. Now let's focus on those needs and wants by determining what and how much content to deliver in any given email campaign. If you pull just one nugget from this read, strive to deliver email campaigns that "impress with less". Read more...
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