The High Cost of E-mail Targeting Failure

Targeting and personalization may be the mantras of today's e-mail marketers, but many are still missing the mark, according to an Aimia Institute study recently reported by Direct Marketing News magazine. The penalties for faulty targeting are steep. Poor e-mail communications caused 70% of respondents in the study to close accounts or subsciptions, 66% unfollowed brands on social media, 59% opted out of all e-mail communications, 57% blocked phone numbers, and 54% deleted apps. Excessive e-mailing was another common misfire for marketers; 68% of Americans surveyed complained that they received too many brand e-mails. Of course, some industries are doing a better job than others. For example, 33% of consumers surveyed felt they received relevant e-mail information from credit card providers, and 29% said supermarkets and banks send useful e-mails, too. And there were glimmers of hope in the study for e-mailers who need to take better aim: 56% of Americans said thay are still willing to share personal details to receive relevant offers, and 48% felt personalized e-mails from brands are useful. For an infographic of study findings, see the DM News article at http://www.dmnews.com/marketers-fail-to-hit-the-target-infographic/article/412023/

Use the Weather Map in Your Geo-targeted Marketing

Is your geo-targeted marketing in sync with the weather map? A Business2Community article recently reminded marketers that they should leverage weather as a variable in geo-targeted campaigns. Although author Ruthie Ackerman provided examples based on this winter's snowy and icy conditions, geo-targeting by weather variables can be applied to summer sizzlers, too! Retailing, travel and hospitality industries, and online banking are three areas that can use weather news to their advantage, she pointed out. For example, rather than cursing the polar vortex this past winter, smart apparel stores push cold-weather items, travel industry ads entice frigid consumers with a tropical vacation, and online banking could tap browser history and real-time e-mail to offer helpful vacation savings calculators to fund that tropical getaway. See the full post at http://www.business2community.com/marketing/leverage-weather-geo-targeted-marketing-campaigns-0773590