can email remain relevant | glenis carroll, fairfax digital | istrategy sydney 2010

Workshop:

Can email remain relevant?

Glenis Carroll

General Manager Marketing - Media

Fairfax Digital

The end is nigh for email…

…apparently

Nielsen: Australian Internet & Technology Report 2010

Media by time of day

Motivations to become subscribers,

fans & followers

Email Facebook Twittter

To receive discounts & promotions 67% 40% 31%

To get a “freebie” 55% 36% 28%

To get updates on future products 45% 33% 38%

To get updates on upcoming sales 50% 30% 30%

To stay informed about the activities

of the company

28% 34% 32%

For fun & entertainment 29% 29% 26%

To show support for the company to

others

11% 39% 23%

To learn about the company’s

products and services

28% 21% 25%

To get access to exclusive content 33% 25% 25%

Someone recommended it to me 17% 22% 14%

For education about company topics 22% 13% 14%

To interact (e.g. Provide feedback) 14% 13% 20%

Source: The Collaborative Future http://www.exacttarget.com/sff

Task One

What is good about email?

What is bad about email?

Lazy email marketing

Batch and blast

Little interest in relevance

Engagement

should

matter

Let’s build a bigger list!

Deliverability

Global Delivery Rates, 2H 2009

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Inbox Junk/Bulk Missing

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Source: Return Path 1H2 2009 Global Deliverability Benchmark Report

We need to be transparent

• Permission is critical

• Unchecked opt-in box

• Choice at the time address is given

• Clarity of what will be delivered

• Content

• Frequency

• Sender

We should be inquisitive

Add value to their experience

Trust

Engender loyalty

Manage your Data

• Address change should be easy – and prompted

• Monitor open rates and clicks

• Don’t overlook your deliverability rates

• Dump non-responders

• Respect bounces, complaints and unsubscribes

Task Two

What are the three most critical things your

business needs to do to enable email to be a

sustainable channel.

Or do you think email is no longer viable?

You are not as

sexy as you

think you are

“The greatest danger to email’s viability as a

communications channel comes from

marketers who don’t respect the channel or

their customers and subscribers.”Loren McDonald, Silverpop

Glenis Carroll

General Manager Marketing - Media

Fairfax Digital

gcarroll@fairfaxdigital.com.au

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gleniscarroll