E-mail Campaigns Face the Music July 11, 2008 Edited by Jeremy Cohen
Do the world's most recognized brands know what it takes to conduct e-mail campaigns focusing on consumer protection, privacy and trust? That's what the Authentication and Online Trust Alliance (AOTA) hoped to uncover through their inaugural E-mail Deliverability & Trust Academy program, held this past June.
Developed by the AOTA Steering Committee, in partnership with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), this pioneering program was developed to increase core competencies for e-mail marketers. Major topics covered included:
• How excessive mailings and content can significantly impact a brand's reputation and value.
• How e-mail marketers from legitimate companies can avoid being labeled as spammers.
• Why meeting consumer expectations is not only key to a company's long-term online reputation, but is also showing dividends and competitive advantages offline.
Academy attendees—including such luminaries as Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft, National Geographic and Publishers Clearing House—participated in an e-mail competency test at the end of the program. The result? According to the AOTA, 63% of the participants passed with a score of 85% or greater.
"This program shows just how far industry leaders have come and how far they need to go to make sure consumers not only trust the source of an e-mail, but are also confident that users privacy is being respected," says Lauren Skena, strategy and e-marketing manager at National Geographic. "It is paramount that we use consumers information selectively, and provide them the confidence the e-mail they receive meets their expectations in the scope of content relevancy and frequency of communications."
"Training and certification are key to the profession, and even more important to restoring consumer trust in interactive marketing," adds Craig Spiezle, chairman and founder of the AOTA. "Collaboration programs such as this that are supported and endorsed by industry leaders are a testimony to the importance of increasing transparency and accountability, while providing consumers choice and control of the communications they receive."
Based on participants' response to the Academy, the AOTA will develop an expanded curriculum and formal certification program to be launched later this year.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
RSS
