Database Marketing

Introducing BlackBox, An Email Marketing Abuse Prevention Service

BlackBoxToday we announced the launch of BlackBox, a service to help email service providers (ESPs) and direct marketers prevent abuse and fraud.

Bad Data with a Heart of Gold

In essence what we are providing access to a very large volume of purchased data that is actively circulating around data aggregators so that those who are responsible for email deliverability, marketing compliance or data acquisition can perform their own analysis, in-house, in order to prevent malicious clients or partners from abusing their platforms or budgets.

How to Prevent Abuse and Fraud

Prior to BlackBox our clients never really knew what you were going to get until they pulled the trigger. Is that list old, purchased, or a ticking time-bomb? Is their customer or supplier a good guy or something else? With BlackBox they know, before the damage is done.

ESPs are not only using BlackBox to vet new customers but also to predict bad behaviors. So, depending on the sophistication of the Email Service Provider, they are leveraging the BlackBox data in different ways. For example, some ESPs already have their own in-house process they use to prevent abuse, which is typically comprised of problem data that has already pass through their platform. They in turn are using the BlackBox as a preemptive layer which helps them to be more proactive as opposed to reactive. And for those who have not yet built their own anti-abuse tool, they are using BlackBox to jumpstart their efforts.

Likewise direct marketers, specifically those who are responsible for list acquisition, are using BlackBox to successfully vet prospective data partners and conduct periodic reputation audits of their data contributions. Say, for example, a list matches against BlackBox at X% or better, this is a very strong indicator of abuse or fraud. It is at least a very good reason to investigate their client,s or data contributor’s practices more closely.

BlackBox In a Nutshell

Indiemark is acting as bridge between the underbelly and the uppercrust of the email marketing industry. We want to see this bad data being used for a good purpose, like helping our clients to protect their investments, their reputation and their organization. Learn more.

The Holiday Email Marketing Life Cycle

Have you received any holiday emails this year? Yes, that’s meant to be a joke.

If you’re like anyone else with an email address you’ve probably seen hundreds of holiday emails already and some of those probably arrived well before Thanksgiving.

It’s a crazy time of year for the email inbox.

We’ve already talked about the psychology of holiday email purchasing. That was the first time we mentioned “The Holiday Creep”. That phenomenon is obvious this year because we’ve already been exposed to Christmas emails for a month.

Let’s dig further into the holiday email marketing life cycle. Hopefully we can gain a better understanding of how this time of year works for the consumer. There is still time to make adjustments to your email marketing strategy and now is a great time to start thinking about next year.

The Early Birds Get Shopping Out of the Way

The first cycle for the holiday season is the early bird shopping. We’ve been seeing this in our inboxes for the last few weeks.

Retailers are sending out emails that reach for the person that is ready to make their purchases now so they don’t have to worry about it later. These people are ahead of the game. They have their lists ready and they want to make sure they get everything before inventories get low.

holiday early bird email marketing example

Gander Mountain was after the early bird shoppers with this email.

The Gander Mountain email above is the perfect example of early bird shopping. Not only can people shop now and get their holiday shopping done, they can save too. It’s a great way to capture the early birds out there looking for early deals while inventory levels are still high.

The Deal Shoppers Wait for the Best Deals

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest days of the year for the deal shoppers. These consumers are the ones that are looking through every newspaper on Thanksgiving cataloging the items they need to get early in the morning on Friday.

It’s a competitive time of year for shoppers and for retailers. In order to stand out you need to be different.

This was a surprise email from JCP this year.

JCP did something completely different this year. They are no longer doing promotions or discounting. Instead, the company is simply focusing on the best pricing. The company also has a new focus on branded merchandise.

There is a good bet that people will still flock into JCP stores on Black Friday to check it out.

The percentage off might not be enough to stand out anymore from the competition. Focus on a merchandise item that is hot or find a way to stand out in the inbox like JCP did this year.

December Shoppers Need Help Making Decisions

December shoppers are an interesting bunch. They’re probably the minority of shoppers out there. They aren’t eager for the holidays. They kind of go about their business for November and once December hits they’re ready to start shopping for family and friends.

The December shopper is not a last minute shopper. They still have a few weeks to get all the things on their list. Perhaps the best way to describe them is to say they need a little help making gift decisions.

Under Armour knows what guys want, do you?

Under Armour knows they have things guys need. It might not be a glamorous gift, but every guy could use a new pair of boxers and socks for the New Year. It’s a great gift that every guy would like to have in his stocking for Christmas.

For the December shoppers out there that can figure out what they want it’s good to have a little help. Emails like this one from Under Armour solve that problem with a good tip for a gift.

The Last Minute Shoppers Have No Time for Choices

Then there are the last minute shoppers. These folks are the ones that procrastinate until the last second. In fact, they might need to purchase something on the way to the Christmas part on Christmas Eve.

Last Chance at Gap already? Merry Monday? That’s a new one. Get ready for the last chance emails.

This shopper might not even need a discount. They need to have a direction on what they should buy and they they’ll buy it.

In fact, what might be best for this consumer is a reminder that this is their last chance for free overnight shipping. That way they’ll still have their item to their home in time for a quick wrapping before putting it under the tree at Grandma’s house.

Actually, that’s a good point. This shopper probably needs wrapping done too. You can grab a few extra bucks from them if you offer a wrapping service.

Final Thoughts on the Life Cycle of Holiday Emails

We’re about halfway through the holiday email purchase life cycle. The more we understand about the shopper and what state of mind they’re in when we email the better chance we have to send them something that will get them to take action.

Hopefully these tips will give you some insight for the last few weeks of the holiday season. You can also get a head start on next year. Now that the holiday is fresh in your mind it’s never too early to get a head start.

Are you passionate about email marketing?

twonewblogs

We’ve recently launched two NEW blogs that you may find of particular interest; both are dedicated to email marketing yet each is very different. Take a look…

EMAIL CRITIC
EmailCritic.com ( Blog | RSS ) is a no holds barred blog, was created to spotlight brilliantly executed email campaigns and berate the brainless and uninformed (from design to delivery). If you’re into improving the performance of your email marketing efforts, please stay in the loop. Fan us on Facebook!

EMAIL APPEND SOURCE
EmailAppendSource.com (Blog | RSS feed) is the place to find top-level articles, reviews and links to help you start or improve your email append projects. We want this blog to be the most comprehensive, unbiased resources on the web.

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?
If you’re passionate about email marketing, we’re looking for guest bloggers, case studies, best practices, white papers, strategies, and fellow smart-ass commentators. Please email me with your submissions and feedback or simply visit the blogs.

Email Append Blog Wants You!

If you’re passionate about email append (no matter which side of the fence you sit), EmailAppendSource.com wants your content to help them to be the largest unbiased repository of email append information available today.

They’re looking for guest bloggers, case studies, best practices, white papers, strategies, and more. A great opportunity for email append professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Interested? Visit http://emailappendsource.com and contribute, you will be credited for all contributions, including links back to your profile or website.

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Putting a Value on Email Design and Optimization

As email marketing continues to grow in both breadth and depth, I’ve observed that there is still surprising void in the supplier marketplace, those organizations that both create and improve the performance of the email message, or creative, itself.

In direct mail there are countless copy writers and designers who are charged with beating controls. In the online space there are companies that focus solely on improving the performance of corresponding landing pages. Even in email marketing there are many fine organizations that provide high-level optimization intelligence solutions.

Why then are there are few firms that provide comprehensive solutions that are specific to email marketing creative; companies that provide the strategy and creative and testing, from beauty to brains. Companies that create messages that are on brand, highly deliverable, and optimized.

This void cannot be due to a lack of need–so is it the perceived value of the offering? Does the perceived value keep away many would-be solution providers?

Please give your opinion to this LinkedIn Poll (http://polls.linkedin.com/p/50330/joehi).

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Does your Marketing Firm Sing for its Supper?

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Ask any CEO if they’d be willing to share profits with a marketing firm or consultant who provided a positive impact to their bottom line. “Absolutely!” is the response that you’re likely to receive. Now ask them how they compensate their marketing agency, service suppliers, or in-house marketing department. Exactly.

Finding a true marketing partner  isn’t easy to locate but they’re out there. In fact, they’re becoming increasing more common.

For many businesses, the realities of the current economy have resulted in a reduction in marketing spending and staff. Marketing firms, agencies and consultants too are experiencing general belt tightening. Yet, each has a need to drive revenue. Combined, these factors have created a unique opportunity for both parties.

Marketing firms and consultants who satisfy more fundamental or complex needs such as branding, demand generation and cross-channel customer acquisition (services that are typically provided on a project or hourly basis) are now singing for their supper but they’re eating well.

While some firms have always worked under a performance-driven model, others are now beginning to partner with their clients and truly put their talents, time, and even their money where their mouths are.

Marketing partnerships can be are structured on a long term or month-to month basis and can take virtually limitless forms. The shape it takes is dependent on the client’s goals, offerings, and budget as well the core capabilities of the marketing service provider. However, these arrangements are generally based on a lift in client revenue, of which a percentage is paid to the service provider, or they receive a stake in the company, along with a minimum retainer.

Partnerships of this type are best suited to small and mid-sized companies who are seeking reduce marketing costs and/or acquire more profitable customers yet lack the resources or wherewithal to manage the marketing effort effectively. It also works well with start-ups or companies seeking launch a new venture or expand an existing offering.

There are challenges in establishing successful marketing partnerships however. Firstly, it’s a two way street. Mutual trust and performance weigh heavily on both parties therefore and, unlike traditional work-for-hire relationships, the agreements are more comprehensive and the qualifying process is extensive and may require that you disclose privileged information that goes far beyond your marketing efforts and experiences.

Before you enter into a marketing partnership or start your next marketing initiative, ask your vendor if they’ve built successful companies themselves; if not it’s unlikely that they will be able to do the same for your organization. Learn what services they provide in-house and which services they outsource; excessive outsourcing is likely to be reflected in their guaranteed compensation. As with any vendor-client relationship you’ll want to learn more about their industry expertise and client-partner successes.

Marketing partnerships are not for every organization but for those clients and marketing services suppliers that are willing to share the risk, a good match can often reap greater rewards for all.

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mFormer Content Submissions

mFormer is now accepting 3rd-party content for inclusion in its weekly e-newsletter, Marketing Source Weekly. (see example newsletter)

Submissions can include original articles, white papers, webinars and podcasts.

Submission Check List:
→ Relevant to direct or online marketing
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→ No overly promotional language
→ Content summary (200 characters or less)

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Please send a link to your submission as well as a content summary to editor@mformer.com. If approved, we will include a summary of, and a direct link to, your content in the weekly newsletter.

About mFormer:
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