Now in its fourth year, the National Client Email Marketing Report is the most widely read and distributed of all EMC reports. Over 150 marketers completed the 2009 survey and with the support of a media partner, New Media Age, we are aiming to increase this to over 200 in 2010.

For the 2010 report there are multiple sponsorship opportunities. We will provide each sponsor with a bespoke report that is co-branded with their logo and perspective which can be distributed to prospects and clients.

To find out more information on this opportunity please contact Ross Caddy on 020 7291 3383 or ross.caddy@dma.org.uk

It is time to call on marketers to play their part in the only direct marketing industry tracking study – the fast.MAP/DMA Marketing-GAP research.

The 2008 survey revealed some unexpected consumer trends and illuminated some glaring marketer misconceptions.

The survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. As a thank you, fast.MAP will enter you into a £250 prize draw to benefit the charity of your choice. The report will also be available to download for those that take part.

Please click here to start the survey.

For any questions please contact Ross Caddy 020 7291 3383 or ross.caddy@dma.org.uk

With market conditions changing so frequently it can be difficult to keep abreast of what is happening. During my time with the DMA I have signed up to a number of blogs and e-newsletters; most days my inbox is teeming with updates and useful information.

Working in a research function my eye is naturally drawn to new studies and reports that help with our day-to-day efforts. I am also keen to promote findings to members that are relevant to their business and that serve as best practice guidelines.

One recent new study that arrived in my inbox was from Return Path, the deliverability service provider. The report, Creating Subscriber Experiences That Maximise Returns for UK Marketers, offers some very interesting findings. Unfortunately, the picture it paints of how email subscribers are treated in the UK is not pretty.

I was particularly interested in the statistics around personalisation and the use of data to target messages.  In the study, Return Path researchers found that 85 per cent of companies that collect personal data on subscribers fail to use this valuable information to make their marketing messages and offers more relevant. 

This is alarming news for the industry.  First, because segmentation and personalisation is the bread-and-butter of any direct marketing effort.  Sending generic messages when you could be sending highly targeted, relevant messages just seems counter-productive. 

Secondly, consumers in Britain are pretty sensitive on privacy issues.  That said, there are plenty of people who see the value in handing over a few personal details in exchange for messages that are more helpful and personal.  But when the result of filling out a form on a web site is a bland email message that doesn’t speak to the consumer’s needs, the value equation quickly appears lopsided.  Consumers start to wonder what the hell we marketers are doing with all this data we are collecting?

The advice that Return Path gives its clients is quite sound and aligns with the advice we give DMA members: Collect only the data you plan to use, use the data you collect. 

The other surprising statistic I found is that Return Path's researchers failed to receive a single email from 39 per cent of the organisations they registered with during the five-week study period.  Not a single email in five weeks!  In a time of global economic crisis it seems mad that companies would ignore potential customers by not following up quickly with the email messages they request.  Either companies aren’t integrating new data into their system quickly enough, or they are sending the emails as requested but are being blocked from the inbox.  Interestingly, if deliverability issues are at play here (and it seems highly likely to be the case, at least for some of these companies) then these two statistics may be linked.  Sending generic messages can often lead to high complaint rates (subscribers hitting the “this is spam” button) which can lead to ISPs blocking all the email from that sender. 

Return Path has very good advice on this as well: make sure you know where your email goes.  Blocked email can’t generate any kind of response.

Those are just two of the juiciest data points, but this report is full of interesting stats, great advice and examples of what some of the best marketers do with email. 

You can download it at the Return Path site:  http://www.returnpath.net/landing/ukstudy/

The DMA is currently conducting the 2009 Annual National Client Email Marketing Survey.

The Survey, sponsored by Alchemy Worx, is undertaken by the Email Marketing Council and asks client marketers to provide a mixture of response rate data and attitudinal questions.

When published, the Report, a companion to the National Email Benchmarking Report, will provide a valuable and timely guideline to what is currently happening in the UK email market.

If you haven’t done so already, we would really appreciate it if you could spend ten minutes completing the online questionnaire. You will not only be supporting this great initiative but when the report is complete we will send you a personal copy.

We also have five places to give away at our educational events
throughout 2009, as well as 15 copies of Jeanniey Mullen’s/David
Daniel's e-book Email Marketing; An Hour a Day.

Please click here to take part in the survey.

If you have any questions regarding this survey please email Ross Caddy or telephone 020 7291 3383.