The BrightWave Blog

Mad Men Take On Email Marketing

2009-10-01T11:44:00.002-05:00

The advertising world depicted in Mad Men has generated significant buzz, especially in the media and marketing world, partially triggered by media and digital professionals intrigued by the “good ole days” of Madison Avenue in the early 1960s. Of course, the booze filled office of Sterling Cooper didn’t factor in email and digital marketing into their pitches.

If they did, surely they would be incorporating some targeted online campaigns to deepen the relationships between their clients and their customers as well as attempt to wow their peers with cutting edge tactics.

Imagine the first email campaign for Maidenform, Bacardi or Connie Hilton’s burgeoning hotel empire. What would Don Draper think of CAN-SPAM rules? Would Peggy Olsen see response rates plummet from too much copy? Is Pete Campbell the prototype email marketing boss? Oh, the possibilities are endless to ponder over a stiff Manhattan.

In this blog post, I will try to bottle the Mad Men marketing elixir and use some quotes from the ever witty Roger Sterling (partner at Sterling Cooper and played by John Slattery ) to raise a few probing email marketing questions and trends.

“Come, eat our sweet meats. Drink our wine.”

The golden rule of email marketing should be “deliver value and benefits to your subscribers and prosper.” It’s a two way street and the program bursting of value and engaged subscribers are the ones returning (and often asking) for more.

Don Draper: "What do women want?"
Roger Sterling "WHO CARES??!!!"

This is the mindset of many batch and blasters whether they know it or not. One sized fits all email campaigns rarely deliver, for your internal team and the subscribers. To many marketers sit on the rich subscriber data they have and fail to leverage it to deliver more personalized and valuable emails.

"I guess what I'm saying is at some point, we've all parked in the wrong garage."

Mistakes happen in email so set up the measures to prevent it but if they do, apologize to your subscribers if needed but move on either way. The same goes for social media campaigns, don’t hide your dirty laundry that is there for everyone to see.

"I shall be both dog and pony."

This may also be referred to us “Industry Talking Head Syndrome.” One of the biggest complaints heard by email marketers is the lack of service they get from their technology provider. They complain they get exposure to the “experts” only in the sales cycle and then get a junior coordinator after the deal closes.

I think this blame fails on the marketer side too, if you want expertise and services, go to an agency that is selling you that or demand more from your technology provider. The software providers are selling you a tool and maybe service to support the tool but not your campaigns. So don’t buy into the dog and pony when you know neither will be present after the paperwork is cleared.

"Once they hit thirty, it's like someone turns off a light."

Don’t get complacent in your campaigns no matter the level of success you have. Apathy in email (whether you are 22 years old or 75 or have done your 5th or 500th campaign) is a dangerous thing. Every marketer can do more planning, testing and analyzing.

"One minute you’re drinking in a bar and they come and tell you your kid’s been born, the next thing you know they’re heading off to college."

For you digital chiefs out there don’t be too removed. Nearly every email marketer is secretly seeking executive approval not just of their work but their email marketing program’s value and existence.

Don Draper: “What kind of company are we going to be?”
Roger Sterling: “The kind where everyone has a summer house?”

Whatever your goals are, aim for the fences but measure accordingly. There is no reason email programs can’t be stars and ride their success to sunnier pastures. Don’t let your program be buried in the trenches when better real estate is available for those that dare to seek it.

"You know what my father used to say? 'Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons, and eventually they hit you in the face.'”

Tough love is necessary in the digital marketing world. Regardless of your program structure, ensure you have the right team and don’t be afraid to demand more from your partners, both internal and external. As long as your interests are aligned and goals are established, you can do your best to avoid getting the left hook from any unseen corner.

Hopefully, Mad Men can raise the level of your marketing prowess (if not blood alcohol level) and be sure to follow their lead and avoid their mistakes as well. Feel free to submit any Mad Men inspired quotes or plot themes for future inclusion.

So Many Platforms, Not Enough Time

2009-03-12T11:25:00.003-05:00

This blog will continue to get attention but it is worth pointing out that I am actively using other platforms for posts, updates and other BrightWave/email and digital targeted messaging related information.

Please feel free to:

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Become friends with me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Get Mobile Updates from BrightWave

We also have pages on on Facebook and LinkedIn for The Truth About Email Marketing and EmailStatCenter.com listed below:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=16020781869&ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Truth-About-Email-Marketing-Simms-Jenkins-PearsonFT-Press-2008/17477394213?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/wwwEmailStatCentercom/43118058760?ref=ts

I welcome feedback and what else you would like to see this blog include.

The Email Marketing Manifesto

2009-02-04T15:16:00.003-05:00

My In Focus article on iMediaConnection titled "Email's new role in digital marketing" has drawn some really positive and passionate responses and interest from a diverse group of marketing professionals.

If you have not read it, please do as I have internally dubbed this "The Email Marketing Manifesto" for 2009. Whether you agree with it or not, check it out and please let me know comments and where you agree and disagree on my thoughts and where email is going and needs to be headed towards.

What's going on at BrightWave?

2009-01-30T10:48:00.003-05:00

No, this blog has not disappeared but has taken a bit of a hiatus. We just have been extremely busy ensuring all of our clients maximize their ROI during these wild times (and not just survive) as well as growing BrightWave in the most strategic fashion possible.

Business is strong here at BrightWave. We have expanded our offerings into what we call "Digital Targeted Messaging Services" which include leveraging SMS, Social Networking and Voice while still delivering highly targeted and measurable messages for our clients to their customers and prospects. That has been exciting as our business is undergoing a major transformation and will continue to look a bit different in 2009 and beyond. What that means is we can offer more services and message delivery platforms to our clients, guided by a simple premise: digital targeted messaging can be extremely powerful and impact business goals if done properly and with permission.

Of course, BrightWave still is and always will be, an email marketing driven shop. We have many new clients (stay tuned for announcements) that we are very proud of. Our industry leadership hopefully has not slipped a notch. Stay tuned for a big iMedia In Focus piece and some features from friends like Mark Brownlow at EmailMarketingReports.com.

The book continues to open new doors and draw rave reviews.

What else is going on in our world? Check out The BrightWave Report and find out.

Holiday Boss Gift Alert - Special Blog Offer on The Truth About Email Marketing

2008-12-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Looking for that perfect gift for your boss or clients for the holidays?

BrightWave CEO Simms Jenkins' book, (The Truth About Email Marketing) makes the perfect gift for anyone looking to improve their email marketing efforts.

One reviewer commented, "is an amazingly simple yet detailed guide for newbie marketers or seasoned veterans who want to best leverage one of the most powerful communication vehicles of our time."

Looking for more budget for 2009? This book can assist - one reviewer stated, "Anyone interested in maximizing their marketing budgets should stop what they are doing and read this book."
Read more reviews.

Special BrightWave Blog Discount: As a valued reader of this blog, you are entiled to receive 25% off, plus free shipping. Just purchase the book through the FT Press store and enter the discount code Emailmark02 during the checkout process. Buy Now!

If you are interested in any signed copies of the book or a bulk order, please contact us.

Thanks and happy reading.

New Meaning of Double Opt in

2008-11-19T11:35:00.000-05:00

Papa John's has been aggressive in leveraging the internet and technology in general to separate itself from the other pizza giants and to add other sales channels. So I wasn't surprised to read about them using Facebook for a promotion.

The promotion is simple and smart. Become a fan of Papa John's on Facebook and you get a code for a free medium pizza. Of course, the trade off is they are going to communicate with you on Facebook so they get another direct channel to interact. Sounds like a win-win.

After I received the update on Facebook, I was told to visit a website and I would get an email with the code. Of course, I had to provide my email address to get the code. There was no mention of "by providing your email address, you are opting in for future communications from Papa John's" as there should be since surely they are using this to build their email list.

Assuming I am right, this is an interesting (if imperfect) way to get 2 opt ins (hence the title of this blog post) - one on Facebook and one via email marketing.

I like the approach in using the email/social media angles to build your databases and offering up unique and valuable offers/content to unique audiences.

For more on email marketing and social media in the restaurant industry, BrightWave Marketing client Ted's Montana Grill was featured today by DM News in a story titled "Ted's Montana Grill mixes e-mail with social media"

BrightWave Marketing Launches Targeted Messaging Services Practice

2008-10-15T19:50:00.000-05:00

I am excited to announce the official launch of our Targeted Messaging Services Practice at BrightWave Marketing. While we remain 100% committed to being the top email marketing agency in the industry, we think these new offerings compliment email marketing and allow our clients to communicate with their clients and prospects via other digital messaging platforms.

So what does that mean?

Well, I think one of our great clients articulates some of the benefits very nicely:

“We have partnered with BrightWave Marketing on our digital messaging efforts and the ROI has been substantial,” said Gena Weaver, Vice President of Marketing at Ted’s Montana Grill. “After developing a customer centric email marketing program that delivers results to the bottom line, we have also worked with BrightWave Marketing to leverage Facebook’s attractive audience. BrightWave Marketing has assisted us in developing a new digital dialogue with many potential customers that we would otherwise not be able to access. We are encouraged by this and other new messaging opportunities for our brand.”

Check out our Services Page where you can read more about our core messaging services:

Email Marketing
Search Marketing – Pay Per Click Campaigns
Social Network Program Marketing
Text/SMS Messaging
Voice Broadcast Messaging

Text Messaging Pricing Shift & What if it Happened to Email?

2008-10-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

I read this weekend that Verizon Wireless Plans to Charge Companies Sending Text Messages. While this may not seem like huge news it does change the dynamics of a not even close to mature marketing channel with huge potential. BrightWave Marketing, as part of our soon to be announced new offerings, does provide text messaging services for clients, so it is something we will be keeping a close eye on.

Companies that send out text messages will be charged a fee of 3 cents for each message by Verizon it delivers to the phones of its subscribers. This will immediately eliminate much of the marketing efforts done on this platform, due to the change in economics.

So what if Yahoo announced it was going to do the same for email marketing? Obviously, this would have a far reaching impact on the email marketing landscape.

However, one thing I would predict that would come out of such a change in the email marketing universe, if such a plan happened (and I am not suggested it will or should), would be marketers taking more care of their email programs. You would find more strategy, more analysis, better creative and other things you find in marketing programs that have higher/specific costs associated with them. That being said, just because email marketing has a perceived low delivery cost associated with it, doesn't mean it should not have the same kind of resources, planning and execution that an "expensive" marketing channel has.

Something to ponder.

Where do you stand in the great productivity divide?

2008-10-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Seth Godin, is remarkable for many reasons, but I enjoy his blog for its startling simplicity and provoking questions. In this entry titled "The growing productivity divide" he asks 16 compelling questions for anyone participating in the digital world and economy.

The questions are below:

-Can you capture something you see on your screen and paste it into Word or PowerPoint?
-Do you have a blog?
-Can you open a link you get in an email message?
-Do you read more than five blogs a day?
-Do you have a signature in your outbound email?
-Do you have an RSS reader?
-Can you generate a PDF document from a Word file you're working on?
-Do you know how to build and share a simple spreadsheet using Google Docs?
-Do have a shortcut for sending mail to the six co-workers you usually write to?
-Are you able to find what you're looking for on Google most of the time?
-Do you know how to download a file from the internet?
-Do you back up your work?
-Do you keep track of contacts using a digital tool?
-Do you use anti-virus software?
-Do you fall for internet hoaxes and forward stuff to friends and then regret it?
-Have you ever bought something from a piece of spam?

It's more relevant than you think as layoffs loom for many. This is not about being technically elite but about basic skills that are/will be in demand and expected for most in the sense that "Experienced With Microsoft Office" is/was for many during the past decade.

Godin concludes "How can you imagine yourself as a highly-paid knowledge worker and not know how to do these things... If you don't, it's not hard to find someone to teach you."

For the record, I said yes to 13 of the first 14 questions and no to the last 2.

How about you?

Email Costs & Proper Perspective

2008-09-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

Kevin Hillstrom of MineThatData Blog has a thought provoking blog post titled "E-Mail Marketing: Fixed And Variable Costs, And Why They Matter."

While this doesn't dive into what makes up an ideal email marketing team and program, the real takeaway is something that most email marketers could not argue with: email campaigns are not given as much attention and resources due to the notion that sending email (the actual deployment) is cheap. Therefore, teams take shortcuts or don't measure success properly or are given inappropriate staffing and budgeting resources.

The Truth About Email Marketing - Part 3 (audio)

2008-09-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

Hopefully, you have had a chance to listen to the first 2 parts of The Truth About Email Marketing podcast series. Part 3 is now available.

Click here to listen

Episode Summary

Simms Jenkins and Mike Moran discuss examples of winning email strategies. Learn which companies are setting the benchmarks. Gain valuable insights and social media best practices from companies that have mastered winning email marketing techniques.

Book Signing with Martha Rogers & Bill Price

2008-08-26T10:42:00.000-05:00

This morning at the Return2Customer conference in Atlanta (kudos to Art Hall for putting together an impressive event) I was signing copies of The Truth About Email Marketing alongside the closest thing the marketing world has to a rock star - Martha Rogers of Peppers & Rogers fame. She was signing her new book as was Bill Price. Most people were lined up to get Martha's book (as was I) but I was honored to be at the same table (picture shows me signing a few books and obscuring Martha and Bill).

The Truth About Email Marketing - Part 2 of Podcast

2008-08-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

As promised, The Truth About Email Marketing - Part 2 (audio)

Simms Jenkins and Mike Moran discuss "The Truth About Email Marketing" in part two of this 3-part series. Learn about the opportunities and challenges of Email marketing and learn easy-to-use techniques that drive sales and build relationships.

I hope you find this informative.

Don't Forget the Customer/Event/Book Signing

2008-08-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

I will be speaking next week in Atlanta at the Return2Customer 2008 which has an impressive agenda, great lineup of speakers and very appropriate name.

If you are in Atlanta or up for a quick but educating trip, be sure to attend. I will be signing some books as well as giving some away. If you don't care about my book, you should be interested in Martha Rogers (of Peppers & Rogers fame) and Bill Price as they will be signing books as well during the Tuesday 10:00 AM Break.

Martha Rogers, Ph. D, of Peppers & Rogers will be on hand promoting their new book "Rules to Break & Laws to Follow: How Your Business Can Beat the Crisis of Short-Termism". Bill Price is the author of The Best Service is No Service.

Sounds like a great event.

Date: August 26-27, 2008
Location: Villa Christina - Atlanta, GA

Podcast Series - The Truth About Email Marketing - Part 1

2008-08-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

Through my speaking engagements, business meetings and networking, I have the benefit of meeting some really interesting and smart people. I recently had the good fortune of being introduced to Mike Moran, a fellow author, IBM Distinguished Engineer and expert in various Internet technologies. Mike's Blog (Biznology Blog by Mike Moran Where Business and Technology Come Together) is among the highest ranked blogs by Ad Age.

We recently sat down to discuss my book, the email marketing world and trends and predictions for a 3 part podcast series.

The first part is available here. I hope you enjoy it as I thought Mike asked some great questions and was a silky smooth host.

BrightWave Marketing CEO Simms Jenkins discusses key concepts from his book, "The Truth About Email Marketing," with IBM Distinguished Engineer Mike Moran in this 3-part series. Learn best practices and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that get results.

Snooze Button for Your Inbox

2008-08-15T10:37:00.000-05:00

On TechCrunch, I read about an interesting new service called Hit Me Later for consumers.

Essentially, it will resend any emails at a later time back to your inbox. Of course, this could have implications if adopted by an email marketer's subscribers.

Those 24 Hours Left or Last Chance To Register emails may not find their way to the desired inboxes of some subscribers well after the deadline. If subscribers snooze their emails for a few days or weeks would that have a major impact on how and when you send email campaigns?

Nothing But the Truth: New Titles from “Truth About” Series on Social Networking, Email Marketing, Identity Theft From FT Press are Must-Reads

2008-08-13T10:38:00.001-05:00

The official news release on my book, (The Truth About Email Marketing ) hit the wire today.

If you read the book, I would love to hear any feedback (good or bad). Also, if any blog readers are interested in a special discount, please let me know.

By the way, the other two books released with mine sound fascinating and I plan on checking them out.

Thanks and happy reading!

What's Your Email Program Worth? How About $125 Million?

2008-08-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

I try to help our clients put a value on their email program and subscribers to help them build a business case and justify the importance of what they do, often to get more resources from their C level executives while also educating internal teams.

One prominent email newsletter, DailyCandy, a publisher of shopping- and culture-focused newsletters for young women, was sold to Comcast for what people briefed on the matter said was $125 million. The New York Times covers the deal here.

With 2.5 million subscribers, that places a value of $50 per email subscriber. Not bad for a company whose main product is an email newsletter. Granted they have expanded into websites but this demonstrates the real value of a loyal and targeted email program.

Sam Schwartz, executive vice president for Comcast Interactive Media, says it all right here:

“What we saw was a really engaged audience, a very loyal audience, as well as very local properties and great relationships with advertisers.”

This is good news for all email marketers.

11 Ways to Improve your Email Marketing in a Few Hours

2008-08-04T15:36:00.001-05:00

Email marketing improvements may seem daunting but they don't have to be. Carve a few hours out of your normal schedule to focus on some key areas worth reviewing. Here are a few ideas to get you going...

1. Plan a subject line test

2. Compare your current email metrics to data from the past year

3. Document your current email campaign process and see where some efficiencies and improvements can be made

4. Sign up for industry newsletters and read email executive blogs

5. Work with your design team on optimizing your email creative (especially in regards to image suppression)

6. Build a presentation for your CEO that outlines how important your email program is (you may not have the luxury of presenting it to her but I guarantee it will be helpful in other ways)

7. Simulate your email user experience, from the email registration to clicking on links to replying and unsubscribing from an actual email campaign

8. Ask your email team and/or partner for the best and worst 3 things about your email program

9. Plan an email focused subscriber survey asking subscribers what they want

10. Review in detail your competitors email promotions and newsletters and document what can be learned from them

11. Read The Truth About Email Marketing which reveals 49 proven email marketing best practices and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that get results. For more information, please visit http://www.thetruthaboutemailmarketing.com/ or find the book anywhere where books are sold.

The Truth Arrives...

2008-08-01T11:27:00.000-05:00

I am very proud to announce my book, The Truth About Email Marketing, is due in stores sometime next week. The official publication date is today, August 1, but the book industry isn't like the movie industry. The books get to stores when it gets to stores. So don't expect huge Friday opening numbers (although Amazon does rank in it in the Top 20,000 books pre-launch - not bad) but do expect to see it anywhere books are sold.

The process was a long and challenging one and now comes the fun part. I await your comments if you do happen to buy it. Please let me know if you are interested in an autographed copy.

The initial reviews are strong as is the press from bloggers and the email marketing industry so I am encouraged that the book will appeal to a wide audience and be worth their time and money.

If you are holding off on buying it, sign up for the book's email newsletter (what else?) where you could win a signed copy of the book.

-Buy It Here

Atlantans addicted to email

2008-07-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

BrightWave Marketing is based in the heart of Hotlanta, GA. I read today that almost half of our fair city's residents are addicted to email. While that doesn't place Atlanta in the top 10 cites in terms of email usage (New York, Chicago and Houston are the Top 3), there appear to be some heavy usage patterns.

Atlantans check their email everywhere:
* 72 percent while at a restaurant;
* 65 percent while in the bathroom;
* 40 percent in the middle of the night;
* 9 percent while at church.

Other results:
* 7 percent have broken up over email.
* 23 percent plan vacations based on email access.
* Atlantans have an average of 2.7 email addresses each.

Timely Free Webinar - Leveraging the Value of Email Marketing During a Recession

2008-06-23T14:52:00.000-05:00

I will be speaking on an all too relevant topic - how to maximize email marketing during an economic downturn. The free webinar is this Thursday, June 26, 2008 1:00 pm EST. Hosted by the American Marketing Association and Aquent, please join me and hopefully come away with some specific and actionable areas you can improve your email efforts, regardless of company size and budget. Register here

The official jargon is below:

Even in this economic climate you should be telling your CMO and CFO that more dollars, not less, should be allocated to email marketing. Sound crazy? Given that marketers generally have to fight for their share of the budget, it probably does. But there is a compelling business case for increasing the share of your budget to email marketing programs: What other channel delivers the kind of measurable ROI that email marketing does?

In this complimentary Aquent/AMA webcast, Simms Jenkins, CEO of award-winning email marketing services firm BrightWave Marketing, will help you build your business case and win over C-level executives by outlining the key elements of optimizing any email marketing program. These elements include:

Defining (or redefining) the purpose, goals, and benchmarks of your program.
Positioning email as a service bureau within your organization.
Tracking metrics.
Testing concepts, creative, and offers.
Learning how to cut costs and deliver exceptional value to subscribers.

New revealing study ties image suppression to lost ROI - will this get attention?

2008-06-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

A new study provides startling evidence about the need for a strategic optimization of most email marketing programs, and at the very least, the creative treatment of email messages.

The eec's Retail Email Rendering Benchmark Study provides more evidence that image suppression is wreaking major havoc in the inbox and consequently, in the cash register.

Jeanniey Mullen, the founder and executive chairwoman of the Email Experience Council, offered this statement "Email marketing currently generates an estimated return on investment of $48.29 for every dollar spent on it, according to the Direct Marketing Association. We conservatively estimate that if all marketers optimized their emails for image blocking, email’s ROI would jump to $52.69. Not paying attention to rendering impacts revenue directly.”

This is an important connection and one that should be embedded into the minds of every email marketer. This is not an isolated creative or technical issue to be delegated to IT or the design team. It is one that must be taken on by the strategic leaders of each and every email marketing program.

Want more evidence? A recent study by SubscriberMail found that optimizing to ensure effective messaging even when images are off delivered an 87 percent increase in clicks.

Images blocked = email messaging/offers/content not shown = sales lost, loyalty eroded, leads missed, site traffic decreased.

Sadly, I think this message gets lost since email is still often perceived as a niche marketing channel. If someone's Facebook page or Second Life island only showed up to half of its visitors, do you think that would get these marketers attention?

Other key findings from the study include:
• 14% of retailers compose their navigation bars with HTML text rather than images.
• 3% of retailers used HTML call-to-action buttons rather than images.
• 88% of retailers include a “click to view” link in their preheader text.
• 63% of retailers include whitelisting instructions in their preheader text.
• The emails from only 21% of retailers displayed meaningful snippet text.

Email vs. Social Networking vs. whatever

2008-06-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

Email marketing's eulogy has been written more than once. The web 2.0 crowd has been the most agressive of late, proclaiming the end of email marketing.

While you may guess where I stand on this issue, I wanted to link to two blog posts that have different takes on this subject. I find this conversation interesting to say the least.

Web 2.0 vs. Email: Unnecessary Anxiety

New study results: people don’t want your marketing messages

Very Exciting News - Expect The Truth About Email Marketing on August 1

2008-05-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

BrightWave Blog readers - I have a sneak preview of a major announcement coming out tomorrow and you will read it here first.

Pearson , one of the largest and most prestigious publishing houses in the world, will be publishing my book, The Truth About Email Marketing, as part of their well known and highly regarded "Truth About" series. Needless to say, I am very excited on many fronts.

At this point, I am thrilled to have the writing behind me as it is quite a detailed and lengthy process. Don't get me wrong - I would not trade this opportunity for the world but don't expect much new content from me. In fact, I will be on hiatus from writing new iMediaConnection articles so I can take a breather on that front.

I will save my thanks to all the people that made it a possibility - you have to buy it to see who I thanked. Speaking of, it is available for pre-order on
Amazon or you can buy it at any major bookstore on August 1, 2008.

Check out the newly launched book website here and be sure to sign up for email updates where you could win an autographed version of the book as well as receive exclusive information and discounts related to the book.