Jeanne Jennings, September 10, 2004

If you weren't able to attend this event in DC last month (and even if you were!), here are some quick highlights on using e-mail with direct mail to lift response, emerging trends in e-mail marketing and some tips for improving your e-mail creative.

Federal Trade Commission, Federal Register, August 13, 2004

Where a recipient has entered into a transaction with a sender that entitles the recipient to receive future newsletters or other electronically delivered content, should such e-mail messages be deemed to be transactional or relationship messages? Why or why not? Should the inclusion of commercial content affect this analysis? If so, how? (VII.B.2.q.)

Yes, it's legalese. But if you're an e-mail marketer, you owe it to yourself to review the 'Questions on Proposed Specific Provisions' to the CAN-SP*M Act. You have until Monday (September 13) to comment (the link to do so is below). FR Doc 04-18565 is 41 pages long; Section VII (the focus of comments) begins on page 35 of my printout (but you should probably at least skim the first six sections).

I wish I could tell you I've already read it and responded, but...well...I guess you know how I'll be spending my weekend. :-)

Jason Lopez, CIO Today, August 16, 2004

Thanks to my husband, an intellectual property attorney, for making me smile a few days ago with an article about how Google forgot to register the "Gmail" name with the Patent and Trademark Office. A small firm who watches for things like this beat them to the punch the day they announced it. A few other companies followed suit. And then there's the company that's been using the name since 1998, when they filed but later abandoned a trademark application on it.

To learn all about the intrigue now surrounding the name (and get some good cocktail party foder), check out this article.

Neil Berman, WebProNews, August 23, 2004

I couldn't have said it better myself! Being able to do nearly one-to-one marketing in a cost effective manner has always been a promise of e-mail. But although may talk about it, few have put it into practice (although I do have one client who sends over 60,000 one-to-one targeted e-mails each week).

In this article Neil lays out the benefits -- to both recipients and senders -- of dynamic content and provides three keys to success for making your e- mails more targeted.

Brian Morrissey, DMNews, August 23, 2004

If you aren't doing this already, you should start today. Many spam filters will 'whitelist' addresses in a recipient's address book, hence the push (I started last year with my clients; see the note at the top of this newsletter).

Bigfoot's campaign sounds nice, but if you aren't a client (and don't have the $2,500 they're charging even if you are) you can do-it-yourself very easily. Read this article for details and some additional information on deliverability (false positives are reported to be at 19% -- or nearly one of every five legitimate e-mails).

PointnClick Inc., the organizer of this conference, is offering one free admission to a Jennings Report subscriber. If you're interested, click on the link below and give us your contact information; if you get it we'll let you know on Monday, September 13.

There's a blurb about the conference (I'm attending) in the left column above. Or visit their site to learn more about the conference and register (if you get the free admission they'll remove the charge from your credit card!)