Applied Information Group Raises Email Service Bureau Standards with HTML Messaging and On-Line Campaign TrackingBy Mitchell Rubin, President, Applied Info Group, Inc.Applied
Information Group continues to set the pace for direct marketers
implementing email marketing techniques. The veteran computer
service bureau announces the addition of two new email service
upgrades: Applied Info Group
now gives direct marketers the attractive ability to send HTML
pictures in the body of each email message. Product shots,
line art, starbursts, graphics, large type, and animated moving
images can be sent to recipients greater impact. Applied Info Group's new e-marketing
software programs determine whether each addressed message should
display HTML pictures or text eliminating the extra time and
inconvenience of sniffer programs. "It's
a fact," notes Mitchell Rubin, Applied Info Group president, "that
the elements of color and imagery increase response rates in
print. This is especially true in Web environment where graphics
generate greatly increased click-throughs." The
state-of-the-art e-bureau also added the ability for direct
e-marketers to track each campaign at the Applied Info Group web site, appliedinfogroup.com.
Marketers can visit the site and download reports that measure
response (click through rates) as they appear. "The figures
literally change before your eyes," note Rubin. Applied Info Group
builds and maintains email databases, fulfills email files,
conducts merge/purge for email lists, and delivers email messages
to email address files. The list service bureau also fulfills
on-line requests as well as receives, tracks, and reports responses. "E-marketing
is becoming an essential element of most direct marketing campaigns,"
says Rubin. "Providing computer email services is a natural
extension of our traditional list service bureau offering." According
to Rubin, direct marketers are using email in a number of ways
to complement direct mail activity. Software companies, for
example, send email notices for upgrades. Similarly, publishers
are sending email notices for subscriptions and renewals. Catalogers
can boost orders by sending email messages alerting customers
that their next catalog will arrive shortly from which they
can take advantage of a special offer. And now marketers with
web sites can drive traffic to their sites with email messages
containing HTML. Much
like traditional mailing list services, Applied Info Group standardizes email
lists to ensure that all elements of each record are organized
properly. Applied Info Group's email processing software program looks at
each record to verify a user name and a deliverable domain name.
Then it matches files to permission based lists. Additionally,
Applied Info Group can conduct an permission based campaign for a new database
where the customers have not had a chance to get their permission.
Applied Info Group also matches email lists to postal address files for tandem
marketing programs. Prior
to delivering email, Applied Info Group formats the message, incorporating
links to a web site or a response mechanism giving recipients
options to respond positively or permission based of future
promotions. Messages can even include a microsite with an electronic
direct response offer. The program handles on-line information
fulfillment requests by automatically sending requested information
upon receipt of a positive response. "The
beauty of e-marketing is that within hours after sending email
messages, marketers can look at a report detailing the responses,
ranked according to list source and segment," Rubin points
out. "Campaigns can be adjusted on the fly rather than
waiting the few months necessary to evaluate postal campaigns." Rubin
also noted that mailers appreciate the security that comes by
placing email processing with a DMA-member list service bureau
that abides by industry guidelines for ethical list usage. Such
service bureaus are already entrusted with data belonging to
the most respected mailers in direct marketing and can be trusted
not to abuse email files. Applied
Information Group has served direct marketers as a PC-based,
state-of-the-art computer service bureau since 1988. The firm
also handles mailing list fulfillment, merge/purge, database
development, analysis and modeling, data warehousing, and list
enhancement. |