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	<title>Marketing Forward &#187; Digital Marketing</title>
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	<description>Marketing insight and consumer trends from Experian Marketing Services</description>
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		<title>SMS compliance: What you don’t know CAN hurt you</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2013/01/02/sms-compliance-what-you-dont-know-can-hurt-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2013/01/02/sms-compliance-what-you-dont-know-can-hurt-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:30:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Krylov</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compliance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6924</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In honor of SMS’s 20th anniversary and the MMA CBP’s 7th edition we would like to provide you with some key information about mobile marketing compliance. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is no question that when used correctly text messaging can have a great positive impact on a brand’s relationship with their customers, not to mention the potential to drive significant incremental revenue in the process. Part of creating that positive relationship with customers through this channel is clearly communicating the instructions, terms and conditions, benefits and your privacy policy related to the program you’re offering. In fact, the Federal Communications Commission recently released a declaratory ruling in support of the <a href="http://www.mmaglobal.com/uploads/Consumer-Best-Practices.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">Mobile Marketing Association</a>’s efforts to preserve “consumer preference and choice” through its <a href="http://www.mmaglobal.com/uploads/Consumer-Best-Practices.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">US Consumer Best Practices</a> (MMA CBP) guidelines.</p>
<p>In honor of SMS’s 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary late last year and the MMA CBP’s 7<sup>th</sup> edition we would like to provide you with some key information about mobile marketing compliance.</p>
<h3>Regulatory background</h3>
<p>Since the passing of the US CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, it has been widely believed that commercial SMS and MMS messages were subject to the same opt-out consent and unsubscribe requirements as commercial email. While the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider mobile messages when developing guidelines, the FCC has taken the position that text messages sent by automated broadcast systems are ‘automated calls’ and are therefore best covered under the <a href="http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/TCPA-Rules.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991</a>. Under the original Act, implied consent through a pre-existing business relationship and not opt-in consent was the standard for commercial telephonic communications and robo-calls.</p>
<p>On February 15, 2012 the FCC amended the TCPA to remove any ambiguity surrounding consent requirements for SMS, making it mandatory for businesses to receive “prior express written consent” before auto-dialing or texting consumers.</p>
<h3>Industry self-regulation background</h3>
<p>In 2003 the MMA published its first set of ethical guidelines for mobile marketers. Now a global-facing document, the MMA <a href="http://mmaglobal.com/codeofconduct.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">Code of Conduct</a> can be distilled into the following privacy principles:</p>
<ol type="a">
<li><strong>Adequate notice.</strong>Whenever requesting a mobile phone number marketers should inform consumers that they will be receiving SMS messages from a concrete shortcode-based program.</li>
<li><strong>Opt-in consent.</strong> Regardless of offline, online or handset-originating acquisition, consumers may not be automatically enrolled into an SMS program. Consumers must first give their express (opt-in) consent by knowingly volunteering their mobile number or using a handset-originating command to join the program. Submissions through online forms require a double opt-in.</li>
<li><strong>Opting out.</strong> Users should also know the ways to opt-out of a program, how to get help from their handset and where to reference terms and conditions, as well as the fact that message and data rates may apply when participating in an SMS program.</li>
</ol>
<p>While advocated, the Code was not enforced and there were no concrete rules it’s practical application. The shift to robust self-regulation came in 2007 when the Florida Attorney General’s Cybercrime Taskforce aggressively pursued affiliate networks and mobile carriers who enabled the proliferation of deceptive premium-rated mobile programs.<a title="" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> The AG’s actions resulted in a number of key settlements, the terms of which became the backbone of the MMA CBP and carrier-specific monitoring and enforcement playbooks. This self-regulatory schema has evolved steadily over the past 7 years and is currently administered by the custodians of US shortcodes, <a href="http://www.ctia.org/" target="_blank" class="broken_link">the CTIA</a>. In 2012 the CTIA, in collaboration with wireless carriers and industry auditors, developed a consolidated <a href="http://www.wmcglobal.com/images/CTIA_playbook.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">Common Shortcode Monitoring Compliance Playbook</a> for SMS marketers.</p>
<h3>Regulatory win for consumer best practices</h3>
<p>The FCC’s amendments to the TCPA resulted in unintended consequences for MMA-compliant senders who were subjected to threats of civil suits for alleged violations under the Act.<a title="" href="#_ftn2">[2]</a> On November 30, the FCC clarified that MMA-prescribed confirmation messages <a href="http://www.fcc.gov/document/declaratory-ruling-re-soundbite-tcpa-petition" target="_blank" class="broken_link">were not in violation of the TCPA</a>. According to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, “Hopefully, by making clear that the Act does not prohibit confirmation texts, we will end the litigation that has punished some companies for doing the right thing, as well as the <em>threat </em>of litigation that has deterred others from adopting a sound marketing practice.”</p>
<p>And while not an explicit endorsement, the FCC Commissioner’s comments in support of “sound marketing practices” should not be overlooked. Some marketers have already dealt with the consequences of breaking these rules by way of CTIA audits, program short codes being de-provisioned and private legal actions from consumers.<a title="" href="#_ftn3">[3]</a> With the TCPA updated to better reflect the state of privacy and practice in the industry today, rogue senders now have more reasons to worry.</p>
<p><strong>Michael Puffer, one of our mobile marketing experts at Experian Marketing Services, suggests you ask yourself the following questions when reviewing your mobile program: (HINT &#8211; If the answer is no, it might be time to take another look)</strong><strong> </strong></p>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Are you only sending mobile messages to those users that have provided express consent as defined by the MMA?</li>
<li>As part of that consent, are all programs identified and are the instructions, primary and secondary charges ( message and data rates), program terms and privacy policies clearly displayed anywhere opt-ins are promoted?</li>
<li>Are you ensuring that a user’s consent only applies to the specific program for which they opted-in, and not treated as a blanket approval for other programs?</li>
<li>Are you double opting-in subscribers who are joining programs from Web forms and other methods? (In most cases, texting from a phone is the only time a single opt-in should be used.)</li>
<li>Are you maintaining opt out (STOP) and assistance (HELP) mechanisms and communicating their use at the time opt-ins are collected?</li>
<li>Are all opt-out requests honored no later than 72 hours after receipt?</li>
</ol>
<p>If the answer to all of the above is YES, then you are well on your way to establishing a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship with your subscribers.</p>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div>
<p><a name="_ftn1"></a>[1] See Agreements of Voluntary Compliance with <a href="http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/KGRG-78QMWR/$file/Azoogle-AVC10-31-07.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">AzoogleAds</a>, <a href="http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/KGRG-7TAJQ2/$file/VerizonAVC.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">Verizon Wireless</a>, <a href="http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/JMEE-8Q2PLB/$file/AT&amp;T+-+Executed+AVC.pdf" target="_blank" class="broken_link">AT&amp;T</a>, et al</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a name="_ftn2"></a>[2] See <em>Gutierrez v. Barclays Group. Barclays paid $8 million to settle class action complaints that it violated the TCPA by sending MMA-prescribed STOP Confirm messages.</em></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a name="_ftn3"></a>[3] Although industry requirements are publicized as best practice guidelines, they are vigorously enforced by professional auditing firms under the direction of the CTIA.</p>
</div>
</div>
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		<title>Statistical significance in a testing world</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/27/statistical-significance-in-a-testing-world/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/27/statistical-significance-in-a-testing-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Dec 2012 06:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Sugano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[analytics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6901</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here we examine why understanding the mechanics that lie beneath the phrase ‘statistically significant’ is essential when conducting tests or defending a hypothesis.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Statistically significant is a phrase that many people throw around to add a little gravitas to their arguments, but I often wonder how many of these people actually understand what this phrase means. Some of the more frequent explanations I hear are that it means the p-value is small, or it signifies an important outcome to take note of, or it is an outcome that is most likely not occurring by chance. All of these responses are true, but having a fundamental understanding of the mechanics that lie beneath this phrase is essential for anyone responsible for conducting A/B tests, multivariate tests or pretty much any situation where analytics are being leveraged to defend an idea or hypothesis.</p>
<p>Last month, my blog post focused on the concept of <a href="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/19/cmstatistical-hypothesis-testing/">hypothesis testing in statistics</a>. Namely, defining what is meant by the null and alternative hypotheses, and why it is important to define these before any data have been collected. This month I will focus on how to interpret the results of your study after your hypotheses have been defined, the data collected and the results analyzed.</p>
<p>Let’s consider the following situation:</p>
<p>You have a friend who claims he has the ability to correctly predict the outcome of a coin toss more than 50% of the time. As a rational person you, of course, are skeptical, but you also realize that the only way to settle this assertion is to put your friend to the test and begin flipping coins. Wisely, however, you remember reading my last blog post on Marketing Forward about the importance of defining your hypotheses upfront before any data has been collected. So, you write the following on a piece of paper:</p>
<p><em>Null Hypothesis: My friend can only correctly predict the outcome of a coin flip 50% of the time</em></p>
<p><em>Alternative Hypothesis: My friend can correctly predict the outcome of a coin flip more than 50% of the time</em></p>
<p>Your friend agrees with your hypotheses and then you two begin a discussion around choosing an alpha level. The alpha level (α) is very important when it comes to statistical significance because it is the dividing line between what will be deemed statistically significant and what will not be deemed statistically significant. In a lot of ways this can make the phrase statistically significant seem rather arbitrary, which is why it is important to always choose your alpha level before any statistics are calculated. A typical alpha level is 5% or 0.05. What this means is that if the result of your experiment could only happen by chance less than 5% of the time, then the result is defined as being statistically significant. Similarly, if an alpha level of 1% or 0.01 is chosen (a stricter test) then statistical significance can only be claimed if the result should only happen by chance alone less than 1% of the time. But because your friend is so confident in his supernatural ability to correctly predict the outcome of a coin flip he is willing to meet that higher burden of proof and allows you to set the alpha level at 1%.</p>
<p>A visual way to understand the process described above would be as follows:</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6902" title="significance level" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/significance-level.jpg" alt="significance level" width="500" height="264" /></p>
<p>We all know there is natural variability involved with flipping a coin, but done repeatedly, we expect to arrive at a proportion of heads or tails that is very close to 50%. However, if your friend can truly predict the outcome of a coin flip at a rate <strong>significantly </strong>better than 50%, we are willing to reject the null hypothesis and conclude he does have some sort of supernatural gift or ability. But, we are only willing to give him this statistically significant designation if he lands in the top 1% (because we chose an α-level of 0.01) of the distribution shown above.</p>
<p>The exact value of this top 1% (rejection region) is dependent upon the number of coin flips your friend must try and predict. Let’s assume you guys both agree on 100 coin flips. In this case, the above graph can be updated with the following numbers.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6903" title="significance level 100 flips" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/significance-level-100-flips.jpg" alt="significance level 100 flips" width="500" height="265" /></p>
<p>This graph adds two new points of reference. The first is at the center of the distribution where P = 50% (‘P’ here is notation for proportion). This corresponds to what is assumed under the null hypothesis. Remember that in the null hypothesis we are stating that our friend has no predictive ability, and so his chances of predicting correctly should be centered at 50%. The other reference point is P = 62.9%, this percentage represents the 99<sup>th</sup> percentile of the distribution and is the dividing line between a statistically significant result and a result that is not statistically significant.</p>
<p>Well, after 100 flips of the coin your friend records an impressive (but not statistically significant) result of a 60% success rate. In this situation a 60% success rate corresponds to a p-value of .0228 or 2.28%. <strong>The p-value is always defined as the probability of getting a result as extreme or more extreme than what is observed, assuming the null hypothesis is true.</strong> In other words, if your friend’s ability to correctly predict the outcome of a coin toss is only 50%, there is still a 2.28% chance that his 60% success rate happened purely by chance alone. And since this percentage is higher than our alpha level, he does not fall into the rejection region and we fail to reject the null hypothesis. In other words, we do not see enough evidence statistically to believe his claim of supernatural coin flipping prediction ability.</p>
<p>An interesting note to mention, however, is that if the α-level had been set at 0.05 or 5%, the p-value of 2.28% would be less than the threshold required for statistical significance (5%) and we would have concluded that our friend does possess special predictive powers. This highlights the need to always specify an alpha level before proceeding with any statistical calculations as practitioners may be tempted to adjust their original alpha levels after results have been calculated in order to reach a statistically significant result.</p>
<p>To summarize, statistically significant is a phrase that has an inherent meaning and interpretation. But for those without a firm understanding of what is meant by the terms alpha level, p-value and null and alternative hypotheses, this phrase should be used a little less liberally until proper background knowledge is comprehended. Gaining this understanding will aid you when interpreting and defending the results of any statistical tests you have performed.</p>
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		<title>Hot holiday trends:  week of December 9th – 15th</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/21/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-december-9th-15th/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/21/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-december-9th-15th/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:59:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Kessler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Hitwise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retail and ecommerce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search intelligence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6876</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Experian Marketing Services releases holiday marketing trends for week of 
December 9th for email marketing and search intelligence
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Marketing Services" href="http://www.experian.com/marketing-services/marketing-services.html?intcmp=ems_blog">Experian Marketing Services</a>, has released its holiday insights for the week of December 9<sup>th</sup>, 2012.</p>
<p><strong>This week the study finds:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a title="email marketing" href="http://http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/email-marketing.html?intcmp=ems_blog" class="broken_link">Email</a> campaigns with offers in the subject line make up 28.6% of campaigns this holiday season &#8211; a 6% increase over the 27% of campaigns with offers seen last year.</li>
<li>Offers in subject lines for percent off, dollars off, BOGO, gift cards and coupons have increased as a percent of total offers, while flash sales, free shipping and urgency make up a lower percentage of offers than they did last season.</li>
<li>87% of traffic generated by search terms containing &#8220;free shipping&#8221; was organic traffic during the week ending 12/15.</li>
<li>Hot Products: top search terms to appliance &amp; electronic sites were &#8220;beats by dre&#8221; and &#8220;otterbox&#8221; for the week ending 12/15.</li>
<li>Multi-channel retailers, catalogers, and publishers had double digit increases in volume for the week of 12/9 &#8211; 12/15 compared to 2011.</li>
<li>The increases in revenue per email we have seen this year over last year are holding as we approach the last 2 weeks of the season.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Highlights and trends: continue the conversation</strong></p>
<p>As the holiday is almost here, it is important to expand upon and continue the relationships you have achieved with subscribers and buyers this season. Email is an excellent way to have multi-channel conversations with your customers</p>
<p><strong><a title="Social Marketing" href="http://www.experian.com/social-marketing/index.html?intcmp=ems_blog">Social media</a>:</strong></p>
<p>Encourage subscribers to share their holiday gifts and experiences on your social media sites. Facebook and Pinterest are the most popular social media sites to appear in subject lines, and both received higher than average open and click rates during this holiday season.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6877" title="Mailings mentioning Pinterest or Facebook in their subject lines had higher than average open and click rates this holiday season" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mailings-mentioning-pinterest-or-facebook-in-the-subject-line.jpg" alt="Mailings mentioning Pinterest or Facebook in their subject lines had higher than average open and click rates this holiday season" width="618" height="344" /></p>
<p><strong>Ratings and surveys:</strong><br />
Continue the conversation with your subscribers by sending surveys and/or requests for ratings and reviews of your products and services. Strong open and click rates on these types of mailings indicate that subscribers welcome the chance to interact with you in this way.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6878" title="Survey and ratings requests have 50% higher open rates and more than double the click rates of average holiday mailings" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/survey-and-rating-requests.jpg" alt="Survey and ratings requests have 50% higher open rates and more than double the click rates of average holiday mailings" width="618" height="376" /></p>
<p><strong>Thank-you mailings</strong>:<br />
For a &#8216;quick win&#8217; at the end of this holiday season and throughout the year, include campaigns with the words &#8216;thank-you&#8217; in the subject line. Mailings sent to thank folks for subscribing to a list, or joining a loyalty program, or purchasing a product had more than 2.5 times the open rate and over 3 times the click rate of the average for all season mailings.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6879" title="Say Thank you and double and triple your open and click rates" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/say-thank-you-and-double-and-triple-open-and-click-rates.jpg" alt="Say Thank you and double and triple your open and click rates" width="625" height="368" /></p>
<p>In addition to generating high open and click rates, &#8216;thank-you&#8217; mailings provide exceptional transaction rates and revenue per email. Sending a &#8216;Thank-you for purchase&#8217; mailing in addition to any order confirmations, can provide 6.5x higher revenue per email than the average for all season mailings.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6880" title="Thank you mailings provide a 2x-6x boost in transaction rates" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/thank-you-mailings-provide-a-two-to-six-times-boost-in-transaction-rates.jpg" alt="Thank you mailings provide a 2x-6x boost in transaction rates" width="588" height="294" /></p>
<p><strong><a title="Online Consumer Insights" href="http://www.experian.com/hitwise/index.html?intcmp=ems_blog">Online consumer insights</a></strong></p>
<p>Monday, December 17 was Free Shipping Day – which marks another major e-retail day as shipping deadlines approach to ensure timely holiday deliveries. Leading up to this day, variations of ‘free shipping’ search terms have  been rising since November, and have increased 91% since the week ending 11/3.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6881" title="Variations of free shipping share of clicks for all industries" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/variations-of-free-shipping-share-of-search-clicks.jpg" alt="Variations of free shipping share of clicks for all industries" width="661" height="588" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6882" title="Top 5 search terms containing free shipping" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/top-five-search-terms-containing-free-shipping.jpg" alt="Top 5 search terms containing free shipping" width="474" height="365" /><br />
Continuing our watch of gift card searches as we get closer to the Christmas holiday, we see that searches containing &#8216;gift card&#8217; increased 42% in the past week.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6886" title="Variations of gift card share of search clicks for all industries" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/variations-of-gift-card-share-of-search-clicks1.jpg" alt="Variations of gift card share of search clicks for all industries" width="657" height="585" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6887" title="Top 5 Search terms containing gift card" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/top-five-search-terms-containing-gift-card.jpg" alt="Top 5 Search terms containing gift card" width="474" height="360" /></p>
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		<title>Hot holiday trends: week of December 2nd – December 8th</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/13/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-december-2nd-december-8th/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/13/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-december-2nd-december-8th/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:11:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Kessler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black friday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyber monday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Hitwise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Experian Marketing Services has released its holiday insights for the week of December 2nd, 2012.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Marketing Services" href="http://www.experian.com/marketing-services/marketing-services.html">Experian Marketing Services</a> has released its holiday insights for the week of December 2<sup>nd</sup>, 2012.</p>
<p><strong>This week’s key findings:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>More promotional mailings are being sent on weekends. The average weekend this holiday season had 43% promotional and 57% trigger campaigns. This past weekend, 47% were promotional campaigns, a 9% increase from the 43% average.</li>
<li>Although still a small percentage of mailings, the number of campaigns offering gift cards in subject lines more than doubled compared to the same week in 2011.</li>
<li>The top 5 ranked Websites, in the <a title="Online Behavior" href="http://www.experian.com/hitwise/index.html">Hitwise</a> retail 500 by visits share, for the week ending 12/8 were Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and J.C. Penney.</li>
<li>“Shutterfly coupon codes free shipping” and “Harry and David free shipping” topped the free shipping search term list for the week ending 12/8.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Email highlights and trends: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Christmas day mailings:</strong></p>
<p>Only one third of brands sent promotional mailings on Christmas day in 2011 and, of those, about half of the campaigns included an offer in the subject line. Christmas day offers for post holiday sales actually did quite well, receiving double the transaction rate compared to the mailings without offers (transaction rate of 0.17% with offer in subject line compared to 0.08% without an offer).</p>
<p>If you do plan to mail on Christmas, make sure that you mail early in the day:</p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6793" title="Mail very early on Christmas Day - over half the day's revenue came from mailing sent before 4 AM" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hotsheet-week-9-chart-1.jpg" alt="Mail very early on Christmas Day - over half the day's revenue came from mailing sent before 4 AM" width="608" height="351" /></p>
<p><strong>Post-Christmas week:</strong></p>
<p>Promotional mailings with offers also did well in the post-Christmas week (December 26th &#8211; 31st).</p>
<p>The transaction rate for mailings with offers in their subject lines was 0.09% compared to 0.08% for mailings without offers. Revenue per email was also higher for the campaigns with offers.</p>
<blockquote><p>The 4:00 AM time slot received a much higher percentage of total revenue than its percentage of volume, making it the best time to mail.</p></blockquote>
<p>Morning mailings also did well on post-Christmas days. The 4:00 AM time slot received a much higher percentage of total revenue than its percentage of volume, making it the best time to mail.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6794" title="The best time to mail from December 26th - 31st was between 4-8AM" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hotsheet-week-9-chart-2.jpg" alt="The best time to mail from December 26th - 31st was between 4-8AM" width="600" height="353" /></p>
<p><strong>Online consumer insights:</strong></p>
<p>While Peak Week last year, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, saw big spikes in online retail traffic, there was another spike in traffic the day after Christmas. In 2011, there was a 3% increase in online retail traffic on Christmas and a 33% increase the day after Christmas.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6795" title="Daily Retail 500 Visits during Holiday Season" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hotsheet-week-9-chart-3.jpg" alt="Daily Retail 500 Visits during Holiday Season" width="546" height="401" /><br />
<sup>Source: Experian Hitwise</sup></p>
<p>In 2011 we saw a spike on Christmas day occur in both social and search driving traffic to the Retail 500 sites.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6796" title="Traffic from social media and search engines to retail websites" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hotsheet-week-9-chart-4.jpg" alt="Traffic from social media and search engines to retail websites" width="537" height="353" /></p>
<p>As we noted last week, interest in gift cards peaks during the final weeks leading up to Christmas. While searches for gift cards last year reflect that pattern, it should also be noted that searches for gift cards during the week after Christmas were also at higher levels than those seen at the start of the season.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6798" title=" interest in gift cards peaks during the final weeks leading up to Christmas" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hotsheet-week-9-chart-5.jpg" alt=" interest in gift cards peaks during the final weeks leading up to Christmas" width="694" height="257" /><br />
<sup>Source: Experian Hitwise</sup></p>
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		<title>Peak Week search and email trends – a video recap</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/12/peak-week-search-and-email-trends-a-video-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/12/peak-week-search-and-email-trends-a-video-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denice Surjan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black friday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyber monday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Hitwise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6786</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pamela Robertson covers Peak Week online traffic and email trends, and tips for the rest of your holiday email marketing campaigns.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Peak Week is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday – a crucial time for marketers and shoppers alike. Here, Pamela Robertson takes us through some of the online traffic and email trends we saw this year, and provides tips for the rest of your email marketing campaigns this holiday.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XUvy2EL_RkE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Key findings:</p>
<p>Online traffic numbers climbed this year compared to last:</p>
<ul>
<li>Thanksgiving Day increased 6%</li>
<li>Black Friday increased 7%</li>
<li>Cyber Monday increased 11%</li>
</ul>
<p>Search played a bigger part in Cyber Monday traffic this year compared to 2011:</p>
<ul>
<li>Downstream traffic from search engines to Retail 500 Websites increased by 5%</li>
</ul>
<p>There’s still time to capitalize on email transactions this holiday season:</p>
<ul>
<li>Last year, December 16<sup>th</sup> – 9 days before Christmas – ranked 4<sup>th</sup> for email transactions</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Hot holiday trends: week of November 25th – December 1st</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/06/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-november-25th-december-1st/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/06/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-november-25th-december-1st/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:11:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Kessler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyber monday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Hitwise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peak week]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search intelligence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Experian Marketing Services has released its holiday insights for the week of November 25th, 2012. Take a look at the key findings.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Experian Marketing Services has released its holiday insights for the week of November 25<sup>th</sup>, 2012.</p>
<p><strong>This week’s key findings:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>All peak days, from Monday 11/19 through Cyber Monday (11/26), saw increases in total email transactions and revenue. Email marketers experienced a 28% increase in the number of email transactions, and a 38% increase in revenue.</li>
<li>There has been a 33% increase in the number of email campaigns with &#8220;Black Friday&#8221; or &#8220;Cyber Monday&#8221; in their subject lines this season compared to 2011.</li>
<li>Personalization in email subject lines has increased 27% over 2011.</li>
<li>Coupons in subject lines have increased by 58% this season.</li>
<li>Cyber Monday search terms increased by 16% the week ending 11/24/2012 versus 2011 and by 5% the week ending 12/1/2012 versus 2011.</li>
<li>For the week ending 12/1/2012, the top Cyber Monday search terms include &#8220;Cyber Monday deals 2012,&#8221; &#8220;Cyber Monday deals,&#8221; &#8220;Cyber Monday&#8221; and &#8220;Walmart Cyber Monday deals 2012&#8243;.</li>
<li>40% of Cyber Monday search terms contained 4 keywords in a search term.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Email highlights and trends: Peak Week performance:</strong></p>
<p>Total email transactions and revenue increased every day of Peak Week compared to 2011, for a total increase of over 28% in transactions and 38% for revenue.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/peak-week-email-transactions-large.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6773" title="peak-week-email-transactions-large" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/peak-week-email-transactions-large.png" alt="" width="600" height="153" /></a></p>
<p>The largest email transaction and revenue increases are seen in the three industries that are the most &#8216;holiday&#8217; and gift driven:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/peak-week-2012v2011-large.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6774" title="peak-week-2012v2011-large" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/peak-week-2012v2011-large.png" alt="" width="600" height="191" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Online consumer insights:</strong></p>
<p>Search was a big driver for the Retail 500 websites on Cyber Monday this year.</p>
<ul>
<li>Search engine downstream traffic to Retail 500 websites on Cyber Monday increased by 5% compared to 2011</li>
<li>For Cyber Monday search terms over 12 weeks ending 12/1/12, the paid rate of generated traffic was 20.36% and the organic rate of traffic was 79.64%</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cyber-monday-searches.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6765" title="cyber-monday-searches" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cyber-monday-searches.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="291" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cyber-monday-downstream.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6766" title="cyber-monday-downstream" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cyber-monday-downstream.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="316" /></a></p>
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		<title>An easy opt-out process is key to protecting your email reputation</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/04/an-easy-opt-out-process-is-key-to-protecting-your-email-reputation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/12/04/an-easy-opt-out-process-is-key-to-protecting-your-email-reputation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:55:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Spencer Kollas</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deliverability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s important that the email opt-out process is as easy as possible. This might sound counter-intuitive, but it can be key in protecting your reputation. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>ISPs determine inbox placement based on the reputation of the sender. Reputation can depend on a variety of factors, such as complaint rates (spam button), unknown user rates and spam trap hits.</p>
<p>Your opt-out process could be affecting your reputation. This might sound counter-intuitive, but ease of opt-out can be critical in protecting your email reputation. It is important that the opt-out process is made as easy and transparent as possible.</p>
<p>Customers receive a growing number of emails that they’ve subscribed to but are no longer particularly interested in. While email clients are working to filter these, there is the very real danger that consumers can simply hit the spam button to permanently remove them. Given that spam reports are fundamental to your reputation with ISPs as a trusted email provider, this can have disastrous consequences on the <a title="Email Deliverability" href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/deliverability.html?intcmp=emsblog">deliverability</a> of all future campaigns.</p>
<p>Email marketers need to make it easier for customers to manage their subscriptions, even if this means that they ultimately decide to unsubscribe. Ensure that every email is clear about where subscribers have to click to opt-out. If the process isn’t instantaneous, manage expectations and let them know that they may receive some additional emails over a specified and short period of time.</p>
<p>To lessen the risk of complete disengagement, marketers can offer customers the opportunity to “opt-down” rather than opt-out by allowing customers to quickly and easily:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reduce the frequency of emails,</li>
<li>Opt-out of some communications but also opt-in to new ones, or</li>
<li>Further refine preferences so they get what they want.</li>
</ul>
<p>In either scenario, you can use the process to gain more valuable data from customers, asking them to share their reasons for leaving and provide suggestions on how to improve your email communications. In making opt-out and opt-down more customer-centric, you can protect your reputation both with ISPs and with customers.</p>
<p>For more information on protecting your email reputation and<a title="Email deliverability" href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/deliverability.html"> improving deliverability</a>, download Experian Marketing Service’s white paper, <a href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/three-pillars-of-deliverability-wp.html?intcmp=emsblog">Three pillars of successful email deliverability: Ensuring safe arrival and optimum placement in the inbox</a></p>
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		<title>Hot holiday trends: week of November 18th – November 24th</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/29/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-november-18th-november-24th/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/29/hot-holiday-trends-week-of-november-18th-november-24th/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:45:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Kessler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black friday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyber monday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Hitwise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Simmons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6704</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Experian Marketing Services has released its holiday insights for the week of November 18th, 2012 This week&#8217;s key findings: Mailers started earlier, with the Monday (11/19) before Thanksgiving having the largest percentage increase (20.6%) in volume.  Black Friday, Sunday 11/25, and Cyber Monday all had double digit increases in volume over last year. Forty-five percent [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Experian Marketing Services has released its holiday insights for the week of November 18th, 2012<br />
<strong>This week&#8217;s key findings:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Mailers started earlier, with the Monday (11/19) before Thanksgiving having the largest percentage increase (20.6%) in volume.  Black Friday, Sunday 11/25, and Cyber Monday all had double digit increases in volume over last year.</li>
<li>Forty-five percent (45%) of holiday season emails are being opened on mobile &#8211; up slightly from the 44% we saw just before the season began.</li>
<li>Led by Black Friday offers, campaigns with offers in the subject line made up almost 30% of all campaigns sent this past week.</li>
<li>Black Friday search terms increased by 107% between the weeks ending 11/17/2012 and 11/24/2012.</li>
<li>For the week of 11/17/2012, visits to Cyber Monday websites increased by 259% compared to last year. Additionally, visits for the week of 11/24/2012 increased by 190% versus 2011.</li>
<li>Cyber Monday search terms increased by 606% between the weeks of 11/17/2012 and 11/24/2012.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Email volume</strong></p>
<p>During peak week, mailers started earlier, with the Monday (11/19) before Thanksgiving having the largest percentage increase (20.6%) in volume.  Black Friday, Sunday 11/25, and Cyber Monday all had double digit increases over last year.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6756" title="volume-change-by-day-peak-week" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/volume-change-by-day-peak-week.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="189" /></p>
<p><strong>Gift guides and gift cards</strong><br />
As the holidays get closer, more and more shopping is focused on gifts. Two popular gift-oriented ideas for email campaigns are gift guides and gift cards. Gift guides are popular and effective ways to present many products to undecided consumers, and they generate higher transaction rates than other promotional mailings.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6720" title="Transaction Rates for gift mailings are 48% higher than promotional rates" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/transaction-gift-guide2.jpg" alt="Transaction Rates for gift mailings are 48% higher than promotional rates" width="500" height="286" /></p>
<p>Describing your brand as &#8216;Best&#8217; in the subject line leads to the highest open and click rates for gift guides.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6722" title="Gift guide mailings that include the word best in the subject line had the highest click and open rates" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/best-gift-guide.jpg" alt="Gift guide mailings that include the word best in the subject line had the highest click and open rates" width="500" height="265" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last minute shoppers, and those looking for gifts for &#8216;hard to please&#8217; folks, are often drawn to gift cards. In 2011, we saw the number of gift card emails double in the two weeks prior to Christmas. Forty-two percent (42%) of US adults have purchased gift cards in the past year.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6723" title="Restaurants and clothing stores are the most popular types of gift cards" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/gift-cards1.jpg" alt="Restaurants and clothing stores are the most popular types of gift cards" width="500" height="330" /></p>
<p>Teens are notoriously difficult to shop for. No wonder, purchases of music/entertainment gift cards are highest among parents of teens. In fact, parents of kids ages 12 to 17 are 86% more likely than the average adult to have bought these types of gift cards.</p>
<p><strong>Online consumer insights:</strong><br />
With the busiest holiday shopping weekend behind us – let’s recap what happened online. So far this past holiday week of online traffic from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday to retail sites is up 8% compared to last year. Cyber Monday, for the second year in a row, was the busiest of the three milestone days and looks to be tracking as the busiest day of the year in online retail visits.</p>
<p>Thanksgiving Day online traffic increased 6% in 2012 versus 2011 as the top 500 retail sites received more than 192.5 million total US visits.</p>
<p>Black Friday online traffic increased 7% year-over-year as the top 500 retail sites received more than 193.8 million total US visits.</p>
<p>Online traffic on Cyber Monday increased 11% in 2012 compared to last year, as the top 500 retail sites received more than 206.8 million total US visits.</p>
<p><strong>Top product searches by milestone days</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6724" title="Top product Searches for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/top-product-searches1.jpg" alt="Top product Searches for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday" width="500" height="242" /></p>
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		<title>A spotlight on brand loyalty: Understanding brand loyalists and how to effectively market to them</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/28/a-spotlight-on-brand-loyalty-understanding-brand-loyalists-and-how-to-effectively-market-to-them/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/28/a-spotlight-on-brand-loyalty-understanding-brand-loyalists-and-how-to-effectively-market-to-them/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Kessler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consumer research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian Simmons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[report]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/?p=6681</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In today’s digital world, with instant comparisons between brands available at your fingertips, it is particularly important to cultivate and reward ‘loyal’ customers. Whether the program is based on points, miles, gift cards, credit cards, stamps or coupons, the goal of a loyalty program is to keep the best customers committed to the brand. Customer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In today’s digital world, with instant comparisons between brands available at your fingertips, it is particularly important to cultivate and reward ‘loyal’ customers. Whether the program is based on points, miles, gift cards, credit cards, stamps or coupons, the goal of a loyalty program is to keep the best customers committed to the brand. Customer retention has never been more important. Communication is key, and <a title="email marketing" href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/email-marketing.html?intcmp=emsblog">email marketing</a> plays a leading role in informing loyalty members of benefits, status, offers, as well as brand and program news.</p>
<p>To identify current brand loyalty trends, we looked at the latest survey research from<a title="Media Research" href="http://www.experian.com/simmons-research/consumer-study.html?intcmp=emsblog"> Experian Simmons</a> (Spring, 2012 NHCS Adult Survey 12-month) and at loyalty emails sent between January 2011 and March 2012 from 43 brands.</p>
<p><strong>Who are these brand loyalists?</strong></p>
<p>Experian Simmons found that 34% of the adult U.S. population has been a ‘brand loyalist’ as of April of this year. Looking at that 34%, we have identified some key areas in which brand loyalists differ from the overall adult U.S. population.<img class="alignnone  wp-image-6682" title="Brand Loyalist Mindset" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/brand-loyalist-mindset.jpg" alt="Brand Loyalist Mindset" width="590" height="436" /></p>
<p><strong>The response to email campaigns reflects this mindset in a number of ways:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dollars and sense</strong><br />
Offers are valuable, but purchasing the right product from a preferred brand may be more so. While 80% of brand loyalists said they do not buy unknown brands merely to save money, 69% are always looking out for special offers. Mailings without offers in the subject line had 24% higher transaction rates, but 11% lower revenue per email than loyalty mailings with offers in the subject line.</p>
<p><em>Consideration: Test whether including an offer will work best for your loyalty program.</em></p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6684" title="Loyalty mailings without offers had higher transaction rates but lower revenue per email" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/loyalty-mailings-without-offers-had-higher-transaction-rates-but-lower-revenue-per-email.jpg" alt="Loyalty mailings without offers had higher transaction rates but lower revenue per email" width="524" height="348" /></p>
<p><strong>The 1:1 &#8211; Value your customer</strong></p>
<p>When looking for a ‘favorite store,’ emails with dynamic store locations in the subject line can help ensure that your loyalty members will easily find your brand. Loyalty emails with name, dynamic benefit or status updates, or dynamic store locations enjoyed unique open rates that were 83% higher than loyalty mailings that had no dynamic content in the subject line (loyalty mailings with dynamic content had unique open rates of 43.5% compared to 23.5% for those without dynamic content).</p>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>“Spend $75 and Get a $10 Summer Reward Coupon at %storename%!”</li>
<li>“Use your $%point_balance% in Instant Rewards on gifts for Dad”</li>
<li>“Here’s Your Online Reward Dollars %fname%”</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p><strong>Keep it fresh</strong><br />
New ideas, new benefits — equates to more engagement. Campaigns mentioning new, updated benefits had more than double the transaction rates than other loyalty mailings (loyalty mailings with new benefits had transaction rates of 43% compared to 20% for other loyalty mailings).</p>
<p><strong>Mobile Marketing and social media attitudes<br />
</strong>Two areas in which brand loyalists expressed opinions that were stronger than the average U.S. adult population in the Experian Simmons survey are <a title="Mobile Marketing" href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/mobile.html?intcmp=emsblog">mobile marketing</a> and social networks.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone  wp-image-6685" title="Brand loyalists mobile and social network attitudes" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/brand-loyalist-mobile-and-social-network-attitudes.jpg" alt="Brand loyalists mobile and social network attitudes" width="624" height="371" /></p>
<blockquote><p>Loyalty email campaigns can be effective cross-channel marketing tools that boost your brand’s mobile and social media program engagement</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Support mobile programs</strong><br />
Loyalty programs are crucial to the travel industry and travel brands are leading the way with mobile communications and mobile apps. Travel is not alone. Mobile loyalty programs are being started in many different types of brands including supermarkets, pharmacies, consumer electronic stores and office supply companies, just to name a few. Loyalty emails are a great way to increase mobile program enrollment and provide unique benefits to loyalty members.</p>
<ul>
<li>“Earn Bonus Points when you enroll in mobile messaging”</li>
<li>“Introducing Quick Prints &#8211; The Fastest Way To Print From Mobile Phone to Store”</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Use surveys and ratings and reviews </strong><br />
Sixty-seven percent of brand loyalists said they ask people for advice before buying new things. They are also 23% more likely than the average U.S. adult to say that they trust product information on social networking sites. Email is an effective way to obtain opinions and product reviews that can then be used on your social media site. Survey and review requests to loyalty members had 38% higher open rates and more than double the click rates of other loyalty mailings (surveys/reviews had unique open rates of 28% and click rates of 10.7% compared to non-survey loyalty mailing rates of 20.2% and 3.7% respectively).</p>
<ul>
<li>“Earn 1,000 Miles For Your Valued Feedback”</li>
<li>“Tell us what you think.”</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Take full advantage of social media</strong></p>
<p>With 75% of brand loyalists saying they like to share their knowledge with others, it is likely that some of that sharing is happening on social media sites. The keen interest brand loyalists have in social media can be seen in their response to emails asking them to join or follow a site:</p>
<ul>
<li>Experian CheetahMail click analyses have shown that emails with invitations to ‘like us’, typically receive 43% of their total clicks on the main link to the social media site</li>
<li>Social invitation emails sent to loyalty segments, however, received almost 70% of their total clicks on the main link to social media</li>
</ul>
<p>Above all, the key to building and retaining loyalty is to know your customer, understand their mindset, acknowledge their individuality and tailor your brand’s messaging to meet their needs, wants and interests across channels. The extra efforts will be recognized by your brand’s biggest supporters and you will soon gain new fans along the way.</p>
<p>Brand loyalty was spotlighted in Experian CheetahMail’s Q3 2012 Benchmark Study. <a title="Email Marketing Benchmark Study" href="http://www.experian.com/cheetahmail/email-marketing-quarterly-benchmark-study-q3-2012.html?intcmp=emsblog">View the full Email Marketing Benchmark Study</a>.</p>
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		<title>#Twitter and #hashtags in email subject lines</title>
		<link>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/27/twitter-and-hashtags-in-email-subject-lines/</link>
		<comments>http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2012/11/27/twitter-and-hashtags-in-email-subject-lines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:40:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liz Gould</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Digital Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experian CheetahMail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trending Now]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Twitter has been around for quite some time, but as we move into the holiday season, we’ve been seeing Twitter used more in email campaigns, on Websites and via SMS. We thought we’d take a quick look at some statistics and trends around campaigns our clients have been sending, as well as some quick hit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="size-full wp-image-6311 alignnone" title="Trending Now" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/trendingnow.jpg" alt="Trending Now" width="285" height="105" /></p>
<p>Twitter has been around for quite some time, but as we move into the holiday season, we’ve been seeing Twitter used more in email campaigns, on Websites and via SMS. We thought we’d take a quick look at some statistics and trends around campaigns our clients have been sending, as well as some quick hit ideas you can use as we head in to the holidays.</p>
<p><strong>What we know about Twitter and its audience:</strong></p>
<p>We know that Twitter’s audience skews young. Experian Marketing Services has found that more 18-25 year olds are utilizing the social media giant than other sites like Facebook or Pinterest. We also know it’s a great source for real-time news information, customer service interaction and gathering instant feedback. Additionally, a previous study by Experian Marketing Services has found that using the word “Twitter” in subject lines can increase open rates by up to 14% and click through rates by up to 2.3%.</p>
<p><strong>But what about other creative ways of using Twitter in your emails?</strong></p>
<p>We noticed a growing trend with hastags recently being used in subject lines, specifically with retailers that cater to the teen market, so we took a deeper dive to see how they were performing across our client’s campaigns.</p>
<p><strong>What we found:</strong></p>
<p>We looked across campaigns with hashtags in their subject lines between June and September 2012 and compared results to the same client’s overall quarterly performance. Hashtag mailings appear to generate a modest lift of 4.8% in open rates, but we also noticed a drop in both click and transaction rates.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusions and advice:</strong></p>
<p>If you’re looking to grow your Twitter base and build your brand, a lack of transactions might be okay for this type of email. But if you’re also looking to get those transactions and clicks, think about what you are asking your subscribers to do, as even your subject line can contain a call to action. If the subject line is directing or encouraging recipients to take action to tweet the hashtag, it is possible that the drop in click and transaction rates is a reflection of the action the email is asking the recipient to take.</p>
<p>While hashtags in subject lines may look like a great opportunity to lift opens, it’s important to be careful with the rest of your message if your main goal is to also increase clicks and transactions.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sample campaign 1:</span></p>
<p>Subject Line: Our #SoCalStylist just added a new video in Hollister Club Cali!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6665" title="Hollister taking advantage of Twitter hashtag in email marketing" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hollister-Hashtag-email.jpg" alt="Hollister taking advantage of Twitter hashtag in email marketing" width="497" height="601" /></p>
<p>Above, they are asking customers to “tweet now” in the secondary part of the email, but the main call to action is to “join now.”</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sample campaign 2:</span></p>
<p>Subject Line: #Liveyourlife</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6666" title="American Eagle Outfitters uses Twitter Hashtag in Email Marketing" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/American-Eagle-Outfitters-Hashtags-email.jpg" alt="American Eagle Outfitters uses Twitter Hashtag in Email Marketing" width="475" height="525" /></p>
<p>Again, the main calls to action direct users to the sales occurring at the time, while separately calling out the hashtag campaign American Eagle is touting.</p>
<p><strong>Other ways to incorporate Twitter in to your marketing mix:</strong></p>
<p>After checkout, think about asking users to tweet about their purchase. I’m sure many of you have seen share functions on Websites like Amazon post purchase. Here, Gilt Groupe takes this concept one step further, giving their customers and incentive to share.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6667" title="Gilt Groupe Golden Tweet " src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hashtag-GoldenTweet.jpg" alt="Gilt Groupe Golden Tweet " width="654" height="129" /></p>
<p><strong>Also remember to include customer tweets in emails:</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6669" title="Starz includes customer tweets in their email marketing" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/starz-hashtags-email.jpg" alt="Starz includes customer tweets in their email marketing" width="391" height="548" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6678" title="Starz included tweet in email marketing" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/starz-tweet.jpg" alt="Starz included tweet in email marketing" width="280" height="147" /></p>
<p>The above example shows a great way to include your community, and make your customers work for you. Experian CheetahMail has found that when including customer ratings and/or reviews in emails, we see a lift in transaction rates. You can use tweets about your programs or products as you would a review. People love hearing from other folks like them, so where appropriate include those customer tweets.</p>
<p><strong>And take it one step further with live tweets:</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6672" title="DirecTV tweets in Email" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DirecTV-Twitter-in-email.jpg" alt="DirecTV tweets in Email" width="293" height="667" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6670" title="DirecTV Live Tweets in Email Marketing" src="http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DirecTV-Tweets.jpg" alt="DirecTV Live Tweets in Email Marketing" width="472" height="268" /></p>
<p>Here, DirecTV is streaming live tweets from events in their email. This is another great way to keep your emails current and targeted.</p>
<p>If promoting your Twitter presence is right for your brand, now that you know its core demographics and uses, incorporating some of these tactics might also be right for you. As we always say, you’ll never know until you test, test, test.</p>
<p>And if you want to share results, tweet me @gouldliz</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignleft" title="Liz Gould" src="http://www.experian.com/assets/cheetahmail/images/liz-gould.png" alt="Liz Gould" width="119" height="150" />About Liz Gould:</strong></p>
<p>Liz Gould brings over 13 years of knowledge, passion and experience in digital media to her colleagues and clients at Experian CheetahMail. In her current role as director of strategic accounts, Liz advises CheetahMail’s largest accounts on their email, mobile and social strategies. She began her career at agencies like Euro RSCG, advising clients such as Mastercard, Goldman Sachs, Genentech, and Electronic Arts.</p>
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