San Bruno, Calif. - November 19, 2009 - Responsys, a global provider of email and cross-channel marketing solutions, today announced the publication of "The Retail Email Guide to Multichannel Engagement: How Email Marketing Drives Interest in Other Sales and Marketing Channels". The complimentary 28-page guide discusses the growing need for cross-channel marketing coordination and explores how leading online retailers are promoting and leveraging other channels, such as mobile and social, in their email marketing messages.
"Integrated marketing is becoming imperative as the number of channels and customer touchpoints has grown," said Aaron Smith, Director of Creative Technologies at Responsys. "Rather than weakening email marketing, the proliferation of channels has made email even more dynamic and powerful."
Nearly 80 percent of marketers say they are executing cross-channel campaigns to some degree, according to MarketingSherpa. All indications suggest that more marketers are adopting a cross-channel approach and that their level of integration is deepening.
"With the growing emphasis on cross-channel marketing, email has emerged as a favorite," said Chad White, Research Director at Responsys and author of the guide. "In addition to being the undisputed preferred channel for deals and promotions, it excels at raising awareness of and driving traffic to other channels. As an established, ubiquitous, and inexpensive channel, email is the ideal partner for most other channel initiatives."
In addition to making the case for using email as the cornerstone of a strong cross-channel marketing approach, the guide examines the ways that email marketing has been used to support other channels by leading online retailers tracked by the Retail Email Blog. It highlights tactics and standout examples of retailers using email to promote social media, mobile, stores, direct mail, online, TV, and online video.
Other findings revealed in the guide include:
"Integrated marketing is becoming imperative as the number of channels and customer touchpoints has grown," said Aaron Smith, Director of Creative Technologies at Responsys. "Rather than weakening email marketing, the proliferation of channels has made email even more dynamic and powerful."
Nearly 80 percent of marketers say they are executing cross-channel campaigns to some degree, according to MarketingSherpa. All indications suggest that more marketers are adopting a cross-channel approach and that their level of integration is deepening.
"With the growing emphasis on cross-channel marketing, email has emerged as a favorite," said Chad White, Research Director at Responsys and author of the guide. "In addition to being the undisputed preferred channel for deals and promotions, it excels at raising awareness of and driving traffic to other channels. As an established, ubiquitous, and inexpensive channel, email is the ideal partner for most other channel initiatives."
In addition to making the case for using email as the cornerstone of a strong cross-channel marketing approach, the guide examines the ways that email marketing has been used to support other channels by leading online retailers tracked by the Retail Email Blog. It highlights tactics and standout examples of retailers using email to promote social media, mobile, stores, direct mail, online, TV, and online video.
Other findings revealed in the guide include:
- Email has become a strong component of retailers' efforts to grow their followings on Facebook and Twitter. As of July, more than 30 percent of major online retailers were running "join our community" efforts in their email campaigns.
- Mobile plays a small role in email marketing messaging currently, with less than 10 percent of major retailers promoting SMS subscriptions, iPhone apps and mobile sites.
- More than 15 percent of major retailers link to their blogs at least occasionally from their emails, using them as the landing page for articles and contests. However, most of those references are small and buried deep in retailers' emails.
- In recent months a handful of major retailers have used more than one channel as part of a single promotion. The guide includes several case-study examples of this integrated, cross-channel approach.