Now we’re in December I’m sure it hasn’t slipped your notice that the Christmas shopping period is well and truly under way!
Aside from all the usual kerfuffle, this may also have become clear due to the sheer number of marketing emails you’re seeing in your inbox, which constantly remind you of the fact.
The run-up to Christmas is traditionally a boom time for retail. And over the past few years there’s been increasing recognition that email marketing is a very powerful tool for increasing sales.
Consumers can be highly receptive to messages which suggest gift ideas direct to their inbox; offering hassle-free present purchases only a click away.
Alternatively some consumers may experience a “bah humbug” attitude due to the sheer deluge and apparent seasonal increase, in both number and frequency, of season’s greetings via email.
That aside, a new study by E-consultancy and cScape has revealed that companies believe email marketing is the tactic that has helped them engage the most with customers.
The Online Customer Engagement Report also finds that 59 per cent of companies questioned intend to increase spending on email as it’s considered to have the greatest impact on customer engagement.
It was also stated this week that comScore found that a third of people in the US are planning to take advantage of email coupons when buying Christmas gifts online.
With the credit crunch starting to bite, consumers are becoming increasingly price-conscious. The internet is seeing rising traffic to price-comparison and discount-based websites. But clever email marketing remains a highly effective way to achieve cut-through, by placing attractive, personalised offers directly in customers inboxes.