Email ''still central to marketing''

A large number of people pay close attention to email marketing and make purchases on the strength of it, a new survey has revealed.

According to research carried out by Epsilon, 86 per cent of respondents said they have made an in-store purchase as a direct result of receiving a relevant email offer, while 73 per cent claim to have spent money online as a result of receiving marketing emails.

"Consumers are attesting to the power of email marketing - they trust it, they respond to it, and they take proactive steps to ensure that they get messages from companies they do business with," said Ragy Thomas, president of Epsilon´s Interactive Services group.

Mr Thomas also indicated that "marketers must continue to strive for relevance and take the initiative to ensure that their messages reach their customers, and are welcomed by their customers, and inspire their customers to become brand advocates".

The survey of more than 400 email users found that more than half (51 per cent) of all respondents had forwarded marketing emails to friends, while 78 per cent of people had added email marketers to their email address books.
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