Email is The New Peoria
Posted by Jordan Ayan on December 11th, 2008
In years past, prior to the launch of a major nationwide promotion, advertisers (usually packaged goods firms), would often test the promos in Peoria. In fact it is considered the test market capital of the world. Email is the New Peoria, only it is cheaper, and much more accessible. There is little debate that email marketing is one of the most cost effective methods for getting your message out. Email marketing is not however a one size fits all. There are customers and prospects who don’t have email accounts (albeit fewer and fewer these days). There are also, unfortunately, customers who just plain refuse to subscribe to your email communications despite your great opt-in process.
Email can be your greatest ally in creating off-line campaigns that produce better returns than they might otherwise. If you have created a rich email database, you have a powerful sandbox in which to experiment with offers and creative designs that you can translate into off-line campaigns. Sure, the medium is different, but the fundamentals are similar, so email is a great starting point, and in this economy, it can eliminate false starts that can eat into your marketing budget.
So as you start thinking about your next marketing campaigns, start with what I will call email focus groups. Small run tests of the different aspects of your messaging and creative to, as they say, “see how it plays in Peoria.”
