Question

Principles of Advertising

Question: Discuss permission marketing and strategies that can be used to overcome the problems of spam.

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Permission marketing - A method of direct marketing in which the consumer controls the process, agrees to receive communication from the company, and consciously signs up.

Spam - Unsolicited or undesired electronic messages.

Answer 1

We're throwing junk mail away. We use e-mail services to screen out spam. We affirm legislation that defines what hours telemarketers are not allowed to call when marketers are allowed to fax messages and avoid spamming text messages to mobile phones. Legislators are now considering new regulations that will create a "do not track" option to block strategies used by Internet marketers to collect intelligence. While many people seem reluctant to receive advertisements and offers, marketers still need to identify potential customers who want more information.

Marketing permissions are the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages to people who actually want them. "Those who want messages to sign up, subscribe, or otherwise opt-in to specific messaging media, such as newsletters or short message services (SMS) (see also Newsletter Marketing). Web pages of businesses and social media platforms offer ways for consumers to discover highly personalized messages and opt-in them.

While other forms of personalized marketing are initiated and controlled by the seller (and therefore often pushed much more frequently than the customer prefers), marketing permission emphasizes the control of the relationship by the customer, including when to ask for more and when to order it to stop.

Any SMS subscription, newsletter, blog, RSS feed, or even some loyalty cards may be an opportunity for marketing permission. For instance, customers who buy a Starbucks card can register the card online, allowing them to check their card's balance, or even get a replacement (with the balance!) if their card is lost. In order to send them a coupon for a free drink, Starbucks asks the customer for their birthday when they sign. They get the voucher when the customer's birthday comes around; what they don't get is more unsolicited mail sent to their email.

Like other types of two-way marketing communication, marketing permission is most effective when the customer is comfortable providing both quantity and quality information about themselves. For better service and more shopping options, some consumers make rational choices to sacrifice total privacy. As a group, those who have grown up with internet and mobile advertising, who are themselves engaged in social media and surfing the web, are the most comfortable with this decision.