Beginning Jan. 10, DMA member companies will be required to use e-MPS, the association’s e-mail preference service (E-MPS) for outbound commercial e-mail offers to prospects. On that date, consumers will be able to start opting out online of one or all three categories of commercial e-mail: business-to-consumer, business-to-business, or both. The January date was chosen to avoid any potential Y2K pitfalls that might negatively affect the suppression process, said Sally Gaskin, the DMA’s director of consumer services. Meanwhile, companies have already begun registering for the service, which has a $100 annual fee, at www.e-mps.org. E-MPS joins the DMA’s mail and telephone preference suppression services, which currently compile 3.5 million and 3 million consumer names, respectively.
eBags.com founder Jon Nortmark told attendees at a conference session yesterday that his eight-month- old site is showing 25% weekly revenue growth, thanks largely to an aggressive e-mail campaign. The site, which sells bags ranging from backpacks to computer cases, asks first-time buyers to fill out a profile, saying which category of bag they favor, as well as providing details about their lifestyle and upcoming events, such as a vacation. Subsequent promotional or informational e-mails are informed by this data. The site also features a contest for new members. When someone enrolls, they are entered in the contest. Then eBags sends them an e-mail promising to enter them a second time if they sign up a friend.
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