Q&As

La Quinta hotels are out with a new online-only campaign dangling an instant-win game to boost brand awareness and loyalty. The Irving, TX-based hotel chain is using the backdrop of a U.S. map showing La Quinta locations to tout its growth, and is …

Cotton Inc. and Seventeen Magazine are wrapping up a weeklong event that sent 50 high schoolers to camp at their local mall. “Cotton’s Fashion Camp” runs through Aug. 5 at General Growth Properties’ upscale Galleria Dallas mall, with seminars conducted …

President Bush intends to nominate James H. Bilbray to be a Governor of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, for the remainder of a nine-year term expiring Dec. 8 and for an additional nine-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2015.

Mentos maker Perfetti Van Melle USA this week launched a contest that capitalizes on a pop-culture fad that could shoot brand awareness sky-high. Someone, somewhere figured out that dropping a Mentos mint into a 2-liter bottle of pop makes the beverage …

Cingular Wireless has dialed up a sweepstakes to support its sponsorship of NASCAR car No. 31, driven by Jeff Burton of Richard Childress Racing. Cingular’s Race Talk sweeps is part of the wireless company’s on-air polling program that airs through …

Sara Lee Food & Beverage is reprising its Sensational Sandwich Search contest dangling a grand-prize trip to “The Sandwich Islands”: Hawaii. The August-September contest is timed to make the most out of back-to-school season and National Sandwich Month, …

Today’s mobile phones are tomorrow’s e-commerce mediums, according to Forrester. In a study of consumers and technology, the firm found that Generation Y uses its phones for a lot more then making calls – which means that once it has some serious money to spend, it’ll be comfortable with this channel. Will you?

Call it a case of cosmic coincidence: A Jewish organization is about to launch a viral campaign that touts the value of forgiveness. This occurs just after actor Mel Gibson made an initial pass at apologizing to the Jewish community for anti-Semitic comments he uttered while being arrested for speeding and drunk driving.

The party goes on.

Do-Re-Me & You! is the latest direct sales firm to sign up for IMN’s Party Pulse e-zine service. Its 1,000 consultants, who sell children’s storybooks and other learning products in home sales parties, can now communicate with customers through e-mail newsletters.

As far as we know, there are no degree programs for how to create e-mail newsletters. But it’s an art that should be studied.

In their eagerness to get their sales message across, many firms ignore basic design and technical rules.

Here are some e-mail tips from Geoff Smith, managing director of online product develop for Prism Business Media, the publisher of this e-zine.