Email Ads Grow Up

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article about the increasing reliance of email ads by retailers. The best thing about email ads is that they can be targeted.

For example:

"When winter struck a large part of the country in November last year, J. Crew Group, inc. was able to quickly ship an email highlighting J. Crew's coat selections."

Not only is email much cheaper than TV or catalogs, it's easier to customize.

Here's how the Gap does it:

"(The Gap) usually segments messages by nine different customer groups. Segments include gender and shopping behavior, such as what item a shopper boutht, in which season and at what price."


Editor's Note: I have sworn off blogging about politics for the next couple of days (barring some emergency, that is). If this posting (regarding email and retailers) makes you think of micro-targeting politics, you just might be right. Remember, I said I wouldn't talk about politics during this little holiday. I never said I wouldn't talk about shopping. And ... if it just happens to remind you of politics ... that's your problem.