For the third interview in the series I caught up with Wayne Carrigan, Executive Vice President with ThinData, one of Canada’s leading Email Service Providers.
Any highlights for ThinData this year that really shaped your business?
ThinData’s successes were led by three factors:
· A key marketing trend. Marketers across industries have recognized – and embraced – the power that permission-based email plays in driving their business success. Specifically, they are seeking to take advantage of many of email’s unique strengths such as the ability to deliver personalized messages, immediately measure campaign results and conduct cost-effective testing.
· Leading National and International clients embraced our strategic approach because it had a positive impact on their business. For example, in addition to Air Canada and Aeroplan renewing their commitment with multi-year agreements, we were chosen by some of Canada’s leading online brands including Chapters Indigo.
· We helped bring clarity to solve one of marketer’s key issues – email deliverability. We extended our publications with the Marketer’s Guide to Successful Email Delivery which provides practical advice clearly and concisely.
Will email marketing continue to grow in 2008?
· Exponential email growth. While research organizations differ in the numbers they are projecting for 2008, there is consensus that email marketing will continue to grow aggressively well beyond 2008. Now the conversation is whether spending in the US will reach 2 billion or 4 billion by 2012.
Any particular factors will cause this growth (or decline)?
Email will continue to grow because it is an efficient business tool, engages consumers and is an established and dynamic method for communications:
· Email campaigns deliver the highest return on investment when done properly. Most recently the Direct Marketing Association estimated that every dollar spent on email marketing will yield a return of over $48.
· Consumers value email. More than 90% of Canadians surveyed said they used the Internet for email (2007 CRTC New Media Report).
· Consumers trust and act upon email. Over 65% of online Canadians actually prefer communicating by email than by any other means of communications (2007 Ipsos Reid Interactive Report).
· Integration. Email is a core application. Email has become such a defacto standard that it is built into many of the Internet’s social networking applications (e.g. blogs, MySpace, FaceBook) as well as integrating key business platforms such as CRM. As such, it is the ‘glue’ holding online marketing efforts together.
What can we expect from ThinData in 2008?
Continued Growth. ThinData’s team has grown from 20 to 60 people in the last 2 years and we see that same growth continuing in 2008.
Combining Strategy & Technology. ThinData was one of the first email vendors in North America to successfully blend strategic professional services with technology to achieve client success. We will continue to drive home that powerful connection in 2008.
Continued Market Leadership. ThinData has grown to be Canada’s largest ESP by always being one step ahead of the market and anticipating client needs. We will continue to work closely with clients from across industries to “push the envelope” on email.
