• by Allan Hoving , June 7, 2002

Actionable messages delivered in electronic form, e-promotions drive sales and traffic. And as the economy cools and shoppers become extra cost-conscious, online promotions are likely to become even more important in the marketing mix. All three top e-promotion firms offer clients a large opt-in database of responsive shoppers and a suite of services to incentivize them throughout the buying lifecycle. The Internet’s unique ability to target prospects with personalized messages based on demographics and past-purchase behavior makes these efforts uncommonly effective and results in high response rates. Nonetheless, the dot-com downturn has led each of the winners to increasingly focus on brick-and-mortar companies in order to secure their own future.

My PointsReward Yourself By rewarding Internet users for doing what comes naturally—web surfing, buying online, and receiving email—MyPoints has become a leading provider of direct e-marketing and loyalty tools that help advertisers target, acquire, and retain customers online. MyPoints’ membership roster adds up to a 16 million name opt-in database. Knowing that the newest members are the most enthusiastic consumers, MyPoints recently launched its HotList program, which provides access to consumers who have joined in the past 14 days. Clients include name-brand merchants such as Blockbuster Video, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Target, and Bloomingdale’s as well as Citibank, eBay, General Motors, HBO, Kraft Foods, and Rolling Stone Magazine.

coolsavings.com The No. 1 Internet coupon site, CoolSavings provides online and offline companies with a range of e-marketing products. These include printed and electronic coupons, customized emails, rebates, samples, sales notices, gift certificates, sweepstakes, and contests. The newest, CoolSavings’ Sales Circulars, is a mechanism to target shoppers missed by traditional newspaper FSIs. CoolSavings maintains a database of 15 million-plus consumers, who have been shown to spend 128 percent more online than the general Internet population. The company has detailed demographic information on each registered user, including shopping preferences and category interests to help advertisers identify likely prospects. Brands that have implemented CoolSavings promotions include Unilever, Kelloggs, Sears, JCPenney, Sprint, BestBuy.com, and First USA.

e-centiveswhat you want e-centives provides clients with the technology and infrastructure to engage in online direct e-marketing and e-commerce without having to build their own systems. Working behind the scenes, e-centives delivers promotions to a database of prequalified consumers across its network of Internet sites, from the customer’s own site, or via opt-in email. Targeted messages on websites and by email take the form of sales offers, promotions, coupons, and special discounts. In addition to providing technical services, e-centives guides clients through the promotional planning process, launches the offers, and furnishes reporting and analysis. Brand-name marketers on the client roster include AT&T, Chase, MarthaStewart.com, and PetSmart.