Microsoft announced today its acquisition of marketing automation firm MarketingPilot for an undisclosed sum. The company explained the move in a post on its Dynamics CRM community site, saying it "will accelerate our ability to better meet the needs of CMO's (chief marketing officers) through rich business intelligence, and better enable marketers to successfully plan, execute, monitor, and optimize customer interactions across digital, social and traditional channels, and measure ROI."

A new study by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Listrak found that 41% of U.S. adults have made a purchase online in the past six months as a result receiving an email from an online retailer. 97% of the consumers in the study receive emails from retailers, and 83% open them. 

Changing the sender of a newsletter or other email subscription can be tricky, as a new address can compromise deliverability. Take the right steps when making a change by managing your subscribers' expectations and your reputation. Read the full article on the Deliverability.com blog.

The Direct Marketing Association announced the formation of the Data-Driven Marketing Institute (DDMI), an initiative set up to challenge legislation around consumer data. Speaking at the DMA2012 conference, DMA CEO Linda Woolley insists that marketing with data is both good for the economy and a way of life for consumers. "When the privacy zealots talk about harm, I challenge them to tell me what harms have come from marketing," she remarked.

ExactTarget announced today its forthcoming MobilePush application, which allows marketers to deliver advertisements directly into mobile apps on smartphones and tablets. ExactTarget is partnering with Urban Airship to deliver the in-app messages and expects to launch the application during the 4th quarter of 2012.

Speaking at DMA 2012 this week, Worldata CEO Jay Scheweldeson presented conversion data on mobile email, which indicated that tap errors - or clicks on the wrong link because of a design not optimized for mobile, which send subscribers to the wrong page - reduce conversion by 28%. Scheweldeson pointed out that the adult finger covers 45 pixels on a mobile screen, and that call-to-action buttons should have 15 pixels of padding in order to mitigate the occurrence of tap errors. 

Gartner, Inc. and 1to1 Media are now accepting nominations for the Gartner and 1to1Media CRM Excellence Awards. Categories include Customer Experience Excellence, Integrated Marketing Performance and Social & Mobile Engagement. The call for applications closes on December 19, 2012. Winners will be announced at the Gartner Customer 360 Summit on May 1, 2013.

Online retailers sent their subscribers an average of 4.1 messages last week, a 22% increase over the same week last year. Friday was the most popular sending day, possibly reflecting an increase on cross-channel promotions designed to reach consumers before weekend in-store visits. 

Automated emails that are triggered by an action (such as subscribing to a list or making a purchase) can be even more effective when coupled with behavioral data for improved targeting. For example, a message to a new subscriber might have very different content if the signup had never purchased before, as opposed to an opt-in that occurred on the customer's first purchase. Learn some simple content changes that can make radical improvements in results.  Read the full article on the Silverpop blog.

Politicians may write the laws that govern the country, but they must abide by those that govern the inbox. As election day nears, the volume of email from the candidates is escalating, while response rate begins to wane. Campaign strategists are turning towards social media to amplify the most shareable content and to take some of the burden off of email so that it performs at its peak.