• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 5, 2010

While the email marketing industry has waged a PR battle to distance itself from an association with spam messaging, a new study offers some evidence that the willy-nilly mass mailings can generate sales at a notable rate.

Results show that in the weight-loss category -- arguably one with a captive, maybe even desperate audience -- a significant percentage receiving spam-mail pitches purchased the products.

Some 18.5% of those who described themselves as suffering from weight issues bought products, while 5% of those without those hurdles purchased them.

The lesser 5% conversion rate dwarfs direct mail and likely much of so-called permission-based email.

Open rates were also high: 40%-plus of those with weight problems opened messages, while nearly 18% of those without weight troubles opened the messages.

The study does note that the purchasing behavior is at a lesser level than a six-country survey for any health or pharmaceutical product.

The study appears in the latest issue of the Southern Medical Journal and was conducted by Joshua Fogel, an associate professor in the Brooklyn College economics department, and Sam Shlivko, a former student at the college.

The sample size used is modest -- 200 students both with and without weight issues who are attending an undisclosed four-year commuter college in New York. The group was asked about their interactions with spam email on the weight-loss topic in the past year.

Among the participants, some 70% received spam-mails pitching weight loss would-be silver bullets.

Fogel stated that the young adults who were receptive to the pitches is "of concern as there is no quality control for what is advertised in spam email."

"These products can range from harmless to potentially dangerous," he added. "Some spam email products even advertise and sell prescription medications without requiring proof of a valid prescription."