Web users frequently discuss purchase decisions over email, according to a report released Thursday by Microsoft. Seventy-five percent of male Windows Live Mail users ages 18-34 surveyed last summer
said they would discuss consumer electronics purchases over email, while 78% of all Windows Live Mail users said they would discuss plans to see a movie over email. In addition, 67% of all users
surveyed said they would discuss purchase decisions about travel, 73% said they would discuss electronics purchases, 59% said they would discuss going to concerts and other events, and 59% said they
would discuss their music purchases. The study shows that advertisers who are looking to be close to word-of-mouth discussions should be looking to get into email, said Lucas Hulsebos, a managing
consultant at MetrixLab, which conducted the survey for Microsoft. "We found that for many of the largest advertising categories, consumers are discussing their purchases in email," he said. "If
having a presence where word of mouth happens is an important goal, then advertisers should be thinking about mail."