The Engaged Customer : The New Rules of Internet Direct Marketing

Observers of the Net have long considered e-mail the medium's killer application. The Eng@ged Customer, by Hans Peter Brondmo, shows why this may be even more relevant for e-commerce endeavors of the future--and sets out various ways that it can be utilized to develop "profitable, loyal and engaged" consumers today. "Whether you're sending individual customers their stock portfolio update at the end of each trading day, writing a gossip column on the music industry, sending special offers or promotions, publishing an industry newsletter, sending a purchase confirmation, or running a gift reminder-and-product-suggestion service, e-mail marketing can do the job," writes Brondmo, founder of a firm that has helped design and implement such programs for companies ranging from Amtrak to Victoria's Secret. A section illustrating how e-mail can foster the "age-old principles [of] personal service and communication" to more fully engage customers, and one with speculations on the future implications of the practice, are sandwiched around the meat of Brondmo's book: specifics on using e-mail to acquire, convert, and retain real business. The highly detailed advice, consistently delivered with the necessary sensitivity to spam, privacy, and other concerns, should prove instructive to executives and managers at every level. --Howard Rothman