Breaking Into The Inbox

Credit Card Companies Struggle To Target New Customers Through EmailChicago (July 11, 2007)—Fearful of being spammed out of existence, major credit card issuers hesitate to use email for targeting new customers, preferring traditional direct mail instead. Mintel Comperemedia reports that between January and March 2007, not one of the top mailing credit card companies—HSBC, Capital One and Chase— accounted for more than 2% of credit card email campaigns aimed at new customers. However, during the same three-month period, these companies were responsible for over 40% of the 1.8 billion direct mail pieces sent to non-customers.Carmen Curran, senior email analyst for Mintel Comperemedia, explains: “Major credit card companies are still testing the waters with email. They don’t want to flood potential customers’ inboxes with offers that could be immediately flagged as spam. They fear if they do, internet service providers will block their emails in the future, severely affecting deliverability.”