Is Party Citys E-Prospecting Too Old-School?
Party supplies retailer Party City has been running an e-mail prospecting campaign on its Web site and in its retail stores for the past several months. But is this tactic too tried and true to be effective? The campaign offers consumers who register with their e-mail addresses updates on the latest products, promotions and exclusive discounts, plus the ability to print shopping lists. Once Party City verifies the e-mail addresses, first-time sign-ups also receive a $10 coupon off purchases of $30 or more. Historically, offering discounts in exchange for e-mail addresses hasn’t worked very well, says Kevin Hillstrom, president of consulting firm MineThatData. “Customers acquired via discounts don’t perform as well as customers who pay full price,” he says. But all pieces of information gleaned from consumers are important and worth something, he adds. “What matters most is what the business does with the information after acquiring it,” Hillstrom says. “Today, businesses are happy to h
