- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (May 6, 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684856360
- ISBN-13: 978-0684856360
To keep mass marketing alive, it is proposed to (1) advertise in odd places, (2) make advertisements more controversial and entertaining, (3) keep advertisements fresh by churning them more and (4) replace them with direct mail and promotions. The latter only catches the attention for a while if relevancy is not kept up. In all, there is a vicious cycle if the old marketing ways are still employed - spending more to have more interruptive advertisements which cause people to 'tune out' and make advertisements less effective, which leads to more spending on even more advertisements to catch attention.
Permission Marketing is like courting - anticipated, personal and relevant. It is about stretching the life of the customer and leveraging on the experience of a previous sale to make the next sale. It is about the customer volunteering to want information instead of bombarding them with excessive data. Interruption is essential as a prelude to permission (granted if it is relevant). With permission, use frequency to hammer in concepts and cause familiarity which in turns breeds trust. Once trust is in place, it is increasingly easier to make repeat sales.
There are several levels of Permission stated:
1. Intravenous
Magazine subscriptions and hospital treatments are examples. Customers allow the suppliers to make decisions for them. Deep trust is implied.
2. Purchase on Approval
Negative option or automatic opt-in. An example is credit cards.
3. Points
Loyalty points are an example. Keeps customers engaged and returning . There are various forms of points system. Points can have a certain value r a chance to get something.
4. Personal relationships
Not scalable but powerful.
5. Brand trust
Leads to extensions of the same brand on different products.
6. Situation
Leverage on selling other products when customer is buying another product. "Want to upsize your meal?"
7. Spam
Permission is non-transferable, selfish, a process and cancellable anytime. Non-transferable because it is personal and needs relevanc. Selfish because it is consumer-centric and they are in control of whether they want your product. A process because it is a dialogue that improves or mars the relationship. Cancellable as the consumer is in control.
Myths about marketing on the web (revised)
1. Traffic hits is the best way to measure success
2. Great content is why people return
- relevancy is more important
3. Technology makes you sell better
- nope. they only make it easier or more efficient.
4. Search Engines are key to traffic
The web makes it easier for direct marketeers because of the speed of response, low cost of frequency and publishing, testing is faster. To evaluate a Permission Marketing program, note these points:
1. What is in it for consumers?
2. How much does incremental permission cost?
3. The level of permission earned and how is this being increased.
4. How much does incremental frequency cost?
5. Response rate
6. Permission viewed as an asset
7. Leveraging on Permission
8. Lifetime of permission granted
9. Is retention a lot easier/cheaper than getting fresh permissions?
The book also has case studies on permission marketing by organisations - how they failed and suceeded. Excellent book to own.
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