From the Publisher
The number of Internet users in the world was estimated at less than 10 million in 1993. As we enter the new millennium, total Internet users in Latin America alone are approaching 10 million.
Recent improvements in the Internet are revolutionizing the way companies do business, especially the way they market their services. The publishing industry is no exception. The Publications Section of the Inter-American Development Bank is pleased to explore some of the opportunities provided by this information revolution. "E-Promotions: The Value of E-mail Marketing" looks at the effectiveness of e-mail promotion as a complement to marketing strategies used by booksellers.
The estimated 5.4 trillion messages sent in the United States during 1999 suggest that e-mail has become as popular as talking over the phone. In fact, e-mail has a higher response rate, a lower response time and costs less than traditional mail. This study measures the effectiveness of e-mail as a marketing tool by evaluating the results of a customer survey and of a comparison analysis of e-mail promotions by Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. The last chapter, a look at the value of e-mail marketing through the IDB experience, identifies useful alternatives that can maximize the benefits of these new marketing techniques.
You don't have to be an Amazon.com or a Barnes & Noble to use e-mail promotion. A multilateral development institution such as the IDB can use e-mail to increase book sales, which are a powerful means of disseminating the Bank's intellectual product. Internet queries are an inexpensive mechanism for market research. Combined with an interactive marketing strategy, they provide an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically increase book sales and enhance the Bank's reputation as a source of information on Latin America.
