Opt-in e-mail marketer NetCreations plans to cross-pollinate the opt-in e-mail lists of its clients by
creating a system where consumers that opt in to receive information at one
client site could also give permission to be contacted by the other client
sites.
“As e-commerce becomes an increasingly important revenue source for just
about every site on the Web, email lists of targeted and qualified
prospects have become an essential tool for delivering online buyers,” says
Rosalind Resnick, president of NetCreations. “NetCreations is pleased to
offer Internet marketers the ability to mail to each other’s lists to reach
more than six million prospective online shoppers in a way that respects
consumer privacy and choice.”
The arrangement, announced late Monday, would allow the 200 sites whose e-mail lists NetCreations
manages to mail to each other’s lists, thereby driving new traffic to their
sites. For each e-mail address that the site contributes to the opt-in
alliance, it would gain access to two addresses contributed by others in
the alliance.
Such a deal could raise concerns among privacy advocates, but NetCreations
is careful to say that it will protect consumers’ information. The shared
e-mail addresses must be of people who have specifically asked to receive
e-mail messages about products and services of interest and who have
voluntarily contributed information about themselves and their online
purchases. NetCreations says no other data will be added to the consumers’
profiles.
The opt-in alliance is expected to launch in January. Pricing
hasn’t yet been determined.
