Looking for information on emarketing (specifically email)and where it is heading and how it impacts the banking industry?

Not as a banker, as a Netizen, I don't like it. Deliver messages to me where I expect them, statements, Internet Banking site, etc. Otherwise, I would resist spam if it were my call.

In our recent local elections one candidate spamed all the users of a local ISP. He wasn't authorized to do so. The ISP cut him off, it was negatively in the paper for several days and he lost two votes from my household.

I'd tend to disagree -> give me the info I want when I ask for it.

While spam, particularly from a trusted brand like a FI, cannot be allowed to occur - I believe that targeted email services are desired by customers and will demand for them will increase as we become a more mobile device oriented society.

I have a different view, also. Like Andy & Victoria, I despise spam--but you can't throw the baby out with the bath water. There's no effective way to stop spam without limiting free speech. If the Internet is to be treated like a public "place" and you prohibit the sending of spam, that tramples on my First Amendment rights. Spammers should have the same rights as political radicals, smut peddlers, and others who enjoy the right to free speech--mainstream society may dislike their messages, but we shouldn't attempt to silence them. If my ISP decides to implement spam filters and, in the process, knocks out valid incoming messages that I wanted and needed, then I'm injured. As the sender of such a blocked message, I'm also injured if a third party has inserted itself and blocked our stream of communication. Imagine how your bank's going to react when you discover that an AOL-type ISP has blocked disclosuregrams and other important business communications to your customers because you've been profiled as a spammer!

Leave it to Richard to throw in a reality check. If spammers would have to follow rules similar to telemarketing, I could swallow those bytes easier. It is the ones that that have no valid return addresses and products that some consider pornographic that I object to.

I want to expand on your comments that bankers need to be aware of. Example: If I am a spammer and I find a fault in your ISPs system, I can send messages to thousands, or millions, of addresses. I may even use YOUR personal address as the return for e-mail.

When Richard's ISP sees all these messages coming in, they may set up a spam filter that prevents ALL messages from that ISP from being accepted.

Now, when your bank sends Richard an important change in terms notice it will be rejected. He won't see it and may not even know his ISP did him this "favor".

You, on the other hand, will have to talk really nice to get off the filtered list after the bank sees returned messages (hopefully you'll see something, this depends on their system and yours). And if it happens a second time, you likely won't get off that list.

I am very aware of the direction that it is going and would be glad to discuss it with you. Feel free to call me at work at 972-383-2451 to discuss.Andrew Saletra
Geniant
asaletra@geniant.com
Tel: 972.383.2451
Mobile: 214.476.1098
Fax: 972.383.2401
www.geniant.com