If you think e-mail can survive as a medium for marketing, what needs to change?

VERBATIMS

If you think e-mail can survive as a medium for marketing, what needs to change?

Not sure. Think it can survive, with some fairly substantial changes. Again, hanging all of email's hopes on the Web as a delivery mechanism is becoming more and more problematic.

Some kind of systemwide prevention of mass emailings, unless each email is validated with some opt-in permission.

Need to move to a world of caring and honest people --- it will be a long time in happening.

get permission, use creative ways to engage people in a prospective product or service. Don't harrass them or send them too many offers. Give them % off of your product for giving you feedback on your marketing methods. The main problem is that e-mail has been abused and so the trust level on both sides is waaaaay down.

not sure

Needs new delivery methodology

Reduce the endless drivel and bad writing that go in them.

see above; must have some limitations

Better use of CRM

Unsolicited emails have to be reduced Marketing e-mails should only have a link as opposed to a page full of content. gives the receiver more choice and less off-putting than a colourful page of junk.

universal protection from viruses & spam

Avoid spam filter triggers, such as HTML or .jpg Keep it permission based NEVER sell an email address!

spam laws - need set catagories for diff. kinds of spam

I don't think it can survive.

yes but it needs to be subscriber based only

Have to have some kind of receipt approval system to insure the message is wanted/relevant

Penalize the businesses who are blatantly abusing and defying the laws. There has to be financial consequences assigned to these unethical practices.

Stop doing it!

Communication has to be permission based,provide a return and have value. Ads that pretend to be newsletters do not have value

The messages need to be to the point, and they should be sent with a frequency that isn't intrusive.

Marketers have to develop a viewpoint of the consumer who receives all this stuff.

more sophisticated filters. look, they are never going to stop spam. as good as the technology is, there will always be people who can get around it. it's no different than regular mail. you just throw out what you don't want.

Software's ability to filter can be improved and a parallel email system.

Cool News is an excellent eg of "packaging" marketing in a friendly way. As a journalist myself, I look forward to it bec it's smart reporting (the kind that I try to do myself) about goods & services, etc. I feel I'm getting real content, not just marketing hype (& defintely not spam). So where I just delete without opening most obvious (from subject lines) marketing overtures that land in my inbox, I happily open Cool News.

Privacy acts - like the phone system

ISP support of SPAM operators. Companies with familiar names engaging in SPAM must also stop. Do away with negative opt-out consent. No more third party email lists.

SPAMMING, donot email list

Reduce spam of course...not sure what else

I think it always need to be permission based. I get offended when I get unsolicited email from someone trying to sell me somthing. It's one thing to bug me at home during dinner, it's another to distract me at work while I try to make a living!

behavior...people need to understand communication protocols.

i don't know if it can survive! we have reduced using email blasts significantly, and have no future plans of using them in upcoming projects.

email will get down to very tailored messaging, customized specifically for me.... If I could set up a profile of what I'm really interested in and then have emails come to me that directly appeal to me, I'd be fine with that... Again, think TiVO, with the thumbs-up icon... if I choose to get more info, I can....

Yes

If I knew, I'd start selling it right now.

I think it can survive if we can get rid of the spammers. Direct mail works somewhat, even though junk mail exists. Reducing spam by 50% will make a tremendous difference.

The spam issue needs to be cured.

Unsolicited e mails

One possibilty would be to create 'channels' (aka filters) that users would be able to turn on & off & publishers would have to abide by (think cable t.v. with parental controls) Of course, this doesn't address foreign email, which is cause of the bulk of SPAM.

Need to find a way to filter unwanted and then find the person sending. Then, there needs to be fines.

Legitimate marketers who follow all of the rules need to band together and educate the public regarding the benefits of perission-based marekting. I have no idea how to eliminate the spammers, but if I did, I'd be rich!

Permission-based is KEY ... but most critical is relevance of messages. Same as any direct selling medium.

A more robust system needs to be implemented with a 'governing body' or/ support system....such as in place for URL registering and even 'no call lists'.

Cut down # of messages

frequency on emails is too high from a lot of places even if it's a place you want to recieve email from - quality not quantity! and let me actively sign up for it - don't sneak it by me with boxes that i may not realize are checked - breeds suspicion

Consumers will need services that block unwanted messages, but allow in the opt-in ones. Corporations have these services already, I think, and the one personal e-mail service that I use (Verizon) also appears to work so far (it has a specific button for blocking messages from a sender who gets through once).

Permission based.

This goes back to permission. If you ask permission to send something, you are granted access. If your content is timely, relevant and of interest to the receiver, it will be welcomed correspondence. But, senders need to keep in mind that conversations are two-way and they need to listen first to see what is timely, relevant and of interest. Also, it is important to know how often the receiver is willing to look at your information - once a week, once a month, once a quarter, etc.

clearly legible sender and unsubscribe info

The rules - people should opt-in for marketing, not be inundated with unsolicited info.

I think it can - thrive even - as long as it's permission or at least affinity based.

Yes. It needs to be requested, on message, worthwhile to the audience and well designed as well as thought through.

Be more educational and entertainment based vs. marketing-driven. I want to learn and have fun. How does your product or service fit into that?

Wish I knew.

As above. Also, the government has to get serious about prosecuting the spammers. They are pretty obvious.

Yes, we still see great returns on our opt-in lists that are specific to an advertiser. NOT rented/purchased lists, though. What needs to change is that we need to 1) control volume and 2) rebuild trust in users.

get people to accept that spam will get through and know what to delete

accountability for the "opt-out" opportunity. doing away with transparancy from the "sender". No hiding behing misleading subject lines, aliases, etc. I want to know who is sending me the message. That way I can feel like I have a choice, vs "who is that and why can't I find out who they are" conversation in my head.

Build true consumer value in the emails sent. Use only opt-in, not purchased, lists. Use them sparingly when you really have news for the conusmer.

You need to get explicit permission from the consumer and treat the consumer with respect

I just assume there will be new means of distribution in the future that will overshadow e-mail in which the public with use until something better will come along. With the idea that the 'something better' is in the process of being developed now. E-mail is slowly reminding me of direct mail - you only notice what you are looking for, products that fit neatly into your lifestyle and ignore the rest.

treat prospect with respect, stop the silly tricks ("Your mortgage has been approved!"), get beyond appearance of mainly con items being offered, raise the medium up to level of other channels, right now, it is all the low end of the low end ... talk about junk mail!

email works well for permission-based informative marketing. But seriously, who actually buys anything legitimate as a result of an email? Any marketer who considers this medium as anything other than informational is really green. ROI on this medium must be abysmal. That is, if your ROI is so myopic that it doesn't consider good-will and branding as 'returns'.

LEGISLATION

Less Blast more precision.

Opt in only (as above)

dunno

Not without a major shift in what get sent out

As long as the Company complies with the CAN SPAM act, and has the ability to capture e-mails addresses of individuals who want to be kept up-todate with promotional updates, and monthly newsletters about the Company and includes the opt-in/opt-out method. I believe this vehicle can survive.

yes. better spam filters. more inboxes for bulk mail and then letting you decide if its spam or not for any following emails.

Email marketers need to escape the direct mail mindset; ongoing touches (i.e. newsletters, alerts, etc.) that provide value to readers and then gives the publisher (notice I didn't say marketer) an "oh by the way, here's our fill-in-the-blank-product-or-service" message opportunity.

There has to be more truly targeted marketing and the recipient needs to be able to identify the message is truly intended for them.

Stringent guidelines around permission-based email marketing. Opt-in solutions. Easy, simple and clear way to opt out. Perhaps some guidelines not so much as to what the messages are within an email marketing message, but ensuring that "unsubscribes" actually work.

Needs to be more dynamic. Todays email is merely the electronic version of printed papers. Email for marketing should evolve into more functional devices that serve to connect people of similar interest or need with true solutions. The key is to create email that is to the point, easy to navigate and print, and allows for easier storage and filing. There is a lot of good info, but it is difficult to capture that information and store it to make into knowledge.

marketers have to be more toughtful about relationship building via the email medium, to send communications that meet the users needs.

Proceeding forward with the SPAM solutions listed above.

Nothing is going to work all the time. Even for Cool News, you deliver 90%, which isn't bad. Don't let the 10% spam control freaks keep you from delivering your message!

see above

It could be great - I look forward to my daily emails. You just have to get rid of unwanted spam. Everything must be permission-based. Same goes for direct mail that comes to my home. I don't mind the stuff I requested, just the stuff I didn't. I dont read spam anyways, so it must be extremely wasteful.

needs to be permission-based; illegal to sell email addresses to spammers without permission; better spam filters

A simple "on-off" switch (if you could call it that) that blocks the unsolicited emails (which essentially exists today) partnered with the legal strength of preventive measures to restrict those that unsrupulously try to get around the user initiated "gate". No different than not opening your door or not turning on the TV.

better targeting so that yo actually send to people interested.

regulation

People are too greedy for anything to change. Just delete the crap.

Marketers should only mail to opt ins

Improved filter processes. Some other computer delivery mechanism to catch on. There has to be enough availability so that everyone can switch easily.

Human nature, greed. Advertisers who are legit must be more responsible. The ability for each customer to block out spammers is helping ... it works for me on my personal email but not for me at my company where they do not give us this capability.

I am more bothered by POP-UPs than I am by SPAM that I can delete...email is working "well enough" for me as a marketing medium (as receiver of message).

See above.

The spam has to go

Legal action against fradulent product marketers -- and intelligent use of email. New technology.

get rid of spam

Get permission and find ways to assure certification for delivery

As long as the the message is targeted, preferably delivered on an opt-in basis and contains relevant information, email will survive as a means to market.

Cost per email Opt in lists Education coertion Laws all of the above

Really make it opt-in and create a way to penalize spamers.

The biggest obstacle to email marketing is credibility. If someone is offering Microsoft sotware at a fraction of Bill Gates' price, it has to be either illegal or a cheap knockoff. If I have a problem with something from Amazon, I know I can return it. I don't have that assurance with some spammer operating out of the back of a pickup truck. As marketing communications pro, I believe that the sneakiest, most devious strategy is honesty. Be upfront with what you're trying to sell.

meaningful content

Reciprocal exchange of emails (inlcluding email newsletter), so that anyone's inbox becomes a true permission based inbox.

Better way of solving the problem. See #7. Content filtering is killing the medium, and spammers manage to outwit it anyway.

Have it so that any permission based emails go in directly to a serperate yet affiliated address folder so that they can be managed and consumed on my time. My inbox is busy enough as it is.

I think marketers need to change how they think about using email. Right now it seems to be viewed as the be-all-end-all of 'relationship marketing tools" - and spend lots of money creating beautiful, content rich html emails. But after a consumer signs up for 10 or more newsletters - each one becomes less special, and finally they just start deleting messages without reading them, even from their favorite brands. Marketers have to realize that they aren't the most important message in the Inbox, and limit their communications to only what consumers want to receive, such as: Confirmations, important announcements, and specifically requested information (one time delivery, not 'services'). If every marketer continues trying to have 'email relationships' - then we will all be shut out.

E-mail will absolutely survive. It's engrained in our culture. We still receive junk mail but that has ended ALL mail delivery. Technology and strict laws and penalties will be the deciding factors.

Kill SPAM!!!!!!!

people in charge of helping need to make it more of a priority

fines for companies that send spam, like a do not call list for e-mails

computers and home/office netwok equipment have to become more secure and be shipped with security enabled Microsoft and other software vendors have to make software security Job# 1, 2 3 and 4

Send unrequested mail must be illegal

Stronger penalties for violators.

marketers need to be very, very specific in their target

certification and authentication of senders

I think there has to be some way to make the message legitimate & have that show up to the customer & the filters. Maybe a verifiable key signature that can be checked before the filters allow it through. It would have to be encryptable & randomly assigned.

Effective, 99% accurate filtering programs.

see above and ask Seth Godin to outline this.

Email is a relationship building and enhancing medium for use with existing customers and people who actively seek to receive information from you. Email should not be used by marketers for prospecting purposes. In general, corporate emailers need to provide more value to email recipients.

Greater consumer education regarding use of the internet so that the consumer becomes more aware of the benefit of selective list subscription.

Education and information, through an open market exchange which will increase the odds for protection by recognizing immediate needs -- in other words, a sort of continual stock market for anyone to hedge their bets toward the best protection available.

permission based higher value add to the receiver

Do not know

User-based filters, where the recipient chooses the terms on which to eliminate messages, are the best solution. Yahoo's Spam features are a good example.

There needs to be relevancy - targeted email with something in it for the end user (incentives, information, deals).

No.

Give the US Post Office jurisdiction and control of internet. e-mail should cost the sender something so they will think twice before they send a message.

increased legislation and enforcement of the law plus increase awareness of acceptable practice

Maybe double opt ins or triple. Maybe passwords. Lockbox. I have a plan for a lockbox. Seriously, I'm not technical enough to even know how it all works, much less suggest what needs to change. I just hate that I don't have a choice over what comes into my e-mail box. It's 10x worse at home.

spam filters, perhaps at the pop server level, to ensure that only legit email gets through to my InBox.

Limit #/frequency - each user only allowed finite # of "opt in" emails per period of time. Target the list. Require licenses for email broadcast (i.e. spam).

Allow opt in only.

Nothing, I don't hold that it's been fatally wounded. Read DoubleClick's new report on email as a marketing medium for supporting documentation.

It's here to stay, but it is up to marketers to make it work for the customer, just as direct mail catalogs compete with unwelcome junk snail mail. E-mail should be permission-based and offer something of value every single time.

These e-mails will have to be more targeted with some type of pre-approval process so they get through.

I think email can survive but the sign up must be made more clear and have an easier opt out option.

It needs to be follow up marketing only. The days of using email for lead generation are long over. Emails can no longer be sent out en masse, they need to be personal for anyone to ever read them. The recipients also have to be expecting it in order for them not to automatically delete it.

Allow opt-in only

less abuse

Clearer messages, easier way to unsubscribe, obvious sender identification.

Spam filtering, education on how manage contact information. Not sure what else, but I do think the world will come up with some other options for keeping SPAM in-check.

Companies that care about their brands don't want potential customers associating the brand with annoying behavior. E-mail will remain useful to them no matter how tight the filters become because they'll still have a message those on the lists want to read.

Spam is so sleazy that a marketer using e-mail UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) should fear abasing his image. Legitimate marketers with a brand to protect will not use it, leaving the field to marketers of less repute... which will mark the medium for many years as a tool used by second (or third or fourth) tier marketers.

it should only be used as an opt-in format. if someone doesn't ask for it, it shouldn't ever go out.

In the short run, anti-spam groups need to do better marketing themselves, to get across their many useful, and at least moderately effective, tips for avoiding spam (however insufficient in the long run).

targeting and get rid of the scary guys

less shortsighted greed

People need to have better ways to distinguish spam from real email.

New permission only based technology and penalties for unsolited pornographic images.

ALL pure marketing related messages need to go: Marketing should be imbedded *contextually*, thus only in newsletters and similar messages (ie. if I sign up to an "e-flyer" for a business, fine... but I shouldn't be receiving those if I've "OK'd" it signing up for something somewhere else.) And I absolutely shouldn't get an email newsletter if I don't sign up for it, no exceptions. When I do sign up, the frequency better be often enough that I don't forget this. The problem is, everyone always makes an exception for themselves. Today I received a Dodge newsletter. I was quite upset, until I realized that more than half a year ago, I entered a Dodge contest and asked for Dodge updates. By not following up in a timely manner, I assumed they were spamming me, and was quite angry.

New permission only based technology and penalties for unsolited pornographic images.

software that limits or organizes the number of solicitations one address will be sent from the marketer... an interactive link that has more than yes/no built in

Much reduced clutter.

Long term, only as a very one-to-one medium, with information based feeds the recipients really want.

Permission-based e-mail is going to thrive.

The industry needs to do more self-regulation, and drive the most egregious spammers out.

Some sort of regulation of what can be sent without being requested by the recipiant

Spam.

Person-to-person emails. Literally, someone to respond to and either complain, say "no, thanks" or ask for more information!

Well, I suppose, and it makes me sick to use the word, but - regulation. And those marketers who do have sign-up newsletters and such need to be the bastion of responsibility. Making sure they have more than enough CLEAR AND EASY ways for people to end the service, opt out, and customize what and how much they wish to receive. Right now, I don't think this is the case.

It would be great if there was a clearing house for newsletters and legit corporate communicaitons where emails could be registered that would clear the spam filters. So you could send and recieve emails without having to go through hoops.

I realize that some people obtain e-mail addresses for the sole purpose of selling these to other marketers who may not be scrupulous and send these addresses all over the internet. It is critical, in my opinion, that those who wish to market on the internet preserve the privacy of those who opt into their systems. Without that singular protection, e-mail will not survive.

we all need such systems at home and work.

Maybe there can be stronger crackdown (by the government?) on spammers - fines, that sort of thing. I think about the emails that I subscribe to, enjoy reading & in fact look forward to (e.g., Cool News, Daily Candy), as well as sale information from the retailers I enjoy shopping with, and I would hate those not to come. I get crap from some companies (particularly travel industry companies), and unless I'm in the markeet for something they're selling, I ignore them. So I guess what I'm saying is that in addition to harsher 'policing' of spammers, perhaps consumers need to be more selective of what they read - just as they are with 'snail mail.'

Content has to be relevant and value has to be credible - promotional offers that flash and knowing I'm giving my email address to random companies I don't want to hear from is annoying. Promotional marketers need to ensure that there is relevant value for subscribers. A chance to win something is not incentive enough.

Continue with Permission based marketing and perhaps have your PC programmed for one day a week or month for a list of products and services to be allowed to be received in a separate Bulk mail box. Take some time to go thru it and cherry pick what you want to see.Hopefully in the future a software program that automatically adapts to the various spam or other wanted intusion attempts is made available to all PC users that just stops these unwanted landings in our e-mail boxes...

reduce spam (see above - for proposed charges to emailers); improve opt-in / opt-out regulations (many legitimate companies still appear like they are trying to "trick" you into opting in when you don't really want to); better targeting / accuracy of specific offers.

I don't know how you do it, but there need to be limitations on how often a marketer may send out the same message. It should be against the law for anyone to use another's name/email address for spamming. Development of programming to catch the perpetrators. Every email should have a genuine, turstworthy (even government controlled) opt-out mechanism.

Build stronger, more complete, andmore versital permission lists. People want information that enhances their lives and jobs. Combine results from Google searches and demographic submissions, and you would have a very interesting list.

I only want to see things that I've "opted-in" for. 99% of everything else holds no interest to me and I wish I could get rid of it (although that other 1% is sometimes interesting). Interestingly "Cool News" gets through my email spam but this survey request ended up in my junk mail (I guess its part of that 1%)

Better enforcement against spam, so that email is not such a wild, wild West.

ISPs need to crack down on SPAM -- too much of it gets pass filters. What amazes me is that I find it difficult to receive work-related email but a whole of other junk seems to come through just fine - specifically adult content.

SPAM violators need to be prosecuted.

Must be permission based

people should be able to opt-in/opt-out

Vendors must not co-brand, bundle, sell lists, etc. Email should be a convenience tool to build brand loyalty, deliver new product information, launch campaigns, announce sales, etc. Email should be a targeted marketing tool, not a catch all.

consumers need to be smart, as it don't give out your vital info to frauds, like posing as citibank etc. Always have an unsubscribe so the consumer doesn't feel victimized.

it needs to become more targeted to its audience. right now spam is annoying becuase companies just buy lists and send mass emails. but, i don't mind "spam" emails from companies i want to hear from (orbitz, for example)

more diligence and honesty

I'm not sure what needs to change. We do not use it a lot for marketing so I am not aware of all the issues involved.

Needs to be less or it and unsolicited emails need to stop.

Nothing, as long as the processes by which marketers can first obtain permission remain viable.

Conduct campaings based upon CRM programms, use data-minning processes deeply and more frequently.

Less clutter

There should be a more sophisticated way for me to screen e-mails I wish to read and not. 'Intelligent' SPAM filters... or 'softbots' that learn and serve as a personal assistant for filtering, processing and organizing e-mail. Do you remember or know about an application called "Open Sesame!" for the Mac? It was around in '97 and tracked your repetitive tasks and helped to automate them... very cool. Here's a link to a quick abstract about the application -> http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~lueg/abstracts/paam97.html

email can't be free

more permission-based emailings

Tough question. In general I think the more carefully targeted and channel-coordinated the message, the more effective it will be.

The US base will be stopped over time with existing laws. Foreign sent spam is a different story, and needs international cooperation which currently does not exist. Email allows shotgunning, not rifle shots. Snail mailers can't afford sending to everyone, and a similar financial incentive to send less and better directed email would help.

Yes. Email programs like Outlook need to make it much easier to whitelist sources. Gmail is working great for me for spam.

Not unless either the technology for filtering significantly improves or enforcable legislation makes spamming more painful than the potential gain to be had.

Nothing. It will do just fine. Junk mail did not kill my magazine subscriptions, commercials have not killed network tv. Technology will take care of people who need to limit what they receive.

Better understanding of customer profiles and customization of messages sent to match customer needs, wants, desires.

It needs to be more creative and engaging (i.e not just text or a link), non-manipulative (ie. you can escape from it if needed unlike some popup ads that lock you into a sequence of windows), less time consuming to read through (ie. shorter, more concise) and more relevant to my interestes -- not so broad based. I would happily read an e-mail marketing message from a company I trusted IF and only IF I knew that they were trying to sell me a product or service that I truly needed at that point in time.

e-mail should not be a medium for marketing, it is an annoyance when you try to find your important e-mail and you have to sort through tons of junk...its a personal thing that outsiders should not have the benefit of tapping in.

More emphasis on permission based emailing by reputable marketers

I think it can survive but people will become complacent with offers and treat it much the same way as they do their snail mail offerings. Grabbing their attention will become that much more important.

Insure that it truly is permission-based.

More recognition of the value of permissiom marketing.

Users must be more sophisticated and educated

E-mail should be used as for sending and reciveing inforamtion that has been requested not for direct e-mail (cold selling) so a stiff "postage" rates on broadcast mail is a consideration

This is something I'm struggling with right now. I was running a email newsletter for clients/friends/aquantances, but it's on hold until I fugure out a next step. I'm looking forward to seeing the survey results!

If one sending email without permission, it is spam. So, all email marketing must be permission marketing. That does not mean that since you gave me your email address I can now send you whatever I want whenever I want. I have to earn the right to send whatever it is I'm sending.

marketers need to better understand how to use the medium and government needs to find a way to stop the spammers...

yes

I think people need send email that matters - and maybe takes advantage of the medium in some sense other than the fact that it is cheap for the sender - timely and targeted come to mind

Successful marketing demands a bond of trust. This bond needs to be rebuilt. It won't happen under the current economics.

Some sort of ID tag that cannot be taken off.

see above

The system of subscribing the newsletter should be by mail.

I think e-mail can survive...I comb through a lot of junk, but always stop and read the information I have chosen to have sent or which is absolutely relevant to what I want to learn...again, it's an issue of reference line clarity. Usually I can discern a serious e-mail from the junk. Marketers are just going to have to be more careful about how they reference their information.

NEEDS (unfortunately) a comprehensive regulatory structure to manage e-mail based marketing, content, privacy adherence etc.

Fine as it is.

Permission-based needs to be the standard and companies need to adhere to it. It is needs to be EASY to unsubscribe and/or get off a company's list. Companies need to be careful about how many e-mail messages they send out. Even permission-based e-mail gets annoying when you get too many!

legal intervention

Clear permission rules adopted by all Marketing Associations members in North America and Western Europe ( at least ).

Someone has to get porn, mortgages and perscription drugs under control as they are the most prolific abusers. You can hang up on a phone solicitation and close the door on a salesman at your house. I beleive the public feels powerless at the moment to defend themselvels against the spam invasion. Consumers need to feel empowered again. Once the issue is not such a raw nerve for people, fresh ideas will be more readily accepted.

Make it not-free. The easier it is to use a medium, the less valuable it becomes. I'm a lot more annoyed with faxmail marketing than I am with email spam.

Nothing but permission based marketing should be allowed.

Manners can still be hugely effective. The masses, who utilize e-mail, have accepted it as part of the business 'hubris.' Therefore, allow the end user to volunteer his/her interest in receiving 'additional' information or being placed on e-zines.

Maybe. It will depend on the spam practices.

see above

better targeting, content and opt-in. With behavioural targeting & java-scripted content; already getting better

Recipients attitudes. In the US, no one gets upset with postal direct mail. Imposing a fee the equivalent of postage would reduce clutter. Even reputable companies have issues. I'm on a Forbes list that I signed up for and changed my mind. They stopped most of the email but can't stop it all. My ISP can't stop an email where the info is missing.

Must be "opt-in" only. The "shot gun" approach that most have taken because "they can", has to go. The only way to do it is to regulate. This is not about "censorship", it is insurance for the survival of the internet. We need to approach it like we do other things like "endangered species", renewable resources, recycling, etc.

all the problems above

The industry needs to address the issue, but the challenge is getting the media to support it. If the argument is not presented in the right way, marketers will just be seen as self serving.

I don't believe that unsolicited junk mail can survive, or I agree with the Professor's ideas. Practically speaking, the internet (as far as e-mail goes) will be dead.

All the real spam needs to be removed. You should only get email as a result of permission based marketing or regular emaial.

Maintaining confidentiality of subscribers - let me decide who i want mail from.

Better spam filtering

Get rid of SPAM

Software and address configuration can allow privacy or self-selected/opt-in addressability.

Double opt in permission marketing

ensure targets actually want the information, provide easy to find/complete opt-out option

Special offers in emails. Whenever we send out email to our database (classic rock and top 40 radio stations) we try to offer something that the average listener will not have access to. For instance, we may offer $100.00 to listen for a song at a designated time of day. We don't mention these giveaways on-air. At the very least, we offer a %-off discount of some small giveaway. Plus, we only send out emails to promote big station events or contests.

Much greater respect for privacy of individuals. More opt-in vs. opt-out.

It seems ligitatmate companies send one e-mail, spammers send 10 using unheard of domain names. One of the many industry organizations needs to take up the task of working with legit users to separate the good from the bad.

Sophistication of software solutions and sophistication of e-mail users.

Creating a neutral organization that is responsible for identifying spammers and the go-to-source for reporting spam. (i.e., SPAM clearing house)

More stability with email addresses. People switch them so often it's hard to keep up.

Bolster permission-based marketing and create a self-reported rating system that assists the end user in identifying valuable marketing information.

More focus from software developers, ISP, etc

change medium?

Regulation and policing of spammers National "No Spam " list like telephone marketing list

Email as a marketing medium can only survive in a fully permission based scheme. Then you KNOW that the emails you receive are legitimate.

Don't let companies sell e-mail adresses

Who knows.

Better opt-ins. A clearinghouse perhaps.

prosecute the spammers.

yes

Marketers need to protect their email lists better, even from internal pirates.

ISP's should not let any single user send out email to more than 10 addersses at a time.

New business models with a minimun of entrance barriers !

The cost of entry. Direct marketers in print have sending costs (postage), and online marketers should be willing to pay as well to ensure that their messages (and only their messages) get through. ISPs will need to be liable, too, if they do not take action once spammers in their user base are identified.

Our dependence on it for each and every method of communication. People should stop sending email to the person sitting in the cubicle next to them.

I think email will survive regardless of spam. If your marketing is good, then

People need to be less greedy-not too likely to happen. M

As a medium for targetted and very specific marketing, yes. As a medium for any kind of mass marketing, no.

as a recontact medium (i.e. with permission) it's just fine thank you. for solicitation we need postage

execution.

much more self control on the part of marketers. they should realize that most people who get the stuff just hit the delete key before opening the message.

Get rid of spam and assure double opt-in registration at the very least.

I am always looking for great mediums that are truly written for their content and not just to inflate a # of hits list

Sorry, but if I knew, I'd be a rich man.

Must be used sparingly, not necessarily as a low-cost alternative for other forms of direct marketing.

Offer a consumer profile that users can subscribe to.

opt-in only

It certainly has to be fully permission-based, which it ought to be, anyway.

I think it's dead.

everyone pays for emails like SMS in mobile phones, you create an interconnection fee between ISPs that charge for emails. once again: there are no freen lunch - now we "pay" the price of spam, in the future we will pay for sending emails and for the services that use email (newsletters) it is sad, but money is still the best regulator for abuses.

It can go through without the problems with SPAM

Those with legitimage messages need to focus on content, making it easier to separate them from real SPAM.

The medium is so valuable that someone will find a good technology to drastically reduce the junk e-mail. Legislation may help.

a fully authenticated system where there are no anonymous users, or at least no anonymous senders. senders will be required to verify their identity and get digital certificates

People need to be much more confident in the security/privacy issue - not that privacy exists (most of us realise it doesn't!), but more a feeling that it won't be maliciously used/abused.

yes

d/k

It needs to survive - it is a inexpensive and generally worth while medium to get your message out, especially for non-profits.

see above

It will survive but not be particularly successful. It will only work as a very targeted medium to mostly existing customers. Otherwise people will delete the e-mail as plain spam.

Drastic improvements to volume of SPAM material

The questionable dating services, drug ads and pornographic emails have got to be the first to go -- these emails undermine the credibility of the medium. Then the scams from outside the US and the psuedo prize drawings have got to be addressed, because these are often identity theft crimes in disguise. The issue of children and teens online also needs to be addressed. With all the predators that have been found to be using the internet to access young girls and boys, parents will simply stop allowing children to use the internet at all.

see above

Mail would be much more manageable with sub-mailboxes and an internet coding system for registered types of e-mail

Better filters to block out porn/ medication / finance junk mail - I receive about 50 a day - while having sophisticated anti-spam software at the company.

The outdated and easily hacked protocols utilized for email transmission.

Yes, I think will survive, however premission from the recieve is to be obtained

There needs to be stricter guidelines for usage, but honestly I don't see this as a viable solution.

LAWS. Only reputible companies that have passed a certification process should be allowed (this can help get rid of all those MLM scams). Just like someone gets a license to drive, a person/company should have to file for advertising/marketing rights on the internet. Pass certain tests, pay certain fees...all before they do what is necessary for their own advertising/marketing needs. If they dont pass, too bad. You will be fined if we find you online. And there is a new streamline for accumulating funds for local communities.

Yes -if we keep it personal and simple