Note to Century 21 - daily emails? Unsubscribe me.

I know that marketers are very excited by email marketing, but daily emails?  Really? 

I guess there may be some people who want them, but I'm not sure who they would be.  According to a 2015 survey 53% of consumers report that getting too many emails is the reason they unsubscribe - so I guess the other 47% are ok with how many they are getting.  Or not.  I think it's far more likely that they are dumping them into an email account that they have created for just that purpose and are ignoring them. (Schiff, 2015)

I read somewhere that you should send the most emails to your newest customers and oldest.  Perhaps that explains the daily emails to new customers.  But since you have no idea what a new customer wants you can't personalize the emails in any way so they simply become more spam filling my inbox. 

Not that Staples, who I have been doing business with for over a decade, is doing any better.  Saying that an offer is "Just for You" and including items I have never bought is ridiculous.  And sending me coupons that aren't good for my preferred brand of ink are insulting.  I've been a part of your loyalty program for years.  Why aren't you looking at my past purchases properly? 

When I tried to manage my subscription the choices were limited to reducing frequency to two times a week.  Not good enough.  What I really want is an email once a month for something I actually might buy.  Is that too much to ask? 

And as far as Century 21 is concerned, I will be unsubscribing as soon as I finish writing this blog.  I hope they haven't already sold my email address to a million other people so that they too can annoy me with emails I don't want.  But I imagine that ship has sailed.

Quick follow-up: When I tried to unsubscribe from C21 they would not allow me to!  Instead the best option I could find was reducing frequency to once a week.  What are they thinking?  The reason I joined the program in the first place was that I intended to do more shopping with them in the future.  Pissing me off is not a good way to start a new relationship.  I may need to reconsider.

Schiff, J. (2015, March 24)  Top 7 reasons people unsubscribe from your email list.  cio.com.  retrieved April 29, 2016, from

http://www.cio.com/article/2901255/email-marketing/top-7-reasons-people-unsubscribe-from-your-email-list.html

Does playing a game make you want to buy a house?

On October 17, Century 21 began a three week presence in Sim City on Facebook.  The promotion allows players to purchase and buy buildings, impact other people’s buildings and earn extra points by watching a commercial. 

But to what end?  Bev Thorne, Century 21 CMO says that they are attempting to reach Adults 25-34, who they see as the next generation of home buyers.   While she admits that the game is unlikely to generate immediate business, she is hoping that increased awareness and affinity will translate into sales when the economy improves. (Baar, 2012)

What do you think?  Is she right? 

Baar, A. (2012, October 17) Century 21 Plays 21^st Century Marketing Game.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved October 19, 2012, from

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185393/century-21-plays-21st-century-marketing-game.html?edition=52542