Nuts & Bolts: Tech Talk
May 2007VerticalResponse, a self-service e-mail and direct mail service provider, has announced it is adding a new set of tools to its e-mail marketing product. The improvements allow users to address the look of outbound communications, as well as strengthen their ability to track response. Specifically, the new features include Email Canvas, a tool that includes several prebuilt layouts into which users can add text and images; a media library into which images can be uploaded and stored; a Click-to-Conversion tool that enables users to track a recipient’s initial click to a page visit; and a ROI calculator.
Web: www.verticalresponse.com
Find the Best Postal Savings
To help direct mailers cope with the latest postal rate increase, direct marketing service provider Direct Group has launched its Postal Optimizer product line. According to the company, this solutions package will have the greatest savings impact on mail campaigns processed through U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Centers and Sectional Center Facilities. Postal Optimizer analyzes customer data and generates solutions for entry-point deliveries, co-mingling and logistics strategies, including optimal packaging, targeted in-home delivery dates, load planning, reporting and standardized interfaces that determine the most efficient trucking and transport options.
Web: www.postaloptimizer.com
Measure Multiple Influences
Coremetrics, a provider of on-demand Web analytics and precision marketing solutions, has announced the spring release of its Coremetrics 2007 product suite. The new offering enables marketers to identify the influence over time of multiple touchpoints, such as e-mail, blogs, online ads, natural search and paid search, that impact consumers in the sales cycle. This gives marketers insight into their campaigns along three dimensions: ability to draw new visitors to a site; capability to nuture visitors throughout the conversion cycle; and trigger action. Coremetrics 2007 also provides marketers with the ability to evaluate “intra-page” activity associated with Flash, Flex and other AJAX-based pop-up and slider bar technologies.
Web: www.coremetrics.com
Streamlined Postal Processing
Data quality solutions provider Melissa Data has launched its new Mailers+4 Automation Suite. This new API toolkit allows mailers to optimize their mail stream for efficient postal processing and delivery, while qualifying for automation-rate discounts for letters, cards and flats. Software features also include Address Object, which verifies, corrects and standardizes addresses against the USPS NCOA file. A CASS-certified search engine adds ZIP+4 codes. Presort Object sorts all qualifying mail pieces by ZIP code.
Web: www.melissadaa.com/MAS+4



