Q4 2003

	Dear , There is much to discuss in this BrightWave Report. Email Marketing is changing, and changing quickly. Legislation has been passed and it affects us all who utilize and receive Email communications. Please see the special Spam section or schedule an appointment to discuss what you need to do as your New Year's Resolution. As a side note, please check out the BrightWave Marketing Media Room. We have been cited in quite a few articles lately, including one article that talks about the great results client turq jewelry has had working with us. Also, we have a new look for The BrightWave Report. Let us know what you think!
	Spam legislation affects even the good ones using Email. The importance of the changes all permission Email marketers need to do can not be underemphasized. They are basic but essential. An overview of the Bill: The main points of the CAN-SPAM bill: Preempts all 36 state antispam laws specific to electronic mail (Including the recently passed agressive California State Law) Unsolicited Commercial Email must include an opt-out option Prohibits false and deceptive headers and subject lines Provides for additional criminal provisions and monetary damages for the worst violators Requires the FTC to report to Congress with a plan to implement a "do-not-spam" list Prompt removal of all opt-outs. Physical postal address in all messages "Clear and conspicuous" notice for all messages that are ads Lopsided Victory for Bill Curbing Junk Email AUSTRALIA PASSES ANTI-SPAM BILL Australia's parliament approved legislation recently that bans unsolicited commercial Email outright in most cases. Unlike the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which is nearing approval in the United States, Australia's Spam Bill 2003 requires customer consent before a commercial message may be sent. President Bush signed the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 into law 12/16/03.The federal law, passed overwhelmingly in Congress this month, takes effect Jan. 1, creating a single national standard to regulate commercial Email in place of the patchwork of laws in more than 35 states.			New Study: Users Actually Like Legitimate Emails, Get Angry When They Don't Get Them Tuesday is the most popular day for companies to send Emails to users, but It is Wednesday that most recipients actually open them. Best Practices for Email Append Services Email Marketing Still Works, Study Finds Q3 2003 Email Trend Report DoubleClick 2003 Email Metrics Survey: 2,327 Marketers Report Opens & Clicks Still Strong Despite Spam Small Biz Email Promotions ISPs Block 17 Percent of Legit Email More research findings in our Research Section More on how to Optimize Your Email Marketing Campaigns in 2004
	Your biggest Email challenge for 2004 is what Quris VP Marketing & Business Development Simon Greenman calls "the Email inner circle." Do you make it easy for your Customers to update their profile? Sixty-two percent of Email campaigns don't offer a way for a consumer to change their address. With 30% of Email addresses becoming inactive every year, one-click Email address changes are critical to marketers' success. Scared Straight: A Tale of Spam Redemption Email Marketing Opening New Doors Highlights:"The Subject line has to establish honesty and relevance in thirty characters or less." Spam has helped move many companies from Email "blasting" in order acquire customers to CRM, cultivating an electronic relationship with a customer base by growing and deepening its own database. "The in-house list is being focused on more and more, finally, by companies," says Jeremy Hughes, COO, Monster-I. By capturing Email addresses at point of sale, through catalogs, call centers, and direct mail, more companies are reaching critical mass, an e-base that is 20 to 30 percent the size of their direct mail lists. BWM is all about this. For you non profits out there, Internet Is Best Way To Drive Donors To Give Online Using the Internet, including Email campaigns and engaging websites, is a nonprofit's best resource in generating online donations. It's also interesting that our research shows an increasing reliance on the Internet for marketing.
	A nice article for Internet retailers and those considering implementing search marketing into their mix Pay attention, consultant urges: Not all search marketing is created equal Supersize Search For Q4 and Beyond great article combing search and Email into a powerful marketing tool The Search is On White Hot 'Local Search' Yahoo's Overture tests 'geo-targeting' - Local search is a Great opportunity for sellers to fine tune their targeting even more The Search for the Perfect Gift Grows at Small Online Stores Google miles? Frequent flier loyalty program being tested @ Google Thinking of hiring a firm for Search Engine Optimization promises? Think again and think keyword buys Top Five Search Engine Optimization Myths Search in the Spotlight The search engine that could
	Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for August 11 is now online. Excessive word count and worthless details are making it harder for people to extract useful information. The more you say, the more people tune out your message. Usability Note - Is your About Us section compelling and easy to use? Study participants searched websites for background information ranging from company history to management biographies and contact details. Their success rate was 70%, leaving much room for usability improvements in the 'About Us' designs.
	The Email Mob? Email Mob Takes Manhattan Worst use of Email Disgruntled Phillies Fan Arrested for Email Spams