Protocol Reports on Intensification of Retailer Email Collection Campaigns

Protocol reveals that retailers are becoming increasingly aggressive in a bid to get first-hand consumer data. Retailers are more interested in email marketing because of changes affecting third-party collectors. Specifically, Apple’s advertising updates have made it harder for them to deliver rich data.

According to Protocol, over the run-up to the festive period, centering on Black Friday, an increasing number of retailers offered big discounts in exchange for email addresses. Some offer as much as 50% off the price.

While email is still the primary method for e-marketing, third-party data collection has been catching up in recent years. Companies have been using third-party data collectors to get information on consumers and their buying habits.

However, Apple curbed the ability of third parties to track their users, and similar measures are rolling out for Android. As a result, retailers are falling back on more basic methods to get a read on their customers.

Old School Data Gathering

While cookies that track users across multiple sites are handy for grabbing granular information, email marketing has its benefits too.

Email marketing tools allow sellers to see what’s working and what isn’t. It also lets them remarket directly to customers, sending them “nudges” for abandoned carts, for example.

The big difference for consumers is consent. With third-party tracking, they are often unaware that they’re being monitored. With email marketing, they have to give their consent. While this may be a blow for retailers to a degree, it is a win for consumers.

Since over 80% of marketing specialists already rely on email for retention and acquisition, an increase in efforts won’t be difficult or wasteful. The only real losers in this situation are third-party data sellers, who may need to shift focus to stay afloat.