Beyond open rate: Why it is time for e-mail marketers to think reach, frequency, impact

Abstract

E-mail marketing is still dominated by a direct mail world view, with a focus on recency, frequency and monetary value (RFM) and a resulting fixation on relevance, timing and tighter targeting. As a result, e-mail marketers are trying to get subscribers to open, click and buy more often by sending fewer messages. Current performance metrics are both limiting and misleading. Thinking of e-mail as fundamentally a broadcast advertising channel shifts the focus onto reach, frequency and impact (RFI), unlocking the brand potential of e-mail.