e-Dialog has announced that two of its clients have been recognized by the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA) for creative excellence in e-mail marketing. Awards were presented at a ceremony held in Boston on Thursday, April 12th.
The NEDMA awards honor direct marketing excellence in categories that include print, direct mail, broadcast, catalog, interactive, integrated multimedia campaigns and “direct mail on a shoestring.” Awards are given based on a combination of factors, including results and the excellence of the marketing solution.
National Association of REALTORS (NAR), one of the largest trade organizations in the US, was recognized in the Business-to-Business e-mail category with a silver award for its “REALTOR Magazine Online Business Tips” e-newsletter, which is distributed to more than 800,000 real estate professionals nationwide. The newsletter was redesigned with the goals of engaging members with an attractive, easy to navigate design that could be incorporated across the family of the online magazine’s e-mail publications; providing well organized content that would allow for quick recognition and encourage click-throughs to the REALTOR Magazine Online Web site; and improving the sponsorship link results by giving the sponsors’ content more visibility within the newsletter.
“We are very happy with the results of the redesign,” says Kristin Paxton, manager, REALTOR Magazine Online. “It enabled us to build a family of e-mail products that all show strong affinity to our magazine’s Web site and the association. The ‘Business Tips’ newsletter continues to be our primary traffic driver, and our members continue to be engaged. They are consistently responding to the articles and our opt-out rate is less than one percent. In addition, our sponsors are pleased with the increased visibility due to the more prominent ad position above the fold, and our new ad spots are sold out.”
Road Runner Sports, a leading multi-channel retailer that keeps people running injury-free by fitting them in the right gear, received the silver award in the Business-to-Consumer e-mail category for its “First-Time Buyer Program.” The program is a series of specialized messages sent to new customers over a 12-week period. The messages acclimate customers to the brand and educate them on the non-promotional benefits of Road Runner Sports by providing relevant information on running and health, along with special offers to encourage a second purchase.
“The NEDMA awards serve as an industry benchmark in creative direct marketing. For our clients to be recognized by NEDMA is an honor,” noted John Rizzi, e-Dialog president and CEO. “Winning this award validates our work creating and implementing best practices in e-mail marketing for our clients.”