SmartBargains.com Wins 2006 eTail Award for Most Innovative Use of E-mail Marketing; Retention Campaign Produces Significant ROI, Maximum Program Effectiveness

August 23, 2006; 09:34 AM
e-Dialog and SmartBargains.com announced that the online retailer received the 2006 eTail Award for E-mail Marketing at the group's conference in Philadelphia last week. The award was presented to SmartBargains.com for exhibiting the most innovative use of e-mail marketing in its "Next-Sell" Customer Retention campaign. SmartBargains.com was selected by an advisory panel of executives from Guess, Sears, Hallmark, Gap, LL Bean, Lane Bryan, Fossil and Ikea.

The "Next-Sell" Customer Retention program is an automated series of messages, the first of which is triggered by a purchase event, sent to recent buyers. The program combines technology and merchandising to deliver relevant, complementary product recommendations based on the customer's latest purchase and near real-time inventory monitoring. SmartBargains.com's "Next-Sell" program has exceeded average promotional campaign performance, resulting in a 50 percent increase in revenue-per-recipient and a high rate of future purchases.

"We are very pleased to be recognized for this campaign as it's been a huge success and is a prime example of innovation in e-mail marketing," commented Dan Schutzman, vice president, direct marketing, SmartBargains.com. "Providing such accurate and relevant information to our customers creates instant credibility for us, not to mention increased revenue. Furthermore, the automation inherent in e-Dialog's platform has really allowed for maximum program effectiveness and ROI."

"E-mail is such a powerful medium, especially when executed properly by great marketers like SmartBargains.com," said John Rizzi, president and CEO of e-Dialog. "We are really honored to help them take advantage of e-mail marketing by allowing them to focus on merchandising while we provide the speed and sophisticated tools and services."

About SmartBargains.com

Since 2000, SmartBargains.com has reached millions of consumers with its high-quality, off-price merchandise. SmartBargains.com offers superior quality goods and top brands at up to 70% off retail value, providing its customers the very best in apparel, jewelry, home goods, and much more. Visit www.SmartBargains.com for more information and a complete product selection.

About e-Dialog

Established in 1997, e-Dialog is a proven provider of precision e-marketing solutions with deep-rooted strengths in e-mail and database marketing. Through a unique combination of marketing intelligence and precise relevance technology, e-Dialog enables some of the world's most recognized brands, such as American Eagle Outfitters, Avis, BMG Music Service, British Airways, the NFL, Reuters, SmartBargains.com, The TJX Companies, and Tesco to maximize long-term customer value with contextually targeted communications. The company's service offerings empower large, multifaceted companies like these to enhance permission-based e-mail marketing efforts through fully integrated, cross-channel communications, including dynamically printed direct mail, RSS and mobile messaging.

JupiterResearch ranked e-Dialog the leading e-mail marketing provider among service-oriented ESPs in 2005 based on its value and market suitability, highlighting its account servicing, strategic and creative input, and campaign management and analytics applications. e-Dialog is a privately-held company with offices in Boston, London, New York and Seattle. Investors include Flagship Ventures and Commonwealth Capital.

For more information, visit www.e-dialog.com or contact Arthur Sweetser at 781-372-3353 or Peter Duffy at +44 (0) 20 7659 2716.