I write about a form of advertising and research it; I subscribe to a number of email marketing lists, most of which I would not have bothered with even if I had more money. I know which are effective. I can see when they’ve targeted their email well. I read them through, concentrating on method, design, copy, all that sort of thing, yet time and again I end up considering buying whatever they are advertising. 

My 'rule' is that I won't buy anything from these marketing emails. I know that despite being a (very small) part of the 'problem', I am as vulnerable to it as anyone. Yet I’ve worked in advertising at various times in my life, so should know the methods and be immune to them. It’s so demeaning that I’m not.

On the plus side, when I’m influenced, I know it’s a particularly good email and will probably gain an article from it, just as in the case I’m going to mention. It’s not from one of the big internationals, but a smallish company, setting itself up in a cut-throat industry, using email marketing, a rewarding but highly competitive method of selling. 

They use a clever tactic, and one that has been used by companies in a similar situation, so nothing new. It makes a big thing about being small and friendly. It calls itself a family to reinforce it.

It starts from its website, the only thing missing is a lemming, cuddling up to its young. Its chatty, with lots of use of ‘we’ in the text, telling us what their plans are, and how they’ve just produced this wonderful product.

Those on their email marketing lists are asked to ‘get on board’ with ‘us’. They are included as part of their, or rather our, success story. It’s transparent. It works, even with someone who knows a bit about advertising methods.

It draws the subscribers in to an emotional bond with the company, and we all know that people buy on emotions rather than logic. It’s a method that takes commitment, but then it seems to work, on me at least.