Rise of e-Newsletters and Perceived Uses in External Marketing Strategy

Abstract

Technological change related to the internet and the World Wide Web is forcing businesses to go online in order to design products and develop strategies. Recognizing the role of communication behind every marketing situation, the researcher seeks to answer the main problem: How do electronic newsletters (e- Newsletters) contribute to external marketing strategy? In order to answer this question, the researcher has formulated the following specific questions: 1). What are the objectives of the e-Newsletter that the company wishes to accomplish? 2). How do the different companies reach the right audience with a compelling message about the products and services by means of the electronic newsletters? 3). How do e- Newsletters respond to the audience’s specific needs—namely usability and trust? 4). How do the different companies maintain and develop their e-Newsletters? and, 5). How do the different companies determine the impact of the e-Newsletter to their external publics? The research method used by the researcher was descriptive design. The researcher used interview guide questions in gathering the data through a series of in- depth interviews with the employees of the Marketing and the Corporate Communications departments of SMART Communications, Inc, Planters Development Bank- SME Solutions, Inc (SME.com.ph), TeamAsia Philippines, Accenture Philippines, Summit Media (PEP.ph), and Nestle Philippines, Inc as the main sources of information. The interview schedule was divided into five components: objectives, message content, perceived trust and credibility, maintenance, and evaluation to answer the main and sub problems surfaced in the study. The findings of the study revealed that: 1). the objectives for using e- Newsletters can be classified into three: to communicate, to cross sell, and to generate leads; 2). the message of the e-Newsletter can be categorized as either informational or promotional. Also, all the companies believe that there is message consistency in their respective e-Newsletters in relation to all the marketing strategies, and company mission. 3). A sense of trust and credibility is achieved in the e- Newsletter by allowing the users to send feedback, to opt-in to the e-Newsletter, and to have an easy link to online privacy policy. 4). By centralizing e-Newsletter development, the company can maintain quality control, prevent redundancy and spam, and foster consistency of message. And, 5). to accurately evaluate e- Newsletters as an external marketing tool, issues on technicalese, convenience, and usability must be addressed. From the data gathered, the researcher was able to come up with different conclusions. The researcher concluded that: 1). e-Newsletters can also be used as an Advertising tool because it can generate leads for the company website, 2). e- Newsletter allows the companies to find their niche market, 3). e-Newsletter builds relationships as a result of interaction, and 4). e-Newsletter reinforces awareness of the brands.