Re: UKNM: Branded email

[Sam Michel]

At 15:52 17/08/00 +0000,

andrew [dot] graymwl [dot] uk [dot] com

 wrote:

>I'm a firm believer in the power of a simple text email notwithstanding

>the apparent increased response benefits of HTML mail.


Some say it's still the Internet's killer application.


>Currently I'm involved in a project where the subject matter of a simple

>text email will be enhanced greatly by the addition of a photograph.

>There's a company called www.edesigns.co.uk which specialises in branded

>email and could probably arrange for all emails to go out with the photo

>attached.

>

>Don't know much about this area (as I work with non HTML package) but

>obviously these type of emails could only be read by HTML browsers.  We

>need to aim the email at the lowest common denominator as far as recipient

>email packages are concerned.  Some questions:

>

>1) For those without HTML email packages, will the text message appear as

>normal sans the photo, or will the whole message look like HTML code?


HTML email messages generally include a plain text version before the HTML

formatting, specifically to allow non-HTML compatible readers to handle the

message. However, it certainly won't look pretty.


>2) Do free email accounts, Hotmail, Talk 21 etc. support HTML email or

>will the photo/ whole message appear as an attachment?


It depends on the way the message was encoded, at least the last time I

checked, it was. Things could have changed. You should probably investigate

each of these services with a test message as I suspect they'll handle the

encoding differently. Gary from Commtouch (who do lots for Hotmail, unless

I mistaken) should have someone in his organisation that could help.


Again, this could have changed, but the last time I checked Outlook and

Eudora they handled attached messages differently i.e. to include a picture

with the message rather than just linking to a URL (the easy way out, but

no good if your email is going to be read offline) they require different

types of encoding. Marvellous. Ain't standards great!


>3) What about emails viewed via interactive TV?


Follow guidelines for designing for the TV screen. I'm sure someone can

point you in the right direction.


>4) If I'm aiming at the lowest common denominator, is there another way

>to go about including a photo inside a text message, or should I just drop

>the idea?


As far as I can see, you'll need to do a fair old chunk of research and

there are companies who can handle this sorta thing for you. The one that

springs to mind is Exactis, who have an office in London. I'm sure they can

handle this type of email campaign (as no doubt, can others) encoding for

HTML and they'll also offer advanced campaign tracking, too. This is

probably the simplest route.


>I normally wouldn't fling so many questions at you all but I've just

>fallen off the Cluetrain and I'm hip to this networking scene.


Nice one, fella. Markets are conversations and all that. But are you

listening?!


Toodle Pip


Sam

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Sam Michel - Founder - http://www.chinwag.com

                     e:

samchinwag [dot] com

Home of the UK-Netmarketing, UKNM-jobs, Flasher,

Shockwave and other mailing lists.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 ScreamingMedia the leading global technology platform for

 the aggregation and distribution of digital content over the

 Internet, is now operating in the United Kingdom.

 Get relevant and customised content to attract visitors

 to your site and keep them there.  Click Here!


 http://adcenter.in2.com/cgi-bin/click.cgi?tid=31036

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/uk-netmarketing or

helpchinwag [dot] com