Delivering messages to a decision point

I like receiving meeting requests in my Outlook instead of a regular email that says something like: “how about we meet 2pm Friday at Trolls Restaurant”.

With the regular email I open it, switch to my calendar, check Friday, make a new event, switch back to the email, copy the relevant info, switch back to the event and paste, save the event, switch back to the email, hit Reply and type my response, hit Send.  Lots of steps.

With the meeting request I simply view my calendar, make  decision, click Accept. All done.

Now imagine advertising messages that I am genuinely interested in that involve dates and times e.g. a special tee time offer at my favourite golf course or a weekend special at the Whistler Fairmont Hotel. It’s much easier for me to view the offer in my calendar which is the place where I make scheduling decisions. I can act on the opportunity with only a few clicks.  This is the type of service I would use enthusiastically.

The problems with email marketing

Are we reaching saturation point with email as a medium? Spam filters, ISP controls, image blocking are examples of barriers to deliverability. And what about the sheer volume of emails many of us receive on a daily basis? In my working day if I leave the office a 1 hour meeting by the time I return many of the new messages in my inbox have already scrolled off screen.

Is it time for an uncluttered medium that is unplagued by these kinds of deliverability problems?

And what about “timeliness”? Email marketers tell us that Tue and Wed are optimal days to improve readability and action. But if you’re marketing an event or time-sensitive promotion, wouldn’t it make sense to present it in an uncluttered medium where people actually make scheduling decisions?

At Calgoo we’re working on these problems and will be launching a new service in October.