Newsletter: February 2004

In this issue:

Studio Director's Note: Coming to an Inbox Near You

This month we are taking a look at email. First, a discussion of the CAN-SPAM Act (an excellent acronym if ever we heard one) and secondly a showcase of new and improved email marketing tools from 3W Studios. It's a long issue this month, but we think you will find it worthwhile.

Jeremy Spinks, Studio Director

Feature: CAN-SPAM Act

You may have heard of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Congress passed this law to address the growing consumer outrage at unwanted email. If you send email to your current or potential customers, the new law affects you.

The act categorizes email into two groups: relationship messages and commercial messages. Relationship messages are receipts, warranty notification, account balance information and the like. Commercial messages are any email intended to promote a product or service. Most marketing email falls into this category, and it is these email messages that are of interest to us.

CAN-SPAM Checklist

Here are the key points of the law, briefly explained. The bottom line advice is stick to permission-based email. With a properly constructed list, you will know that your subscribers have agreed to receive your email, and therefore the chances of falling fowl to the new law are greatly reduced.

• Opt-out Mechanism
  You must allow your subscribers to opt out of receiving your email, and honor that request within 10 days.
• Valid Physical Address
  You must include a "valid physical postal address of the sender".
• Functioning Return Email
  This must be active for 30 days after the email is sent out.
• "ADV" Warning Label
  For unsolicited (non permission-based) email.
• Valid Header Information
  You cannot falsify email information to make your email untraceable.
• No Open Relays
  You must not use a server that is an open relay, or someone else's server without their permission.
• Proper List Management
  Do not use stolen email lists or violate privacy policies.

So now you know the guidelines, you might be wondering what happens to those who break them? The law empowers the FTC to enforce sentences of up to 5 years in jail for repeat offenders. States Attorneys' General can collect up to $2 million in fines, and ISPs can pursue civil actions to claim damages of up to $1 million. The FTC expects to implement a national "Do Not Email" list sometime after September 2004.

Note: This article is provided for information only. Please review the full text of the CAN-SPAM Act and obtain proper legal counsel if you have concerns about your email.

Feature: Permission-Based Email Marketing

3W Studios has long offered email marketing services to connect our clients with their clients. This month we showcase our newly improved permission-based system. You may notice a few differences in this month's newsletter as we transition our own email to the new system. Here's a quick run down of the capabilities.

Permission-based
The system collects email addresses from your website, meaning that subscribers sign themselves up when and if they want to. This makes for a lean and mean mailing list of people who are most interested in your communications. The system also allows for the importing of mailing lists should you already have a subscriber list elsewhere. But remember that you should have permission to email anyone you put into the system.

Browser-based
Once your template has been created, you can control and send your email from your web browser, with no client software required. Create campaigns, create custom mailing lists, and even schedule campaigns for specific times and dates.

Feature-rich
Increase the effectiveness of your email with tools like "send this to a friend", as well as convenient opt-out tools that easily manage errors and unsubscribe requests. You can accurately determine the return on your email using the reporting tools to track how many people received, opened and clicked your email.

If you need more reasons to be interested in this system - well, you're reading one right now. If you think your organization could benefit from these services, please drop us a line.

Launch News: New Brand Takes Off

Pelican Dental Concepts has launched its new identity, including a new web presence. Formerly Dental Assignment Dental Reimbursement (or DADR), Pelican Dental Concepts provides dental insurance to employers and their employees in Florida. Kidd Tucker Group and 3W Studios worked together to rebrand the project, and present it to the world. The website debuts along with new marketing material and trade show presentations, all under the wings of the new logo. You can find out more about Pelican Dental Concepts by visiting the new site: www.pelicandental.com.

Launch News: Perfectly Provencal

La Bergerie des Remparts is a small house with a big view. Located in the heart of Provence, 30 minutes from Marseille, France, the old bergerie (shepherd' s cottage) is now a welcoming vacation destination. Perched on the ramparts of the medieval village of Cornillon-Confoux, the house offers a glimpse of the mediterranean on a clear day. 3W Studios has created a site the evokes the charm and antiquity of the location. Book your week in Provence at www.perfectlyprovencal.com.

Other News: A Taste of Things to Come

The Mozilla Organization (the remains of Netscape) has released a preview of their latest browser. Available on three platforms, the browser know as Firefox offers such features as tabbed browsing, popup blocking, integrated searching and a full range of keyboard shortcuts. Even more important, we think, is how fast the browser is. The pre-release version has already garnered praise from Maximum PC and Forbes Magazine. If you can't stand the thought of waiting at least two more years before Microsoft updates Internet Explorer, or you just want a change, take a look at Firefox. It gets the thumbs up so far from studio staff.

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