Paul Dunay did a nice blog post recapping the Day 1 morning intensive Email 360. I'll just briefly add to his coverage. I want to highlight an interesting rich media newsletter IBM has been doing for SMB customers.


Called ForwardView, two full-time employees (with agency help) produce the monthly newsletter in a variety of formats, including this cool viral-inspiring version. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Notice how the movie trailers preview the articles in the current issue. And be sure to click "Help," "Feedback" and "Next Month's Issue."
If rich media isn't your thing, they also publish html and print versions (since market research tells IBM there are significant segments that prefer to consume information in each of these formats). And they're currently developing a new version to work on mobile phones, expecting this to be a popular medium in Asian markets.
Ready to produce your own rich media newsletter? I don't blame you. My wheels are turning too. But at a cost of $55K per issue--not to mention the coordination cost of working with three agencies to pull this off--this project requires a significant commitment.
So what about ROI? With open rates around 15% and up to 13-16 minutes of viewing time, IBM is pleased with response rates so far. But that's not all, in the first 18 months the newsletter was in circulation, SMB Marketing Program Director Leslie Reiser can point to one $13 million sale that directly ties back to this vehicle. Reiser says: "You just need one of those a year, and you're fine." No doubt.