If you needed proof that the age of one-way communications -- call it email, spam, or whatever --is over, just take a look at the latest report from Cheetah mail, the folks who send out a lot of that stuff. A year ago Christmas time, on average 44% of all emails from publishers like The Measurement Standard were opened. By Q4 2005 that number had dropped to 26%. Overall, across all industries, the drop was almost as bad: from 36% to 21%. If that doesn't tell you that we are sick of spam and email, then take note of the fact that of all the ones we open, only 4% generate a click thru -- just about half the rate of a year ago. The message is clear -- engage me in a conversation, don't just yell at me. There, I've had my rant, now I'm going back to reading Naked Conversations.


KD, the thought of you curled up with such a great book brings a warm glow to my heart.
Posted by: Shel Israel | April 25, 2006 at 12:42 AM
I think you're reading it. I think Podcasting is way overrated -- again a one-way monologue, and I truly believe that conversations like the ones that are generated from blogs are the communications of the future.
Posted by: Katie Paine | April 07, 2006 at 11:09 AM
I guess we marketers could have predicted that other marketers would flock to a new tactic that looks easy and costs little. Too good to be true, right? If we're as savvy as we would like others to think we are, we'll figure out what's next. You're right, one-way communication usually loses its appeal after the flash wears off. Have you heard any predictions about the next big communications tactic?
Posted by: Suzanne Lowe | April 06, 2006 at 09:56 PM