We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of how media can be combined. One trend I’ve been seeing is email communication, typically an embedded graphic, with a message to click through to a website. When used correctly, it can be highly effective. At the end of last year, I had a holiday message arrive in my inbox from WorkingBuildings Group. It contained a graphic of a postcard wrapped in red string. (It’s also possible the postcard was supposed to be a gift—that part could have been clearer—but it didn’t deter me from wanting to “click here to open,” as I was invited to do.) Upon doing so, I was taken to a page on the company website. I was wished good tidings and was further invited to click on any or all of 12 “cards” showing holiday illustrations. Each card flipped over to reveal an intriguing tidbit of information concerning holidays around the world. For example, one card read “DID YOU KNOW? In Ireland, it is traditional for children to leave mince pies and a pint of Guinness as a snack for Santa? Bottoms Up!”
This, to me, was a stroke of pure genius. I was hooked and appreciated the time-out from my workday. Next, I wanted to know more about the company. Surely it was in my industry and somehow the marketers got a hold of my email address, but I was unfamiliar. Conveniently, I was already on the website– right where they wanted me to be!