One-To-One Marketing: Comment - E-marketers need to kill spam to save the life of genuine email

Two surveys conducted by the Hong Kong Internet Service Provider Association, in December 2003 and in June 2004, gathering data from 11 ISPs, which represent over 90 per cent of internet users in Hong Kong, and supplementary data from two internet VAS providers, revealed that 50 per cent of all email in Hong Kong is spam. Based on a calculation scheme from international studies, the annual economic cost of spam in Hong Kong could be up to HK$10 billion (US$1.2 billion), with the cost of lost productivity due to 'absenteeism' alone estimated at $6 billion. The trend of virus writers teaming up with spammers makes the spam problem more severe.

This is the internet's most dangerous combination. Virus writers send out viruses that infect your PC and open a hole in your machine. A spammer can then use the hole to copy your address book and send out millions of spam messages in no time. Another of our surveys revealed that in May, 58 per cent of spam messages were generated by viruses, increasing to 64 per cent in June. Compared to the global average of about five per cent, the spam generated by viruses in Hong Kong is much more serious, impling that anti-spam solutions are not well adopted here.

Today, the internet has driven marketing costs down dramatically, making it possible for SMEs to turn the tables on competitors and even challenge major rivals. Access to new geographic regions and exploration of new market segments have become easier than ever before. The majority of e-marketers are very responsible people. They respect the concerns of their customers and prospects. In order to not upset the rules of the game, they make sure that their e-marketing messages are anticipated, personal, relevant, and give the recipient the option to unsubscribe at any time.

Unfortunately, the majority of spam is generated by a very small group of spammers. They may send out fraudulent, irrelevant, annoying, or pornographic email.

Spam is significantly damaging the value of e-marketing and its reputation.

The huge volume of spam being sent across the internet not only consumes unnecessary international and local bandwidth, computer memory, storage space, hardware and software and human resources, but also creates a very negative impression and may impose a detrimental impact on e-marketing.

If the proliferation of spam is not stopped, there is a possibility that email will become an ineffective communication medium. And e-marketing will then become history.