When Marketing Blurb is not seated at the computer defending marketing from corruption, (or defending corruption from marketing) we take the time to teach marketing and e-commerce to undergraduate and graduate students. Email marketing is one of my favorite topics, and the discussion always turns to spam. Students are incensed by spam and furious that evil spammers still walk the earth. 
So I calmly tell my students I have the solution to the spam crisis. Stop responding to the offers. Huh? That’s outrageous the students chime in—we never respond to spam! Well, folks--spam is just direct marketing where you can accurately calculate the return on investment. Spam is profitable. When people stop buying what spammers are selling, spam goes away. Yes, there are laws against spam. In fact, AOL just won a $ 5 million dollar settlement against a spammer. But trust me—technology will not solve the problem. Response rates will.
Comment Preview