Permission Marketing

Seth Godin, Vice President of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!, argues that traditional advertising is no longer the most effective way to reach and retain customers. His advice? "Permission marketing" — a strategy that has proved successful for such companies as Bell Atlantic, American Airlines, and American Express. Godin explains how, by reaching out only to those individuals who have signaled an interest in learning more about a product, Permission marketing enables companies to develop long-term relationships with customers, create trust, build brand awareness — and greatly improve the chances of making a sale.