As the director of e-commerce marketing for pet-related products and services giant PETCO, Blank is well-steeped in the all-important skill of growing an e-mail list --- and using that list as effectively as possible.
PETCO, as one of the country's largest animal food and supplies retailers, has a well-developed e-tail presence.
The site opened for business in 2000, and now sells everything from t-shirts for dogs to care kits for pet Gecko lizards.
With this wide a selection --- which means all kinds of pet owners --- PETCO could use a broad-brush approach in building its e-mail list, but Blank said she believes in a carefully targeted effort to harvest new e-mail addresses.
"We're not, for instance, going on large ad networks and running contests to win a Ford Explorer, because that could be just anybody," she says.
"We're trying to target niche pet sites, or partner with organizations around pet ownership."
One of the key techniques the site uses to build its e-mail list is a coupon offer.
Every user who gives his or her e-mail address is awarded a $10 coupon for PETCO products.
The site makes it clear that pet-related information, not just sales offers, will be included in company mailings.
Throughout the PETCO site are solicitations to sign up for a specialized newsletter, "with animal care information, exclusive offers and more."
Making It Personal Many shoppers don't give their e-mail address because they're afraid they'll get a blizzard of ads from the company that don't relate to their individual desires.
PETCO handles this by personalizing its mailings.
PETCO has created e-mail templates, which are filled with different offers --- personalized --- based on factors like each consumer's purchase history.
E-mails are personalized based on a list of variables ranging from pet type, combination of pet type, purchase frequency, and five possible shopping offers.