Experian Marketing Services provides Pinterest functionality to help retailers go viral

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian Marketing Services' CheetahMail^® developed a new Pinterest email functionality late last year that has produced significantly higher both open and click rates for emails with the functionality, while also enabling retailers' products to go viral. Several retailers, including Ballard Designs, have seen significant increases in click-to-open rates, Pinterest followers and pinboard activity by incorporating the capability into their email campaigns. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120626/LA30926)

Specifically, the Pinterest feature allows brands to incorporate "Pin It" functionality within their promotional emails, so that consumers can link products they like to specific pinboards. Email recipients are able to easily share the products featured within the body of the email with friends and followers simply by clicking on the "Pin It" icon — the power of which is word-of-mouth product awareness. The feature is easy to implement, and the CheetahMail team provides the strategy and guidance on how to integrate Pinterest into campaigns, as well as the kinds of campaigns that are best suited to leverage the channel.

"We recognized the viral value of Pinterest early and recommended the 'Pin It' functionality to clients to help with customer engagement," said Yara Lutz, vice president of Client Services at Experian CheetahMail. "The emails with the 'Pin-It' functionality have consistently delivered increased click-to-open rates and helped our clients, such as Ballard Designs, expand their presence on this valuable social networking site."

Ballard Designs "Spring Favorites Campaign"
With the help of its Experian CheetahMail account team, Ballard Designs launched a Customer Spring Favorites promotional email to consumers. The email included six individual products with "Pin It" icons and delivered excellent results. Specifically, Ballard Designs saw:

• A 2.8 percent increase in click-to-open rates
• More than 15 percent increase in Pinterest followers within the first week of deployment
• A 33 percent increase in pinboard activity

"Knowing our brand well, Experian CheetahMail proactively reached out to help us strategize and execute the new 'Pin It' in email functionality," said James Pope, director of public relations and social media for Ballard Designs. "It was very easy, and we are extremely pleased with the results of our first 'Pin It' campaign, which enabled six products to be 'pinned' separately from within the email, increasing click-to-open rates, Pinterest followers and pinboard activity. The functionality has now become an integral part of our ongoing email campaigns."

Pinterest campaigns create higher open and click rates
Looking at brands currently sending 'Pin Us' campaigns, Experian CheetahMail found that 'Pin Us' mailings are generating higher open and click rates when compared to other mailings from the same brands among Experian CheetahMail clients. Pinterest mailings overall are generating 11 percent higher open rates and 25 percent higher click rates than other email campaigns between January 2012 and March 2012.

For more information about how Ballard Designs used the Pinterest feature to its advantage, please read the full Ballard Designs case study here and view the Social Media's Hot Trends Webinar.

About Experian CheetahMail
Experian CheetahMail is the trusted service provider of integrated email, mobile, social and display marketing for top enterprises worldwide. With the industry's largest client services teams, feature-rich email technology and a broad range of data management options, Experian CheetahMail enables clients to build data-driven, relevant relationships with their customers. Servicing the world's most recognizable brands, Experian CheetahMail's globally diverse client base includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Chicos, Neiman Marcus and Wyndham Hotels. Experian CheetahMail, a business unit of Experian (FTSE:EXPN), was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Madrid, Beijing, Melbourne and Brazil. For more information, please visit http://www.cheetahmail.com or email [email protected].

About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services delivers best-in-breed customer data and insight, digital-marketing technologies and data management services into multiple regions around the globe. By helping marketers more effectively target and engage their best customers with meaningful communications across both traditional and digital media, Experian Marketing Services enables organizations to encourage brand advocacy while creating measurable return on marketing investment. For more information, please visit http://www.experian.com/marketingservices.

About Experian
Experian^® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2012 was US$4.5 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 44 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:
Matt Tatham
Experian Public Relations
1 212 380 2939
[email protected]

SOURCE Experian Marketing Services