Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Ethical Question: Is It Ok To Keep A Competitor Off Our Email List?

Posted by Anonymous on 5/12/2004 at 3:40 PM ET 50 Points
I manage our email list. We send out a monthly newsletter, along with updates, news bits, promos....

I have it set up manually. Meaning when a subscription request comes in from our website, I have to add them to the mailing list, as opposed to using an automatic system where when they join , they are automatically on the list.

I like managing it manually to keep track of things.

Well, for the first time, a competitor has signed up for the mailing list. A direct competitor. So, I had to ask our National Sales Manager whether we should add him on. He requested that we keep the subscriber off, for obvious reasons.

Is this ethical? Is it ok to keep our competitors from joining our mailing list? What do you all think?

Thanks!
Valerie
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 5/12/2004 at 3:49 PM Member
    I think they will subscribe under a different name if you block them. One way or another, they will get it if they want it. They could have a friend sign up, then forward them.

    I would leave it alone send them the newsletter like everyone else. If you remove them, it can create "bad blood".

    Good Luck!

  • Posted by Pepper Blue on 5/12/2004 at 4:09 PM Member
    Hi DesignVHL,

    Is it ethical - absolutely.

    Is it O.K. - absolutely.

    Is it necessary - I don't think so.

    I have competitors on a number of my clients mailing lists. I don't worry about them, because, like Jett said if I remove them they will find another way to get back on.

    I consider it a compliment when they sign up. Then I go sign up on there customer lists.

    Competitive intelligence plays both ways.

    I hope that helps.




  • Posted by telemoxie on 5/12/2004 at 6:25 PM Member
    I agree that it probably wouldn't hurt for a competitor to receive the newsletter, and I agree that they will find a way to access the information.

    ==>> However, I would NOT put a direct competitor on an email list, if people on my own team were opposed. If you do, you will leave yourself open to questions such as, "Whose side are you on, anyway?".

  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 5/13/2004 at 1:09 AM Accepted
    I'm staggered. How can your management be so blinkered to think your competitors wuld not already have signed up under pseudonyms? So how have you checked every other e-mail address that signed up to make sure they weren't competitors too?

    I say forget it, let the world sign up! Once you've released whatever info is in your newsletter out into the public domain, it's truly out there, and anyone can forward it to anyone else anyway!

    Sure it's flattering, but if you're worried about you competitors knowing your offers, you're not thinking beyond simple price/product marketing. Where do you add value where they can"t?

    A man named Welch once said if you haven't got a competitive advantage - don't compete. In an era where information travels at the speed of thought, the information about the offer on its own cannot be your competitive advantage. It's way too fleeting. A moment in time. You need a much more solid advantage that any amount of reading your newsletter or offers will not enable a competitor to imitate well - at least not within your campaign timeframe...

    Go look harder within yourself to build your firm's competitive advantage. Competition has a way of bringing ot the best in people. Tell that to any nervous nellies in your team!

    Good Luck.

    PS. Good job you're not advertising on TV. It would be real pesky having to go round unplugging your competitors TV sets to prevent them seeing what you're doing.
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 5/13/2004 at 11:27 AM Member
    Valerie,

    Look at what www.w5.com has to offer for managing email campaigns and follow-through clicks. Interesting technology!

    - Shelley
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