Or is it? I recently blogged about how Bank of America used valuable real estate to tell their readers that the email is NOT spam.

Read the full eec post

Below I've copied a section of the post that is most relevant to this blog. I've also added a few deliverabilty-related thoughts to consider.

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Why This Technique May Work

Hey, you've gotta give credit for Bank of America for not giving up on email marketing as a engagment channel. While I may have historically marked this as spam out of habit, I didn't this time. Was it because of the timing of their email (I just secured a B of A Mortgage)? Was it because they told me the email was NOT spam? Who knows.

I wonder what their open vs. unsubscribe/spam ratios looked like for this campaign. Did they do some A|B testing on that big red box telling me "This is NOT spam"? Maybe that phrase works for some, maybe for the majority. So, Bank of America - did this work?

Why This Technique May Fail

Telling me something is NOT spam makes me think even more that it IS spam. That's what spammers and phishers do. "Please trust us. We're the good guys, the guys with the white hats." Yeah, right. I trust you. Also, if you have to tell me something is NOT something I think it may be, well...you're already starting behind. As mentioned above, that preheader / above-the-fold area is what usually is seen first. Bank of America wants me to complete the survey, but I may be caught up on the fact that this email is or is NOT spam.

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As we know with deliverability, there are many factors that determine whether or not your email will get delivered (inbox or otherwise). A few thoughts/questions to ponder:

1. Did this strategy by Bank of America result in fewer complaints, hence improving delieverability overall? Or, is the reputation of their IPs already damaged?

2. Will this be the trend adopted by other financial institutions? Other email marketers?

3. Will blacklists and ISPs "go easier" (read: less weight on complaints) on companies sending legitimate email that utilizes this approach?

What do you think?

DJ Waldow
Director of Community at Blue Sky Factory

Comments

Saying you're not spam is like saying you're CAN-SPAM compliant. It almost always means that you're covering up the fact that you're not what you claim.

It's like telling your teach hey Miss, I'm not a cheater. People are intelligent and they can read between those claims!