e-mail Marketing 127 What exactly is e-mail marketing? E-mail marketing is a fusion of marketing savvy and imaginative copy. In its simplest form, it's an e-mail sent to a customer list that usually contains a sales pitch and a `call to action'. This could be as simple as encouraging the customer to click on a web link embedded in the e-mail. Some examples of e-mail marketing campaigns could include: a hotel promoting a special summer discount; a recruitment company informing business clients about a free seminar; a gadget store offering a money-off code to be used at its online checkout; a fitness centre offering members a special printout voucher that entitles the bearer to bring a friend along for free; a beverage company encouraging people to download a game that integrates into the user's Facebook profile. You can also use e-mail when you don't have anything specific to market, as a mechanism to maintain consumer engagement, strengthen brand percep-