Last week The Relevancy Group and The Marketer Quarterly hit New Orleans for the Email Experience Council’s Email Evolution Conference. The sun was shining, the music was nonstop, and the email marketing brainstorming was lively.
The event kicked off with a big reveal. EEC showed its new stripes with a new logo and branding effort, a modern look reflecting the future of email.
The big news for The Relevancy Group came during the opening day luncheon. Our very own founder & CEO David Daniels was named EEC’s Thought Leader of the Year and was presented the trophy over wedge salad and rare steaks. IBM’s marketing evangelist and former award recipient Loren McDonald handed the award to David in a jovial manner, joking that David invented email, and accurately highlighting the fact that David coined the term ESP way back when. During his acceptance speech, David explained his own history with the medium: He sent his first email back in 1988 and has been emailing ever since. We’re so proud of his accomplishments and couldn’t think of a better person to hold the title.
Genevieve Longtin, director of email marketing and engagement of Sharecare, took home the Stefan Pollard Email Marketer of the Year Award. Aspen Dental won Best Makeover of an Existing Email Program. Alaska Airlines won Most Innovative use of Customer or Other Data, including Automation and Triggers. Nestle Waters North America won Best Subscriber Acquisition, Reactivation or Integration Program. Lysol Mommy Mail won Best Use of Humor, Personality, Content or Brand.
The EEC show had some compelling content. Shutterstock shared their beautiful interactive carousels inspired by children’s fashion plates. Justine Jordan’s Litmus busted some of emails biggest myths (spam words in subject lines will not land you in the spam folder). Kathryn Minshew, founder of The Muse, gave an inspiring talk on how tech has transformed the job search business. Her advice, HR needs to become employment marketers if companies want to find good candidates.
As if this wasn’t enough, Collision aka, “America’s fastest growing tech conference,” was taking place simultaneously at the New Orleans conference center next door. The event attracted leading tech companies, thought leaders and CMOs from the likes of GrubHub, WellsFargo and eBay. On stage, Suzy Deering, who is profiled in the latest issue of MQ, gave her advice: Think beyond email and know your customer.
YouTube used the show to reveal its push into the home entertainment market, and a desktop redesign with a black background (watch out Netflix). About.com rebranded to Dot Dash and has seen major increases in traffic.
You can’t go to New Orleans without digesting some music. You could find EEC and Collision goers all over town from Frenchman street to the French Quarter. A marching band even showed up at the Hilton and the entire EEC conference danced and marched along the river walk to the Steamboat Natchez where Adestra sponsored a night of good times on the Mississippi River.
The party didn’t stop at the New Orleans airport. Exhausted EEC attendees got off their feet and drank beer at the bar. My gate was decked out for Mari Gras, Dixieland jazz band, beads and all to celebrate Condor’s first direct flight between New Orleans and Europe. Passengers barely noticed the rain delays as the band played on.
Our 22nd issue of the Marketer Quarterly is now live!
Netflix is dissolving its global brand marketing team, according to a report in 
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