24/7 Media, Alerts.com Partner to Offer Personalized News
December 6, 2000
7 Media (Nasdaq:TFSM), the global leader in multi-platform interactive marketing, today announced a partnership with Alerts.com to provide 24/7 Media clients the ability to send their customers instant, personalized Alerts and notifications to PCs, cell phones, PDAs, pagers, and fax machines.
The Alerts service automatically notifies customers as news and information is changed or updated on customer-selected Web sites.
"As 24/7 Media focuses on helping our clients acquire, retain and grow customer relationships, Alerts.com gives Internet sites another way to help drive traffic and keep their customers loyal," said Cindy Brown, senior vice president and general manager of 24/7 Exactis, the company's e-mail service bureau.
How It Works
When customers visit a site featuring Alerts, they begin the service by clicking an "Alert" button on the Web page. On a customized pop-up form, customers enter their Alert specifications and delivery address (e-mail, cell phone number, fax number, etc.). Once the customer is signed up, the Alerts system continuously checks the Web site for content changes, according to the user's specifications. When new information is found that matches the users criteria, Alerts sends a message notifying the user of the new information, including a URL link for immediate access to the site.
"For example, a customer might ask an online merchant to Alert her by e-mail when a particular item goes on sale," Brown said. "When the item is put on sale, the Alerts service would immediately notify the customer on behalf of the merchant and provide a convenient link back to the merchant's site."
Customers choose the format and timing of the Alerts they receive. Alerts can be sent via a variety of devices, including personal computers, cell phones, PDAs, pagers, phones, and fax machines. In addition, customers can designate whether they would prefer immediate notification or a digest format that sends changes together at a user-specified time.
The primary benefit of the service is the ability for customers to stay current on the information they care about most by having messages pushed out to them based on their customized criteria rather than randomly checking their favorite sites for updates. Clients benefit by developing a stronger connection with the consumer that automatically drives traffic back to the Web site.
"Clients choosing to use Alerts.com have the opportunity to add significant value to their Web sites," Brown said. "As customers continually receive content and information updates, we believe our clients will see an increase in traffic and site loyalty."
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