Up until now, the scope of video email has been limited by the inability to play directly into web-based accounts, such as Yahoo! and Hotmail, precluding a large proportion of consumer email users.
The new software, called TrailerMail, has been developed by , and allows a video clip to be embedded into the body of an email, enabling it to play directly within web-based accounts to reach a previously excluded audience.
TrailerMail is already being used by a number of companies including Haygarth, which employed the system for an online video campaign for the UK launch of 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'. The campaign reached 305,000 people, targeting registrants from Columbia TriStar's database and subscribers to Warner Village's website. It has also been used by EA Games for campaigns for 'Sim City 4' and 'The Sims'.
Steve Sponder, director at Lawton eMarketing, said: "The advantages of TrailerMail is that it enables Columbia TriStar to play the film trailer directly within web-based accounts used by the majority of consumers. By engaging the consumer directly within the email message, Columbia TriStar is setting the new benchmark in rich-media email marketing."
Lawton eMarketing claim that TrailerMail technology can boost brand recall and click-through rates of up to 28% with the inclusion of "forward to a friend" option encouraging a viral effect.
"This is a massive breakthrough and has proved very successful for the companies that have used it. The possibilities are endless and we believe that in the e-commerce environment, where closing the sale is only a mouse-click away, video email could give our clients a huge increase in returns on investment," Sponder said.
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