Oracle Offers Economist.com Subs to Get Email Names

Thanks to Barbara Kaplowitz for sending me a link to this unusual co-op marketing campaign from TheEconomist.com and Oracle. She just got an emailed offer from TheEconomist.com (who apparently have no idea filters will hurt you if you use the word "f^ree" repeatedly in a broadcast message) that says that Oracle have
offered to pay for an Economist.com $69 subscription for her.

The only thing she has to do to get this site subscription is click on the link and hand over her email address with permission
to be added to Oracle's email list.

They do not want the offer to go viral so unless you are Barbara, the offer will not work for you, but you can view the landing page
and privacy policy.

This is a very clever way for TheEconomist to get some sponsor dollars by in effect offering a co-reg. It is something other subscription sites might consider, as long as your universe is big enough that you are not scared silly of cannibalization.

However, as Barbara noted in her letter to me, "Have to admit, the really daunting privacy policy at Oracle made me consider not
accepting the deal." If Oracle had added some benefit copy about why it's cool to be on their list and/or at least given a non-
legalese-summary of their privacy policy, they would have done better with this campaign.

Also, it does make me wonder about the value of the list. Oracle is such a big broad company offering so many products, that I'm
not sure what they are planning to send these new o^pt-ins that is targeted and valuable enough content for the Company to get a
decent email readership % rate. We shall see.

http://www.economist.com/subscriptions/oracle.cfm