Water Marketing Recap | May 2024
Bj?rn Otto
Engineer, Marketer, & Investor | Transforming Water Tech Companies with Sustainable Strategies
Every 2 years, the groundhog calls again, aka the IFAT in Munich. Even though I didn't want to talk about it today, I can only recommend the post about the 3?biggest?marketing fails I saw on the floor. I received many messages about my findings and wanted to share them?with you?again ??https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7196821008559816707/
While we're on the subject of fails, today I'd like to give you an insight into how email marketing should not be done, especially not for well-known water companies.
What I will tell you now has all happened in real life.?In our beautiful, underfunded water industry.
Email Marketing Fail in our Water Space
April and May are typically traveling times for me, so I have not only been at IFAT in the last few weeks but also at other events. But what happened afterward was something I've only seen from all the "gold diggers" who promised me 100 leads per day and several million per month—with unwanted emails. Do you know them?
Just a quick reminder. Unless you have a double opt-in, you are not allowed to annoy anyone with your emails.
Back to the story.?
Back at the office, I received an email from a well-known company in the water industry. It was a typical newsletter, and it was obvious that I was on an email list.
As I usually know which newsletters I am subscribed to, I politely asked how I got the honor of receiving this newsletter and when I had subscribed to it.
On a positive note, I received an answer. But it blew my mind:
I had been at an event and had therefore (silently) agreed to the terms and conditions that my data could be given to sponsors of this event. And this company was a sponsor. By giving my consent and receiving my data, the company assumes that I want to receive their newsletter.
Can you believe that?
Have we really reached the level of the "gold diggers"??
Selling my data, and by that I mean sensitive data such as email etc., to sponsors via the terms and conditions may somehow be legally ok, but morally I would like to question this. But I find it more difficult that the companies then put me on email lists without any declaration of consent and then use them. This is no longer a grey area (ever heard of GDPR?) it is clearly not legal.
As?a?marketer, I'm all for pushing boundaries, but we must remember that there are limits.?
I don't know how many of you are familiar with this website: https://www.dsgvo-portal.de/gdpr-fine-database/ but here you can find the latest penalties imposed on companies that have breached the GDPR.
3 Ways to do it better
I don't just want to complain all the time, so here are 3 steps on how to do it better:
领英推荐
1 The newsletter form on the website
Ok, I know the conversion is lousy, but it's better than nothing and you'll collect some people with it. Please don't forget to deliver added value straight away and don't wait months with the new email until your automation delivers something or, in the worst case, nothing at all. Otherwise the warm lead will be cold again by then.
2 Add existing customers to the mailing list
This is a grey area, but within the realms of possibility. Because there is a business relationship, the likelihood of ending up on the GDPR list is low.?
3 Paid Social
Another option, which is very rarely used, is to collect addresses via paid ads. It's actually quite simple.?You?just?have to create a cool goodie that people receive in exchange.?Practical and technical whitepapers are a good example.?
If you're eager to explore more innovative ways, I'm here to provide further guidance and support. Just reach out to me.
Disclaimer:?This is not legal advice but always my personal opinion combined with my experience.
Join the Water Marketing Consulting
As you know,?my company's vision is to ensure that every technology company committed to solving global water challenges achieves the recognition and success it deserves.
So don't wait—take action. Together, we will discover your special USP that sets you apart from others and develop the right communication for you. What many underestimate is that you can not overcommunicate your difference.
Book your call now: https://calendly.com/interius-solutions/watertech-marketing
Talk soon.
Cheers Bj?rn
Need more?
You can connect with me here on LinkedIn or check out the Interius Solutions webpage and book your call with me.
Unfortunately, that happens everywhere. But what if the content of that particular newsletter would be valuable? I observe that many (even large entities) struggle with proper sales funnel design and its execution. In most cases, newsletters or blogs are assumed to be BOFU in a very aggressive way. Best if USP, in those cases, is convinced by “high quality,” “999 years of experience,” and “team’s flexibility.” But the good thing is that there is so much work to be done worldwide. I like the article.