Stores Magazine - November 2007 - (Page 98) NUTS AND BOLTS / ONLINE SECURITY Trust, But Certify Program gives PETCO’s e-mails stamp of authenticity BY MICHAEL HARTNETT cipients’ shopping habits and interests. “Those are our two main sources of emails — our loyalty program, which customers sign up for, and online purchases,” says John Lazarchic, vice president of e-commerce for PETCO. “We The answer PETCO found was CertifiedEmail by Goodmail Services, a also have monthly Click-through system through which retailers can provide their customers with another newsletters [one each rates and e-mail level of protection from fraudulent e-mails and, through increased confor dog and cat ownbusiness: sumer confidence, promote higher click-through rates. ers], and these are Based in Mountain View, Calif., Goodmail Services has created a targeted based on “unique, trusted class of e-mail” that provides a safe and reliable means customers’ past infor consumers to identify authentic messages from legitimate volume teraction. We present after implementing senders. In addition to being selective about the clients it represents (such offers for services like CertifiedEmail as requiring low rates of consumer complaints), Goodmail certifies the legrooming, dog traingitimacy of e-mails with “cryptographically secure tokens” signifying that ing and pet sitting. the sender has met strict standards for best e-mail practices. We provide information about store locations and we have merchandise-speAs a practical matter, that means consumers who receive CertifiedEmail messages cific e-mails about individual vendors, will see an icon testifying to the fact that they are sebased on prior purchases.” cure and legitimate, along with a blue band that furHIGH ANXIETY Security is a real concern for the prither identifies that e-mail as “certified.” These indivately held, San Diego-based retailer. cators also serve a marketing function by distinguishConsumer anxiety “We have seen the PETCO name hiing them from other Inbox traffic and making them over Internet security more likely to be noticed. jacked by spammers,” Lazarchic says. = a $2 billion loss in With its loyalty program, online shopping and “They sent offers to win gift cards and e-commerce and multiple newsletters, PETCO has a lot to talk about. our customers didn’t know the offer banking transactions Each month it sends an average of seven million ewasn’t coming from PETCO. Anything last year. mail messages to communicate information about that can differentiate our communicaSource: Gartner products and services consistent with individual retions from competitors and spammers is P ETCO relies on e-mail to keep its pet-loving customers informed about products and services offered through its 850 store locations and e-commerce operations. With the increased prevalence of fraudulent e-mails and mountains of spam, however, the retailer needed an added level of security for these critical communiqués. up 25% 98 STORES / NOVEMBER 2007 WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG
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