The Alchemy Worx Consumer Mailbox Index, a monthly survey of what email marketers are up to…

The AWCM Index [pronounced: aw-suh m], will regularly report on volumes, frequency, send days, from addresses, and spam folder messages received by the monitor.

Monthly volume received

The AWCM Index reveals a 0.3% decrease in the total volume of emails received in September 2009 compared to August (down from 288 to 287). This is the lowest level recorded since February 2009; however it is 20% higher than recorded in September 2008 (Figure 1).

Weekly volume received

Following increases in the number of emails in weeks 39 and 40, week 41 saw a decrease in the number of emails to 69, down from 74 in week 40. Despite this, the number of emails increased again in week 42 to 72 (Figure 2).

Over the next 12 months, we will be looking to identify the extent to which these changes are attributable to seasonality, and the current economic climate.

Number of Companies Mailing per Month

The number of companies sending emails decreased in September 2009 to 67 (from 72 in August) of the 107 companies on the AWCM Index, the lowest level recorded in the previous 12 months (Figure 3).

Average Frequency

Despite a drop in the number of companies sending emails in September over August, the lower drop in the number of emails meant that the average number of emails sent per active company increased to 4.3, to the highest level recorded since December 2008 (Figure 4).

Average Day of the Week (Aug08 – Oct09)

Across the 56 weeks that the AWCM Index has been running, the majority of messages (91%) were received in the monitor on week days. Thursday and Friday were the most popular send days during the working week, accounting for 21% and 23% of mailings respectively, ahead of Wednesday (18%), Tuesday (15%) and Monday(13%) – Figure 5.

Day of the Week by Quarter

The share of messages received on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays increased in Q4 2009 over Q3 2009, with Fridays increasing for the third consecutive quarter and Saturdays for the second consecutive quarter. Tuesdays lost share for the third consecutive quarter, while Wednesdays lost share for the second consecutive quarter (Figure 6).

Methodology

The AWCM Index was started in July 2008 with a fixed number of subscriptions. The index is made up of subscriptions to over 100 free email newsletters or offer programs. The companies represented in the survey cover a broad range of consumer goods and services, including travel, retail, supermarket, comparison sites, DIY / furniture, fashion, health, jewellery, mobile phones, movies, music, photography and electrical goods. Please email us for a full list of companies.

Analysis has been undertaken by Alchemy Worx and the independent Research agency BML.

Last updated: Nov 05, 2014  admin

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