Are Email Lists Really Necessary??

Email lists, email lists, email lists. I hear this come up so often in my daily life and I always try my best to ignore it. I have made several email addresses throughout my life and my reason for doing so is to avoid emails from brands that I had made accounts with in the past. I have found that several websites ask you to sign up for their lists so that you can perhaps get a discount on your first purchase. I for one have taken advantage of this several times, however, I am always sure to send these emails to my junk email I set up for myself. However, with Mercedes, I realized it is a different approach entirely.

The Process

To my surprise, the initial process of signing up for Mercedes's email list was pretty easy. All I needed to do in this instance was type my email into the box at the bottom of their screen and I was subscribed. No other information was asked of me and 0 gimmicks were provided at all throughout the entirety of the process. After submitting it, I received a link to verify my email. This is where the process became quite difficult. After clicking the link to verify my email, I was prompted to “log-in” first, which is a problem since I do not have an account with Mercedes. I was then forced to make an account in order to get on the email list, which was not an easy process. I was required to enter my personal information such as age, location, sex, preferences, and even my address. This is something that I was not okay with. Henceforth, I was unable to successfully receive communication from Mercedes through their email list.

What they need to do better

Mercedes is obviously a luxury brand which means that its services have a certain level of restrictions for regular customers. The registration process for their email list is far too involved for someone who is not already a customer. Additionally, asking for personal information to be provided is a bit much as I was just interested in learning more about their current lineup of vehicles. Mercedes most definitely needs to adopt a more streamlined process where emails do not need to be verified by setting up an account in its system. Henceforth, it is safe to say that they are not using the best email practices. One of the key methods of maintaining quality email practices is to keep the main message and the call to action above the fold, which means ensuring that consumers are able to see important information right away. At no point in the process does Mercedes alert that an account is needed until the email is already provided.

This is all that is provided on the main screen. Nothing is written regarding registering an account in the subscription process. Thus, Mercedes needs to improve their overall email campaign methods and not utilize what I would consider “data mining” practices.

Are they Necessary?

In my opinion, email lists are helpful to companies and consumers if they are used correctly. However, in the case of Mercedes and many other companies, it seems like email lists are a way for companies to acquire personal data, especially if an account is needed in order to get on that list.