NEW YORK -- Crystal Cruises became the first supplier to use
e-Marketing's E-brochure program, which enables agencies to e-mail
clients electronic brochures for free.
Atlanta-based communications firm e-Marketing, which says it has
a database of 43,000 agency e-mail addresses, unveiled two Crystal
brochures and the E-brochure program in a press conference here
Feb. 20.
In an exclusive travel industry deal with Mobular Technologies,
e-Marketing uses Mobular's compression technology to convert
supplier PDF or Quark files into very small -- 3K to 6K -- agency
client e-mails that contain electronic brochures.
Agency clients don't need Adobe Acrobat or other specialized
software. They receive the E-brochure in an e-mail, the technology
detects the users' default browser and the E-brochure automatically
opens in an online format.
Clients can then view the online version, which the supplier can
update when prices change, for instance, or they can download it to
their desktops.
In addition to the updates and monies saved in e-mail rather
than snail mail, another attractive feature is that clients or
agents can use pull-down menus or keyword searches to navigate
through the brochures.
Since the E-brochures can also be forwarded, agents can review a
planned destination with several clients simultaneously at remote
locations.
Suppliers pay e-Marketing a one-time production fee of $15,000
for the brochures and 75 cents per delivered e-mail, said
e-Marketing president Michael Goldberg.
Suppliers will market the program to agencies and consumers.
Adam Leavitt, senior vice president of marketing for Crystal,
said the company will e-mail agencies and consumers in the next few
weeks to announce the availability of electronic Europe and
Alaska/Canada brochures.
Leavitt said the brochures advise agency clients and other
consumers to book with travel agencies.
Goldberg said e-Marketing fulfills agency requests for
e-mailings to clients and signs confidentiality agreements to
ensure that agency client lists are protected.
When agencies agree to the program, clients receive two e-mails
-- a personalized message from the agency and then the supplier
brochure.
Goldberg said the strongest interest in the program from
suppliers has come from cruise lines, destinations and tour
operators.