New Report Finds Travelers the Most Willing Consumer Group to Opt-In to Online Ads

BROOKLYN, NY–(Marketwire – July 27, 2010) –  Travel marketers have the greatest opportunity to create loyal, engaged users through sign-up advertising, according to a recent report from Pontiflex Inc., a startup company that connects marketers with the right people to make advertising relevant. The latest installment of the Pontiflex E-Mail and Social Acquisition Report, found more than 2.1 million people opted to share personal information with travel companies through sign-up advertising in the second quarter of 2010. Other findings from the report indicate significant opportunity for advertisers to engage these relevant users in a meaningful way by leveraging social networking sites to build brand awareness, encourage brand advocacy and influence purchasing decisions. 

The Pontiflex E-Mail and Social Acquisition Report measured average Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) for advertisers across multiple vertical industries in the second quarter of 2010, with costs for both basic (first name, last name, email address) and premium information (telephone numbers, social networking handles, etc.) measured. While travel was the most popular industry with consumers, almost 550,000 signed up for ads from companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry and 306,000 gave their information to health companies. Signaling an interest from consumers to support charitable and social causes online, almost 180,000 people provided their data to nonprofit organizations.

Other notable findings include:

• Advertisers in the travel industry paid an average of $1.60 per lead for premium information in Q2, vs. an average of fifty cents per lead for basic information.
• CPG advertisers paid an average of $1.10 per premium lead, while also paying an average of fifty cents per basic lead.
• Retail marketers paid only for basic leads, at an average of 65 cents per lead.
• Interestingly, nonprofit marketers also paid only for basic info, at an average of $1.30 per lead.
• Health marketers paid an average of $1.80 for premium leads and eighty cents for basic leads.

As marketers continue to navigate the waters of social marketing, they remain focused on finding the best methods for connecting with and engaging users online. The report found that the majority, 61 percent, of companies use e-mail to build trust with their audiences before extending the conversation to other social platforms. 26 percent of companies direct users immediately to social networks and community sites once they sign up.

“In online advertising, the old model of simply blowing money on impressions just isn’t good enough,” said Zephrin Lasker, CEO and Co-Founder, Pontiflex. “Smart companies across industries are starting to realize the best long-term revenue opportunities come from engaging users beyond the click with social networking tools. This is a trend that will only continue, as users look to find new ways to stay abreast of deals and promotions being offered by their favorite brands, and look to stay in touch with those brands that provide the most relevant offers.” 

These same advertisers have a unique opportunity to create a community of brand enthusiasts by offering consumers the simplest path to engagement through sign-up ads, then capitalizing on this engagement using real-time e-mail correspondence and new social networking technologies and tools. 

“Advertisers in today’s digital marketplace are facing a big shift,” said Lasker. “We’re seeing great results when sign-up advertising is used as a social acquisition tool. Companies can use these platforms to create and nurture real communities of engaged followers. It’s clearly working great for a number of early adopters.” 

About Pontiflex
Pontiflex is the industry’s leading e-mail and social acquisition platform. Pontiflex’s patent-pending technology makes advertising relevant by connecting people to the brands that matter to them. Pontiflex lets people sign up for ads on websites, social media apps and blogs and get deals and information from brands and organizations that they like. Advertisers only pay for sign ups — the actual data from people who have chosen to hear from them. Be it moms who sign up for the Kimberly-Clark HUGGIES “Enjoy the Ride” Loyalty Program, pet lovers who sign up to help save animals with ASPCA, or shoppers who sign up to get fashion insider information from Tommy Hilfiger, millions of people use Pontiflex every day to receive the right ads from their favorite brands and organizations.

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