Permission-Based Email Tolerance Rises Slightly

The average number of companies that Americans voluntarily choose to receive email from has risen from nine to 10, indicating a slightly increased capacity for brand engagement via email, according to a study about attitudes and opinions toward permission-based email from Merkle.

The 2009 “View from the Inbox” email marketing report also found that there is an inverse relationship between the emails that are valued by consumers, such as transaction-related confirmations (64%) and account summaries (55%), and the quantities that they receive, such as news alerts (20%) and offers (18%).

Print Media Still Viable Entertainment Source

Though the majority of Americans (65%) in a recent survey say they go online to learn about daily breaking news, print magazines remain one of the top sources for entertainment, advice and lifestyle information, according to findings from The Rosen Group.

The survey found that, despite a growing preference for online news sites, print magazines (27%) are a leading entertainment source. Nearly 80% of respondents say they they subscribe to magazines (vs. 53% for newspapers). Online magazine readership also lags print by a significant margin: Only 7% seek out their favorite magazines online, the survey found.

Skittles Pulls Twitter Campaign

Skittles Web site redesign via Twitter put the colorful coated candy in the spotlight, but the company pulled the campaign on Tuesday after pranksters started tweeting profanities that ended up on the company’s home page.

The blogosphere started buzzing. Some wondered whether Skittles’ marketers had gone too far in turning the brand’s Web site into a snapshot of what people were writing about them on Twitter. Most Twitter users did not tweet about grape and lemon flavors, or buying the candy–but rather how Skittles, the Mars candy brand, got consumers talking about the treat.

How to Brace for the Facebook Page Redesign

Facebook is planning to redesign its advertiser “Pages,” according to reports. And while the social network has yet to announce the changes publicly, many of the leaked changes will affect top page holders such as Barack Obama, Coca-Cola, Mr. Bean and any marketer with a Facebook page. Here are three of the biggest changes coming, along with tips for what marketers can do once the redesign is enacted.

Pages will soon have tabs, making them resemble Facebook profiles. The larger, interactive applications will be relegated to a boxes tab, so they’ll no longer appear on the front of the page. Narrow applications may still appear on the front, beside the “wall,” where a page owner and fans can share updates.