Increasingly, CMS vendors recognize that simply “managing” content on a public web site isn’t enough – marketers need to be able to drive tangible business results from the content they create. Online marketing activities take place in a tangle of rules, regulations and laws about consumer privacy. CMS “marketing suites” need to support compliance with these rules; not enable easy transgression.
As CMSWire noted in early June, Sitecore, SDL Tridion and Interwoven recently introduced new capabilities to allow marketers to drive improved results. They vary in approach and intent, but all claim to enable marketers to:
- Improve their understanding of how visitors use the site
- Proactively personalize promotion or merchandising messages
- Test and optimize on-site campaigns.
(In an earlier post we describe six online marketing scenarios where these capabilities can deliver real world results.)
In addition, CMS Wire reports that Tridion enables marketers to manage outbound email marketing campaigns. This sounds attractive. But our immediate concern is that the legal framework – and technical requirements – for effective email marketing differ dramatically from web content. You need to anticipate and address issues like ISP level spam filters, and the correct display of content in multiple email solutions. More importantly, you need to ensure each campaign complies with multiple federal, state and provincial laws and regulations, including PIPEDA and CAN-SPAM.
Worryingly, the screen capture of the SDL Tridion email marketing suite appears to make it trivially easy for marketers to put themselves offside these regulations. The laws and reg’s vary, but they all agree that if someone opts out of your email list you stop emailing them. Period.
(Image from http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-cms/tridion-like-sitecore-and-interwoven-now-offer-an-online-marketing-suite-004758.php Focus box has been added)
The image above suggests that marketers can find themselves sending emails to visitors who have unsubscribed by simply clicking a check box!
We may not expect the marketing suites of CMS vendors to provide all of the functionality of long-established online marketing vendors; but we do expect them to allow us to ensure compliance with rules and regulation – not make it easier for users to break the law.
We have always encouraged firms deploying CMS products to think very carefully about how they intend to govern content creation and publication – this becomes even more important as CMS platforms introduce outbound marketing features.