DMD Intelligence

On a recent visit to New York City, vendors lined the streets, hawking counterfeit designer purses. At first glance, the bags seem genuine—but the illusion shattered upon closer scrutiny. All you have to do is touch the “leather,” examine the stitches, and check the lining to see you’re dealing with a fake.

Many of the email lists on the market today have the same authenticity problem. On the surface, they may seem impressive but the allure quickly fades when you take a closer look. The lists may be pieced together from unreliable sources and even if the addresses were at one time valid, by now they are out of date.

For most health systems, alumni relations are a key component of physician outreach.  Maintaining strong relationships with former residents and fellows pays off in countless ways. For example, building a strong alumni community benefits hospitals indirectly by generating goodwill. At the same time, keeping alumni up-to-date on your medical strengths translates into increased referrals, both locally and from across the nation.

Email marketing has been around for so long -- and has consistently delivered such good results -- that marketers sometimes assume all email providers are more or less the same. Or that an email database is a commodity, and it doesn’t really matter which one you choose.