Companies Send Email about Security Breach
/The Story
Did you receive an email about a security breach? Epsilon, an email marketing firm, has reported that their contact list has been stolen. Epsilon sends emails on behalf of several large companies. Companies are responding in force, contacting customers to disclose what happened and to allay fears. According to these messages and Epsilon's press release, the impact on consumers is minimal.
Here are several emails sent by affected companies:
- What differences do you see among these emails, and why do you believe companies took these different approaches?
- Which version do you find most effective? Consider the type of company and its customer demographic as you decide which email works best; for example, what's the difference between Chase and JPMorgan Chase?
Assignment Ideas
- With a partner, choose two of these examples and compare them. Which do you think is most effective and why?
- Write your own version of an email for customers of a company. Choose a company and tailor the email to its customers.
- Research one of the companies that wrote an email. In a short written report, complete an audience analysis of the company's customer base. Given your analysis, recommend an approach for the company when communicating with these customers about the situation.
