Value of Permission-based E-mail Lists Falling

Worldata’s fall 2009 List Price Index shows that permission-based e-mail business-to-consumer lists continue to lead the price decline, showing the largest price decrease of all categories.

Permission-based b-to-c e-mail lists dropped $36/M from fall 2008 to $114/M. A decrease has occurred every quarter in this category, but averages for this quarter reveal how significant the drop has been since fall 2008.

Permission-based International e-mail decreased $14/M from last year with a current straight average price of $406/M. But the category has remained relatively consistent quarter-to-quarter, increasing $2/M over summer 2009 average list rental prices.

Overall, cost-per-thousand averages for fall 2009 have decreased from fall 2008, but specific groups within categories demonstrated significant changes.

Permission-based e-mail business-to-business is the highest-priced domestic category with a straight average price of $288/M for fall 2009. But that's a decrease of $5/M from last year. Public sector ranks as the next highest-priced category range with a fall 2009 straight average price of $173/M, decreasing $1/M from last year.

Donors remains the lowest-priced category, with an average donor list price of $84/M, increasing $1/M over last year.

Newsletters showed the greatest price increase over the previous year, with a straight average price of $171/M, a $6/M increase over last fall.