Unit 1: Email and mobile marketing fundamentals
Email and Mobile Marketing notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 976-26)
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Unit summary
Email and mobile reach customers directly and personally, on devices they carry everywhere. This unit covers the concept and scope of email and mobile marketing, the evolution of email marketing, classification of mobile devices and marketing applications, advantages and limitations of email marketing, and email service providers.
After this unit you can
- Explain the concept and scope of email and mobile marketing
- Trace the evolution of email marketing
- Classify mobile devices and their marketing applications
- Evaluate email marketing and choose email service providers
PTU syllabus topics
- Concept and scope
- evolution of email marketing
- mobile device classification and marketing applications
- advantages and limitations of email marketing
- Email Service Providers
Rich content, low cost
Spam filters, crowded inboxes
SMS
Very high open rates
Short; DLT and consent rules in India
App push
Instant, free to send
Only reaches app users who opt in
Topic 1
Concept and scope
- Email marketing: sending commercial messages to a list of people by email to build relationships, inform, promote and sell.
- Mobile marketing: marketing on and through mobile devices — SMS, apps, mobile web, push notifications, QR codes, location-based messages, mobile ads.
- Scope: acquisition, onboarding, transactional messages, promotions, loyalty, re-engagement, customer service, surveys.
Topic 2
Evolution of email marketing
- 11978
First mass commercial email (Gary Thuerk, DEC)
- 21990s
Spam problem and filters; permission marketing (Seth Godin, 1999)
- 32000s
Email service providers, HTML templates, CAN-SPAM Act (2003)
- 42010s
Mobile-first design, automation, segmentation, personalisation
- 52020s
AI subject lines and send times, privacy changes (Apple Mail Privacy Protection), interactive emails
Topic 3
Mobile devices and marketing applications
Feature phones
SMS, IVR, USSD — still relevant in rural India
Smartphones
Apps, mobile web, social, push, wallets, UPI
Tablets
Media consumption, catalogues
Wearables
Notifications, health and fitness
Connected devices
Smart TVs, smart speakers, cars
- India: over a billion mobile subscriptions and very high mobile internet use make mobile the primary digital channel; cheap data drives video and vernacular content.
Topic 4
Advantages and limitations of email marketing
Cost and ROI
Very low cost per message, high ROI
Requires quality list building
Targeting
Segmentation and personalisation
Spam filters and promotions tabs reduce visibility
Measurement
Opens, clicks, conversions tracked
Open tracking less reliable after privacy changes
Ownership
Own channel, not dependent on algorithms
Inbox clutter and unsubscribes
Automation
Triggered journeys at scale
Legal compliance and consent needed
Topic 5
Email service providers
- ESPs: platforms to manage lists, design and send campaigns, automate journeys and report results — Mailchimp, Brevo (Sendinblue), Zoho Campaigns, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Netcore (Indian).
- Selection criteria: deliverability reputation, list size and pricing, templates and editor, automation, segmentation, integrations (CRM, e-commerce), analytics, compliance features, support.
Key terms
- Email marketing
- Commercial messages sent by email to a list
- Permission marketing
- Marketing to people who have agreed to receive messages
- ESP
- Email service provider
- Push notification
- Message sent by an app to a device
- Deliverability
- Ability of emails to reach the inbox
Quick revision
- Concept and scope of email and mobile marketing.
- Evolution: first email, spam, permission marketing, automation, AI, privacy.
- Device classification; India's mobile-first market.
- Advantages and limitations of email.
- ESPs and selection criteria.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define email marketing.
- Q2.What is permission marketing?
- Q3.Classify mobile devices for marketing.
- Q4.State three advantages of email marketing.
- Q5.What is deliverability?
- Q6.Name three email service providers.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the concept and scope of email and mobile marketing.
- Q2.Trace the evolution of email marketing.
- Q3.Explain the classification of mobile devices and their marketing applications.
- Q4.Discuss the advantages and limitations of email marketing and the role of ESPs.
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