Metroinfo Partner

"We will have no growth before 2010."

That emphatic statement came from Norbert Reithofer, CEO of BMW, in the March 30 issue of Fortune magazine.

Even BMW—arguably the best-managed automotive manufacturer in the world—is not immune to the global economic crisis. And any growth the company does achieve in 2010 won't excite its shareholders if it's just rolling over miserable 2009 results.

"February" comes from the Latin word februum, which means purification, and is named after Februa, a Roman cleansing festival held each year on the 15th of the month. No wonder spring cleaning is an annual ritual come March.

There has certainly been plenty of "purification" happening out there. Whether it's in the form of company bankruptcies, general detox, or corporate housecleaning, systems as well as and organizations are restructuring and, in some cases, undergoing seismic change.

You get it. Email needs to be relevant, timely, and personalized, and it has to arrive in the inbox—not the spam folder. When an email renders, it should load images perfectly, guide the eye through stunning, effective design that drives subscribers to convert—download, purchase, whatever.

But effective one-to-one marketing is more than just email.

Don't get me wrong: Email is critical. If we've learned anything in the last decade, it's that email drives commerce and influences people, and it's a linchpin in marketing programs. In no way am I belittling the power of the email channel.