DoubleClick: Permission-Based Email Marketing and Spam: Reflections 2004, Predictions 2005

DoubleClick sticks its neck out and pegs 2004 as the low for the negative effects of spam. From here it gets better, according to its end-of-year review of the industry. Even as the firm predicts open and click rates will continue to diminish - and emails need to be designed with the expectation that images are suppressed - the "breadth of defenses are strengthening." DoubleClick's review stated, "2005 will be the year when we see spam volume plateau and begin a gradual decline in terms of the grief it causes to consumers and disruption it causes to responsible permission-based email marketers."