Does Borders email marketing walk the talk?

I normally like emails from Borders but this one disappointed me.

Although the copy refers to 'used' books, my overriding takeout from the headline and opening copy is that Borders can now help me find rare book favourites and out of print copies.

However, the images on the email of their top used & rare picks included Harry Potter, Delia's How To Cook, Dawn French's Dear Fatty, an Oxford English dictionary and books written by Barack Obama & Bill Bryson. I hadn't heard of the 2 remaining books featured, but both are available new from Amazon.co.uk.

They featured books may well be used but I wouldn't consider any of them rare. If Borders are promoting that they sell rare books, they should have included some examples in the email.

Instead of engaging me and attracting me to browse and buy, the email actually resulted in a negative impact on my perception of Borders.

So to walk the talk, make sure that your supporting copy actually supports the headline: otherwise it's just spin and these days consumers are better than ever at spotting spin.

Remember...web marketing is about solving customers' problems profitably.

Peter Hawtin is an internet marketing specialist with Brand New Way, a UK web marketing agency which helps companies to attract and retain valuable customers online.