Dec. 12, 2007 Fidelity Investments has saved millions of dollars and boosted conversion rates since switching to email-based promotions. David Maher, vice president of Fidelity's communications and advertising, told participants at the recent MediaPost Email Summit that the company now distributes 70% of its informational materials electronically.

Fidelity began its "e-fulfillment" program to respond to customer queries online in 2001, although the company didn't begin using the system in earnest until 2004. Since then, Fidelity has seen major savings both in postage (think $4 per mailing, multiplied by thousands) and in phone-rep time, as customer representatives are able to show callers where to find answers to their questions on the company's website.

Higher customer satisfaction has boosted conversation/buy rates among prospective customers by 9%, according to Maher. In addition, sending out emails first, then following up with print mailings, further ups conversion rates as slow-to-respond customers react to the second prompt.

The paper-saving benefits of electronic marketing are likely not lost on customers either, Maher suggests, resulting in an added bonus to brand.