Email marketing; how did they get my @#%$ address? #SummerAMA

Have you ever wondered how a company managed to get their hands on your email address in order to market directly to you? You never gave it to them, they probably didn’t even buy it off a list. So how did they find you?

Well, you probably gave it to them! As Pradeep Chintagunta (University of Chicago) has told us today at the Summer American Marketing Association 2015 conference – you’ve given it away without even realizing it.

These companies simply:

• go to LinkedIn
• match your name to your company (current employer)
• test various alternatives:
  • first name (dot) last name at (employment)
  • first initial last name at (employment)
  • etc.

Eventually they figure it out and voila – you have an unwanted email in your inbox and they have you on a list. Happy unsubscribing!