George DiGuido recently posted an interesting article at iMedia Connect exploring where email marketing is going/changing this year:
 

As we close the first quarter of 2010 it is a good time to reflect on where the year is headed and where we stand with all of those New Year’s resolutions made in January.  Marketing plans are well underway and budgets are being used to help drive conversion.  Beyond the tried and true email strategies, what more can be done to increase successes moving forward?  What’s next for email marketing in 2010?

There has been a lot of discussion around social media and mobile marketing and how the three channels work together in a marketing mix.  Leveraging these channels in concert can significantly impact the success of your customer acquisition, retention and loyalty programs and drive greater ROI across the board.

You should read the entire piece, but here are his takeaways:

We will see companies continue traditional channels like email to continue to drive promotions and brand awareness.

Marketers will start to become more relevant in their marketing efforts to consumers.  When a customer tells you what they want, you have to listen and show that you are listening.

Push SMS messaging from major brands will make a strong push in the second half of 2010.  Retailers will be the first to lead the charge.
 

Email will survive it’s for told death and prove to be a strong medium for promotion and retention efforts.

Head over to iMedia Connection to read the entire article.