Lovemoney.com, a personal finance Web site based in the UK, has selected StrongMail to power its e-mail marketing.

RaceTrac Petroleum, which operates more than 525 retail gasoline convenience stores in 12 southeastern states, has teamed up with BrightWave Marketing to power its e-mail and social marketing efforts.

One of the great benefits of e-mail list rental marketing has to do with four simple letters: from. Unlike its older, much more expensive cousin, direct mail, e-mail can afford the advertiser the luxury of reaching prospects with a greeting from the respective list owner. Even if only through the use of the simple "From line" - the end user can immediately recognize the sender of the e-mail and thus greatly increase the likelihood of opening and then reading the e-mail.

Petco has added monthly e-mail- and insert media-focused messages about its products and services to its marketing mix. The initiative is a result of the company's work with e-mail marketing agency e-Dialog, which it hired earlier this year.

E-mail marketers blend established best practices with new options, such as social media and embedded video, to engage consumers.

There's nothing better for an e-mail campaign than a marketer who considers the details. Extra thought about the time an e-mail is sent, personalization and segmentation of marketing messages' content can increase engagement and interest in a brand.

Email Data Source said it will reveal a Twitter monitoring tool on November 4 at the AdTech trade show in New York. The e-mail data analysis firm will incorporate the Twitter-measurement tool with its existing e-mail analytics tool. The platform will be available to clients, with plans to market it to prospects as well.

Expedia CruiseShipCenters will launch an online booking tool in December aimed at growing the brand's customer base and building consumer loyalty. The brand is using an e-mail effort to promote it. The company will launch the tool in time for cruise-booking season, traditionally January and February.

K&G Fashion Superstore, a Men's Wearhouse brand, is planning a foray into mobile marketing using a Responsys toolset. The brand is trying to reach consumers who typically don't respond to other direct and digital methods, said Claudia Lugmair, manager of e-communications at Men's Wearhouse. The effort is expected to begin next year.

E-mail marketing firm Responsys has agreed to acquire digital marketing consultancy Smith-Harmon in a part-cash, part-stock deal. Financial terms of the agreement, which is expected to close next month, were not disclosed. For the near future, Smith-Harmon will continue to operate as an independent brand, known as "Smith-Harmon, a Responsys company."