Today I received an unsolicited email with the title "Have you registered for 2010?".

My first thought? No one told me I had to put my name down for it - I just got up on the 1st of January and went with the flow!

Am I going to be penalised for participating in 2010 without a license?  Or have I got a version that's going to run out at the end of June?  Crikey.

So, apart from bringing a little amusement to my afternoon, what exactly has this title achieved?  Not much, and I can't say that I can work out what it was meant to do.

Reading the rest of the email (which I won't illustrate to salvage a little self-respect on behalf of the sender) I don't think it was even intended to be clever.  If they'd sent it right at the end of 2009 then perhaps it would have served to provoke a bit of intrigue.  But, as it is, the title tells me nothing.  I'd assume it was about some special event for this year - a conference, a publication - but who knows?  Sorry to say, but I think this couldn't even be attributed to a bright idea badly executed - I'll be putting it down to bad idea poorly thought through.

There are some simple, well established rules of thumb for encouraging people to open your email marketing.  Using the 'From' field wisely is one.  Using the 'Title' field to highlight benefits and reasons why the reader should read further is another.  True, this title did get me to open but, sadly, only to have a brief laugh at their expense so I think it's fair to say it wasn't the most successful title they could have come up with (I certainly haven't bought anything from them, put it that way).

Do let me know what you think?  Have you seen worse?