3Buddies sends the outbound e-mails, called eBiznotes. A short animated message based on Macromedia Flash technology plays on the browser, either thanking the recipient for a past transaction or enticing the customer in a humorous way to make a new purchase. Through its reporting feature, the eBiznote product reports customer behavior back to a 3Buddies database. When Bernstein sends more than one e-mail to consumers, the database will report which are most frequently opened, how many times each message is viewed and other metrics. Marketers then know which of their campaigns is effective.
Companies can attach coupons to eBiznotes as well.
Other firms make similar products such as MindArrow. MindArrow sells streaming videos that businesses and politicians send to consumers via e-mail. Like 3Buddies, MindArrow can record recipient behavior and interaction with the videos in ways similar to the tracking 3Buddies offers. Still, Bernstein preferred 3Buddies.