5000 pieces of white paper?

The Hunt
I think we are all looking for ways to make our dollar stretch these days. Being a small business owner I source my minimal home office supply needs to many stores within the area. Ink cartridges for my printer, pens, notebooks, file folders you name it, I'm always looking to save a few bucks and get a great deal.

The Skunk
I enjoy Office Depot; they provide me a wide selection of goods and there is a location just minutes from my home. I have been receiving email from them for some time. I have recently noticed that the content of the messages they are sending me don't really fit into what I would normally be looking for to help keep my home office fully stocked. I'm not even really sure how I came to be on their email distribution list, perhaps I gave them my email at point-of-purchase?

In any case, this retailer serves both the individual that needs to pick up basic small office supplies as well as larger organizations that require big quantities. This message landed in my in-box recently and most of everything featured in the communication were in quantities that are way too large for my needs or not relevant to me at all. Yes, I know, this is just a marketing email and perhaps I'm asking a bit too much, but I think there are a few ways to help make the messages they send resonate specifically to me.

The Resolution
I went back through the sign-up process online to see how I could classify myself as a customer. My two choices were a) personal, and b) business. These are a little too generalized to leverage my response for message targeting at a relevant level. A better solution would be to ask (or survey) your members just how much they usually spend on their office supplies or provide additional classification on what I need/want from Office Depot. If you knew me just a little better, you wouldn't be trying to win me over with a deal on a big case of copy paper or 15 rolls of paper towels for my home office.

There is an offer for HP printer cartridges which is not being generated on previous purchase behavior...I have an Epson. But what a great opportunity to find out (via online survey) what type of peripherals I do use in my home office. I would love to get special offers for items that enhance or compliment equipment that I use on a regular basis.

By asking recipients or giving them the opportunity to provide more information about their needs, marketers can leverage increased relevancy within their messages and delver communications that suite the individual recipient's needs. If a customer has signed up to receive special offers, make sure they are offers that are of interest. If you don’t know what they want, ask.