A debate that is heating up is the e-mail marketing vs. social media marketing debate. There are different camps: those that believe one or the other are better and the latest research that says that there is a synergistic effect from both. According to eConsultancy, and e-mail service provider Adestra's fourth annual E-mail Marketing Industry Census, most marketers are using social media to enhance their e-mail campaigns rather than replace them. The report found that more than a third of the companies (37%) are using e-mail to encourage the sharing of content on social networks, and just under a third of the companies (31%) say they are planning to do this. A fifth of the companies (21%) are using e-mail to promote customer ratings and reviews, while a further 26% have plans to do this. However, Ben & Jerry's is abandoning its e-mail marketing initiatives to focus exclusively on social media advertising. It will be among the first major brands to make that leap. According to reports on both mad.co.uk and newmediaage.co.uk, the Vermont-based premium ice cream maker is dropping its regular e-mail newsletter after customers aired their preference to be contacted via social media channels. Charlotte McEleny of New Media Age said the move would make the company "one of the first big brands" to drop e-mail from its online marketing services. Instead of its monthly newsletter, Ben & Jerry’s will instead contact its customers through the social media portals Facebook and Twitter, she added. Its final message, which was sent last week, encouraged recipients to connect with the brand’s pages on these sites. Vicky Willis, the company’s senior brand manager, said, "Developing friendship and a relationship is key for us and social media is the best place for that."  The decision appears to fly in the face of recent research that suggests social media and e-mail have a symbiotic relationship. Obviously Ben & Jerry's is not the only brand to focus on these social media platforms. Starbucks, for example, became the world's first consumer brand to achieve 10 million fans on Facebook, according to Fame Count. In fact, Starbucks leads on aggregated social media basis, across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Ben & Jerry's, in general, has been gravitating toward more advanced ad technology. It recently, for example, enhanced its iPhone app with augmented reality. But Ben & Jerry's is one of the few companies that may completely eliminate e-mail marketing as they focus on the social media space. Another example is MGM Grand. "Social media is eating into the efficacy of e-mail marketing and will soon supplant e-mail as a primary communication device," Michael Perhaes, assistant VP of Marketing tells M-Travel. "We are already seeing evidence of this on Facebook and our hotel is preparing accordingly," he says.  "We have dedicated social media staff; we include Facebook and Twitter URLs in all of our marketing communications, and actively enlist followers and fans." MGM Grand now has 15,000 Twitter followers, he says. Where do you fit in the debate? Does e-mail marketing and social media marketing work better together? Or does social media “eat e-mails lunch” as a more effective marketing strategy. Howard Fenton is a Senior Consultant at NAPL. Howie advises commercial printers, in-plants, and manufacturers on workflow management, operations, digital services, and customer research.