It’s not only mobile usage and transaction data that is of interest to financial institutions — they want to be able to interact with customers, even through the medium of email.

A Cupertino, Calif.-based company called LiveClicker began offering real-time email interactions last summer and has so far netted at least two major financial institutions as customers: Bank of America and MasterCard. LiveClicker offers companies the means to dynamically update the content of emails when they are opened, rather than when they sent. This is useful, the company claims, because many emails sent from corporations are not opened right away, but rather 24 hours or more later.

Some of the capabilities offered by the service include:

• Time-expiring images – serve the latest content, breaking news, or offers based on when the email is opened, not sent. Use live countdown timers to tick down to impending events.
• Embedded video in email – detect mail client support at the moment of open to deliver an engaging inbox experience.
• Live slideshows – save email real estate by linking a single moving image to multiple destination URLs on mobile devices.
• Live scratch-to-reveal – add fun to email campaigns by allowing a “scratch off” experience to reveal hidden offers, codes, or prizes.

In short, live content in emails allows a previously static medium to become an active one.