From: Serena & Lily
Subject Line: Our Top Picks for Girls
Date: Monday, March 23, 2010
I'm a new subscriber to the Serena & Lily email program (thanks to senior writer Darrah MacLean for the tip-off) and I'm excited about their awesome copy. The product grid is nice but quite simple, so it's really the color block with the strong headline that ties the message together. The headline is concise, clear and fun, and I love the body copy.
While clicking the color block takes you to a girl-stuff landing page, I do still wish they'd added a strong primary CTA button or an arrow icon, just to make it a bit clearer. The landing page also has a cute blue CTA in the corner that calls you to "See the Boys," which might have been a nice addition to the email, giving the parents of boys a place to click through, too.
Did you know that more and more retailers are simply clicking the Spam button to unsubscribe from email lists? Not a good trend for the health of our email programs, by any means. So what's a retailer to do? Read the latest report from Chad White. Highlighting examples of the good, the bad and the downright ugly, this in-depth study will help you whip your opt-out process into shape. It examines the unsubscribe experiences at 100 top online retailers - covering everything from unsubscribe instructions in emails, to opt-out page components and confirmations, to the honoring of unsubscribe requests.
From: Anthropologie Subject Line: Rooms with a view Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Leave it to Anthropologie to come up with this quirky, fresh and unexpected design. It's like a breath of fresh spring air delivered directly to my inbox. I absolutely LOVE how the products pop off the cardboard backgrounds in the hero. That said, there are a few tweaky things that stick out to me. The shop links are perfectly placed albeit they're not the strongest calls-to-action. IMHO, clear and direct would have been a better way to go. The soft language and style of the links make them appear as part of the editorial copy vs. shop now entry points.
I'm a fan of the "papered planes" secondary message because it's really clean and a nice complement to the busy hero. (Notice the clear and direct CTA: Shop Wallpaper. That's what I think would have worked better in the hero). But the layer-cake effect with the bottom messages feels disconnected from the hero, even though the headline is "Home in 4 Levels".
The landing page goes for a "shop this room" approach that groups bedding, furniture, lighting and curtains together so you can literally select all the items in that room that you like. I guess it would have been cool to see that approach translated into email somehow vs. going with the looooong scrolling design.
From: Virgin America Subject Line: Next up: Orlando Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010
There are so many things I love about this email. Let's start with the subject line, Next up: Orlando. In just three words, Virgin America has told me that they've added a new route as well as what the new destination city is. Brilliant. Next let's talk about the clean and simple email design. The use of white makes it easy on the eyes. It's not cluttered. And everything is organized in a way that's easy to scan. Dreamy. Now onto the words. The copy is succinct and informative. Nothing is screaming at me (notice the lack of exclamation points!!!). And best of all, rather than take the boring route with a button that says "book a flight" they had some fun. "Grab a Seat" is the perfect example of how buttons can have some personality AND be directive at the same time. Another noteworthy addition is the juicy "Tweet This" button sitting front and center above the fold. I haven't seen anybody else do it quite like that. Clicking on the "Tweet this" button landed me right in my Twitter account with my tweet already populated for me. And it went a little something like this: @virginamerica Next Up: Orlando. Starting August 19, fly from San Francisco or Los Angeles. http://www.virginamerica.com/flights/orlando
From: Clinique Subject Line: 3 tips to make eyes pop | FREE Shipping + 2 FREE minis!* Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
From: Clinique Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I was thinking about buying some eye shadow -- easy right? Nope. There's matte, sheer, shimmer, gloss, pearl, powder, stick, cream, roll-on, liquid... and the list goes on. Makeup can be a bit overwhelming, so I was glad to see Clinique's eye-opening tips included in their email. The jumbo-sized products take me back to my pre-school picture books when life was a bit simpler, and there's plenty of clean, white space that leave me feeling calm and relaxed. I can totally do this.
The Eye Shadow Duo? I can rock that. And now I know how to put it on like a pro! As an added bonus, clicking on the Shop Now button takes me directly to the Eye Shadow Duo page and right below the product information, there's a How to Use tab with instructions, a Video tab with a demo and an Expert Tips tab that shows me how to bring out the best in my eyes.
Providing product tips increases my confidence and makes me much more likely to buy. I still have to make the all-important decision of matte verses shimmer, but at least I'll know how to put it on once I do. Thanks, Clinique!
From: MobileMe Subject Line: MobileMe account notice: update your credit card Date: Monday, February 8, 2010
Technology is not my friend today. It all started at 6:30 a.m. with this email from Apple MobileMe. Apparently, my credit card on file had expired, so they needed me to update it on my account. Okay, no problem. But, um, how about a link to my Mobile Me log-in page? No? Too much to ask? Just a button? An underlined word? Heck, I'd even settle for a clickable logo. I found some small links at the bottom, but none of them specifically said 'GO HERE TO UPDATE ACCOUNT'. Making your subscribers do the work is not the way to get them to spend more money with you. Especially with a service-oriented feature like Mobile Me, which is supposed to make my life on the go easier. Sorry, Apple. This one was a major miss for me. On a positive note, I love the headline and the body copy. It's short, sweet and friendly.
Follow-Up Note: Stefan Pollard, our resident strategy genius, offered some interesting insight that I think is important to share. (See below) One thing that's interesting is that AT & T includes a button in their "your bill is ready" emails, so I guess it really is about the individual company and what they're comfortable with.
"Some financial institutions will provide links to "sign in", others are
afraid to do so. What often makes the difference is the brand and the
likeliness of being attached by phishing and fraud. The bigger the
brand, the more likely they become a target and many FI's will include
language that says they will never ask you for information or to log in
directly, but rather simply remind you to visit their home page. This
works well if you provide a URL that isn't tracked by your provider so
it is fully branded. Consumers have learned to mouse over images and
links to make sure the destination matches the target for protection."
From:CHEFS Subject Line:LYLA: Win a Top Rated Kitchen Product from CHEFS Catalog! Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I still haven't quite completely dealt with my mess of an email in-box in the aftermath of the holiday season, so I have to give CHEFS credit for having a subject line intriguing enough to grab me. As a kitchen gadget fanatic, I got even more exited when I opened the email and saw the images of the prizes to be offered: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer! Wüsthof Gourmet Block Set! Waring Flip Waffler!... and that was just the top row of a dozen different prizes. There is a catch for entering to win one of the lovely goodies, however (not that I should be surprised). Clicking on the "Enter to Win!" button took me to a nearly identical page with a "Write A Review!" button. I was still game at this point. It was the next page that deflated my balloon - 9 multi-step steps to write a review! I'm sure that it was meant to be a helpful tutorial, but unfortunately they lost me there.
From: Audible.com Hear and Now Subject Line: Your Five-Star Listens: Highest Rated Audiobooks of 2009 Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009
These days I rarely consider any online purchase without first seeing what other people have said about the products I'm interested in. When I received this email from Audible promoting 5 star reviews, I couldn't resist taking a few minutes to check them out. Sadly, the expectations set by this email were a big letdown for me and violated one of my core email mantras -- "make it easy for the recipient".
Notice there's not a single review, testimonial, or product category present in the email, just a very generic CTA link to read the reviews. Clicking through goes directly to a log in screen requiring my password. Now, since I'm a frequent customer this wasn't a huge barrier, but an occasional customer might get stumped here and have to request their password by email. I shouldn't need to enter my password until I'm ready to purchase something, and at this point I wasn't even close to ready.
Everything about this email led me to believe the reviews would be from "listeners like me", setting the expectation that the "top picks" would be in categories I've previously purchased, like Horror, Fiction, Crime Thrillers. Nope, instead I was presented with a product page of 10 top picks (out of 60 total) on topics not even close to anything I've ever purchased or would consider. To make things even worse, not a single featured product had a 5 star rating, nor a link to read reviews next to the stars shown. Rounding out the experience, nothing was on sale.
I'm sorry Audible, but I gave this campaign 1 star out of 5
From: Barnes & Noble Subject Line: Nook: The World's Most Advanced eBook Reader Date: Friday, December 11, 2009
The real secret to a successful product is having people use it. Barnes & Noble truly understand this and use an automated message after purchase to make it easy for first time users to learn the ins and outs of their top selling holiday product, the "nook". After the receipt, this secondary transactional response focuses on how easy it is to use the product you just purchased.
Notice how this message starts with a thank you but immediately re-enforces the benefits of the product. Then, it moves right into a simple three step guide on how to get the most from your new nook (complete with a link to a short video tutorial). Rounding out the perfect activation message, Barnes & Noble include a simple yet subtle CTA to their eBookstore. I can quickly add the newest Alex Cross eBook by James Patterson to read while I sit at the airport during my Christmas break. Now, I won't mind so much if my flight is delayed for the third time cause I can just sit back and lose myself in my new nook.
From: Victoria's Secret Subject Line: Our Way of Saying Thank You: Special In-Store Offers. Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
From: Victoria's Secret - Facebook Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
From: Victoria's Secret - SMS Date: Friday, November 27, 2009
Victoria's Secret is leading the way with their strategy for integrating cross channel campaigns to engage their audience at multiple touch points. Case in point, their Black Friday free bag giveaway message was delivered via email, mobile and social. However, in order to be successful, great strategy needs to follow through with great execution. Timing is everything and their timing was off.
Their email should've been a specific Black Friday reminder. The email was sent out Wednesday and included offers for the whole weekend. It's important to map out the timing of your marketing messages against the timing of when your customers are shopping, while also giving them enough time to plan in advance if the call-to-action is a retail store.
Once I received their SMS message, I was already done with my shopping for the day. Don't they know that people start lining up at 4am to get the best deals and by noon most people are back home taking a nap? As for Facebook, they should've talked about the in-store offer for Black Friday, not the Fashion Show. I realize they posted content on the 25th, but a reminder on the 27th would've been more important than the Fashion show, which was several days later.
Overall, they need to close the loop. The SMS link does not take you to a mobile site, nor do they have a mobile store app. There are also missed opportunities with the email and Facebook pages - both are prime locations to encourage mobile sign up, but the only place I could find mobile sign up was on their website. (I understand they do have in-store signage but I've never seen it - and I shop there often).
A great cross channel strategy will only get you so far - the key is making sure the execution ensures the success of the campaign.
Blogger's note: Hours after I finished this blog post, I received an SMS message that Victoria Secret has now launched a mobile website. Glad to see they're headed in the right direction!
From: Staples Subject Line: Check out our new look! Date: Monday, December 14, 2009
I just can't decide if the timing on this email was a hit or a miss. On the one hand, it offers a break from all the holiday madness hitting my inbox. And since Staples isn't exactly where I do my gift shopping, maybe it was smart to offer a breath of fresh air that doesn't scream HOLIDAY. On the other hand, by sending this email during peak holiday times they run the risk of people overlooking it completely as they search for FREE SHIPPING, SAVE, SALE, etc. etc. Starting out the new year with a new look would have made so much sense. Especially as people get back to the office and realize they need more post-its, pens, folders and what not.
Stepping back from the timing debate, I think the design and copy of this email are stellar. I love the simplicity and easy-to-see callouts that point to the new features. Best of all, when you click on the Visit Staples.com button, you're taken to the homepage where the first story you see supports the new look messaging. I heart follow-through.
From: Lenovo Subject Line: Oops - the Lenovo.com site is back up. We've extended Employee Pricing. Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be a problem. You craft the perfect campaign, consumers are eager to find deals and shop, and your website gets overloaded. Then, all the hard work you put into your campaign comes to a screeching halt, and you have to try and figure out how to recover lost sales. Sadly, several retailers experienced "Cyber Monday Meltdown", but how you respond to it can make all the difference.
I'm typically not a fan of the "oopsie" email and I regularly advise against sending apology emails, unless you are going to extend some benefit to the impacted customers and give them a reason to try again. That's why I love this example from Lenovo.
Notice how the subject line and pre-header work in tandem to acknowledge the problem, state it was solved, and promote the extension of the sale. It even clearly lists the date of the extension and reinforces the consumer's benefit. They shortened the email to more of a postcard format, with a very simple call to action. While I can't share numbers, I can tell you the apology email was almost as successful in total sales as the original launch.
From: Papyrus Subject Line: 20% off Custom Printing + Friends & Family Sale Days Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009
This is one of the most beautiful emails I've received so far this holiday season. I love how Papyrus took a monochromatic color scheme and turned it into a piece of art - red is so stylish in this email design. What really grabs my attention is how the color gradient fades so you can read the copy clearly. The rest of the image speaks for itself - it's the holidays, aren't you excited about those gifts?
At first, I thought this email was too good to be true. However, after digging a little deeper, I started to notice that there are some confusing features to this promotion. First of all, the CTA doesn't take me to a store locator - instead, I arrive on the company homepage. (And frankly, it's not as visually stunning as the email). Second, why is the model practically stepping on the promo codes? I would expect to see this prominently displayed in the main message. These are very important pieces of information vital to the functionality of this email as a printable coupon and an online discount.
Finally, the lack of a second CTA to an online sale makes me wonder if the folks at Papyrus are using this email to push customers to go out and visit their stores. It's a good test, but if this is the case, why offer an online sale when there is hardly anything directing you to it?
From: Anthropologie Subject Line: It must be October. Date: October 1
It must be October. What a clever subject line. It's so simple, so relevant, and so unique. I've been meaning to blog about this email for a week now! I know I sing Anthropologie's praises on a regular basis, but I just can't help myself. I'm addicted and I'm not the only one. Just this week I got a text from a friend that said: "Someone needs to do an intervention. At Anthropologie!! Help!"
The simplicity of this email's design and copy draws me in. Starting with the image, it supports the catalog creative brilliantly (check out above). And the copy: "Thirty-one days of craving, the cozy, the rugged, the refined" supports the subject line perfectly and creates a true story. Their call-to-actions are equally as beautiful, and the addition of the "Browse our October catalog" CTA presents a fantastic opportunity to engage their subscribers in an interactive way. Many online catalogs are clunky experiences, but their landing page is seamless.
What I was REALLY surprised to discover is that when I typed "boots" into the search box at the bottom, I was taken to a landing page with... boots! Instead of landing me on the homepage where I could retype my search word, they actually delivered on the promise. How novel.
From: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Magazine Subject Line: AMY, welcome to our EXCLUSIVE subscriber program!! Date: Monday, October 5, 2009
This email failed on many levels. Overlooking the lack of design, the first thing I noticed was the single graphic: a Rush Hour 3 movie poster. Immediately I was confused why I was being emailed about a movie that was released over two years ago. When I read the copy it went on to mention even more movies that were long passed. The idea was to get me to register for an Advance Screening Program and was using these, out of date movies, as examples of the types of movies I could be seeing with this program.
Relevancy is VERY important in email to pull in subscribers. Would it really take that much time to update one image and one line of copy to make this offer more current? Sadly, this wasn't the end of my disappointment... as a fan of movies, this is an offer I potentially might be interested in, however, they failed to provide any type of link to actually register which was the entire point of the email.
If I had to think of something nice to say about this email, at least they took the time to include my name in the subject line and email. Although their subject line does "welcome" me to the program which sounds more like I'm already enrolled rather than an offer to sign up.
From: JCrew Subject Line: Want to win an NYC trip for two? Date: September 29
Want to win an NYC trip for two? Heck, yeah! I was pretty stoked to see that subject line waiting for me in my inbox yesterday, excited enough to click-through and TRY to enter. TRY is the keyword here. After five attempts where I kept getting an error saying I needed to enter my email address... which was already entered... I gave up. Looks like they've fixed the snafu as I was able to enter today, but how many other people tried to enter yesterday, only to get totally frustrated and shut-out?
Another odd factor is that the copy talks about a daily trivia contest. And that if I guess right I'll be entered to win the grand prize. Hmmm. All I was asked to do was give my contact info. I didn't see a quiz and I certainly don't see how to play everyday. Something's not jiving here. Plus on the site, the promo calls this a "guys" weekend in Manhattan. Hmmmm again. So no girls allowed? Then why did I get this email? Why are they taunting me as though I might be able to win this trip? I'm just confused. Last but not least, I would also think this would be the PERFECT email candidate for a sweet forward to a friend promo.
To end on a positive note, that subject line was a winner in my inbox.
From: The Zoe Report Subject Line: Ain't No Jeans Wide Enough Date: September 28
I am an admitted Rachel Zoe Project addict. I can't get enough of the fashion antics and celeb appearances. If you haven't seen this decadent indulgence, check it out on Bravo. In the meantime, let's talk about Rachel's daily emails. As far as blog-type newsletters go, hers just rock. IMHO.
Glamour shot aside, what I love about the emails is that they truly read the way Rachel talks, complete with her fave fashionisms and all. Why is this such an important thing to note? Because it feels like a conversation. As an occasional ghostwriter myself, it's also worth noting that there is a chance that Rachel is not always writing these on her own, and understandably so. She's a busy gal with a lot on her plate. So the coup d'etat here is that if a copywriter is penning these precious gems, she (or he) is a writer who truly understands voice and how to carry it through. Love that.
I'm also drooling over the clever FTAF language: Glamour is contagious. Share with friends. See, SWYN doesn't have to be boring.
I've always been blown away by the way designers bring copy to life. The way they think is completely different than how I think. I think in black-and-white word docs; they think in color, color, color. Bringing these two ways of thinking together is what creates the perfect email.
Coach put a fresh step in my inbox with this newsletter. At first glance, I loved the way they gave the product silos in the hero some breathing space by not confining them to a box. That said, it also felt like too many tricks in one bag. To get the real scoop from a designer's POV, I enlisted Amy Hamilton, SH designer extraordinaire, to help me out with the 360-degree look at the creative.
Here's what she said:
My first thought when seeing this email was, WOW COOL, this is different! I immediately noticed the overlapping text, colors and imagery. Coach is definitely creating a style here.
However, after the initial WOW factor wore off, my eye wasn't sure where to go. The hero copy and right rail copy seemed to fight each other, and the lower half of the email felt a bit cluttered. The call to actions also fell pretty far below the fold. While this email has some nice and inventive approaches, I think it could use a little more focus. I would suggest:
Move a call-to-action above the fold
Create a primary message focus by expanding the hero image through to the left rail, or by bringing down the font size in the left rail so it's more obvious that it's a secondary message
Use a unified headline and copy treatment (as well as HTML text for body copy)
Clean up a bit of the cluttered imagery at the bottom
From: Saks Fifth Avenue Subject Line: Harper's Bazaar picks Spring's best only at Saks Date: September 23
On the heels of Fashion Week, this email couldn't be more perfectly timed or perfectly designed. I love that they avoided the boxy grid and messed things up a little. It has a fluidity to it that feels fresh. The copy is short and compelling, the call-to-action is clear, and the way they handled the partnership aspect of this email is really classy. Love how the Harper's Bazaar logo looks like it's actually part of the headline vs. being tacked on in an empty space. The secondary bonus message works really well in this email, too. Rather than go with a traditional boxed-in promo, they added some grit with a torn piece of paper.
Best of all, the landing page didn't disappoint. It was clean and compelling, highlighting the top five trends and giving me Glenda's take on each. And even though we're headed into fall, I could still shop each spring trend if I was so inclined.
Overall, Saks has definitely stepped up their email game by mixing product-focused messages with dedicated emails featuring editorial content, as you can see here and here. As a copywriter who believes there is always a story to tell beyond Free Shipping and SALE, I love it.
From: The Container Store Subject Line: How to organize what's HOT now! Date: September 16
As much as I love the clean design of this email, I'm pretty confused by the copy and the imagery. The Container Store sells containers, right? So why are they telling me that studs are all the rage this fall? Are they branching into accessories? Can I get this studly stuff they're showing at The Container Store? I don't get it. Do you? In the hopes of trying to make sense of this, I thought, well, maybe they're selling the tool that lets you put studs on your stuff? Like the Bedazzler. But no dice. Clicking through just landed me on a page with a bunch of containers. If they'd shown these so-called "trends" organized in containers, now that would have made sense. But they didn't, so now I'm confused.
On the up side, the design of the email is definitely engaging. The call to action is clear, the SWYN is handled nicely, the store pickup is a bonus, and the imagery pops, even if it is random. Last comment of the day on this one: The subject line doesn't deliver on the how-to promise.
From: Free People Subject Line: Meet Our Top Reviewers Date: September 13, 2009
Breaking out of the corporate speak and moving towards a casual conversation with your subscribers is definitely the wave of the future. We're seeing a lot of product reviews, blog posts, and testimonials featured in emails these days. Why the added exposure to what everyday people think? Word on the street is that consumers want to know what other folks think about your products before they pull out their credit cards.
The fact that Free People dedicated an entire email to their top reviewers is pretty cool, even if there are some quirks about the experience. As much as I love Free People's creative, I couldn't tell which photo was of the product and which one was of the reviewer in this particular email. I think using product silo shots with the reviewer photo would have been a better way to go.
Clicking on the photos of each reviewer, I was taken to a landing page where I had to click on the person again to see their actual profile. Seemed like one too many clicks. Also, once you navigate away from the landing page within the site, there is apparently no way to get back to it, other than hitting your back button. Shouldn't there be a nav item? Kind of a bummer. Plus, I get the impression that there are all kinds of account profiles to review, but where can I find them? Also, can I create a profile for myself? How do I do that? The email messaging falls short here as it should have also encouraged subscribers to start writing their own reviews.
When I clicked on the Shop Customer Favorites button in the email, I was taken to a landing page of cool stuff, but I have to say that I was hoping to see the actual ratings below the thumbnail copy.
Overall, the idea here is fantastic, and it's an important trend to watch. Just think it's also important to make the experience engaging and enticing so that your subscribers want to shell out two cents of their own.
From: The Gap
Subject Line: Get Up to $15 Off Cords
Date: September 10, 2009
Really, really bright yellow type aside (you may want to get out your sunglasses), this email feels so clean and directed. They kept the fluff at a minimum and focused on the offers, keeping them front and center with clear shopping CTAs. The only thing I'm confused about is the subject line. Wondering if this should actually be a "Save" vs. a "Get" story. To me, "Get" implies that I have to do something, like use a coupon code. That's not the case in this situation as the cords are already on sale. Hmmm. I'm sure someone could argue the other side of it, but if it were me, I'd go with Save.
I also like the way they've added some movement to the SWYN banner at the bottom. It's hard to tell from a jpeg, and I didn't catch the right phase here, but they used a rotating copy story to draw your eye. The full sequence starts with "What were you born to do?" (this jpeg shows it mid-sequence) and the social buttons say "Tell Us on FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter." What a clever way to get the conversation going. A lot of folks simply say "Follow Us", which feels very one-sided. Keep it on the down-low, but I'm going to have to borrow this idea. It's a goodie. To see the animation, click here.
From: Latimes.com Subject Line: The new Latimes.com
With a little help, I finally got my hands on the L.A. Times website redesign email mentioned in a comment about my August 24th post about Hollister. I have to say... I love the originality of this email. It feels totally out of the boxy grid, which is fantastic. It's brilliantly simple and provocative. Since they don't TELL you how it's different with a bunch of copy, they create a bit of mystery. They want to SHOW you the difference.
Some cool stuff to mention:
I love the headline and the "Scroll Right". Giving direction is key.
I also love the big ink spot. It's got this free-form, Jackson Pollack feeling to it. Dig it.
The "Take Our Tour" call to action totally delivers on the "Scroll Right"
On the downside, I think it's a big bummer that they're not doing anything more with this template. While on the hunt for this particular email, I signed up for every email subscription I could on the L.A. Times site. After sorting through the 15 or so emails each day for a week, I gave up. They were all the typical vertical email format you see with other news organizations. Wish they'd done a multi-email campaign about the redesign, highlighting a different part of the site with each email.
As for a best practices miss, they didn't use a preheader. Plus, they don't give me a link to update my preferences or my account, which I think they should. As much as I love the focused message of the email and the lack of clutter, I do think they could layer in a few understated links to drive people to do stuff on the site, without taking away from the sleek creative. Anyone else have thoughts about this one?
From: Krispy Kreme Subject Line: Raising Funds with Krispy Kreme! Date: September 1, 2009
Having grown up in Michigan, I'm a die-hard Dunkin' Donuts fan, but a former coworker of mine LOVED Krispy Kreme, which is how I started subscribing to their emails. I dig the huge image. I can just taste that sugar glaze, can't you? But, the letter format just isn't working for me here. There's too much copy, there's no clear call to action, there's no top nav, and there's no preheader. I'd think that the fan base for Krispy Kreme has to be huge, so the fact that they don't have a SWYN element is also a big miss. On a really basic level, there isn't even a store locator to help me get my Krispy Kreme fix stat. Add in the fact that they don't even link directly to the fundraising landing page that's live on the site, and the misses just keep stacking up.
It's also interesting because their website maximizes content buckets, but their emails don't. IMHO, they need a complete email overhaul that brings their retro-feeling brand to life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a donut sitting next to me that needs some attention. Don't tell Dunkin'.
Just when you thought you were out of clever ideas for how to spin a sale...check out Tobi. They're TGIF approach is refreshingly simple and cleverly executed, not to mention that it's 20% off regular-priced merchandise...not sale and clearance! While most retailers are waiting to use the Labor Day handle for their big fall savings push, Tobi's smart approach makes sure all their loyal fans spend their hard-earned cash on their site first. Nice thinking. Still wishing they had a preheader and FTAF in their emails, but they do have the SWYN icons at the bottom, so that's a step in the right direction. And let's not overlook the straightforward subject line that tells the entire story in only four words and still has personality. Well done.
From: lululemon athletica Subject Line: Welcome to online shopping at lululemon Date: August 20, 2009
From: lululemon athletica Subject Line: The new items you've been waiting for are here! Date: August 26, 2009
I am in the middle of a huge love affair with lululemon. There is something irresistibly cool and hip about their workout stuff, and I am definitely not the only girl out there who's figured that out. If you haven't visited their site, do it now. I am all over the amazing texture in the navigation and the simplicity of the graphics.
Their welcome email was really fresh and unbelievably simple. It didn't fall back on the same ole copy that everybody uses. (i.e. "You're on the inside track! Now you'll be the first to know about special sales and events." Sound familiar?) Instead, they went for an inspirational shot with a simple "Thanks for registering!" headline and a clear shop-now CTA.
The second email I got from them hit the mark for me as well. I love how they picked up the navigation treatment from the site and the message felt timely and focused. They're showcasing all their new stuff in a simple, clean, and compelling way. No fuss, no muss.
Plus, the fact that they're saying this is what's new THIS WEEK, makes me wonder if they'll send an email each week with new stuff. It'll be fun to see how the emails evolve. Potentially a "shop all new items CTA" at the bottom would have been a good addition, but the top nav does give people a way to engage with the site as a whole. And who can resist the way they dropped some logic at the end... "Love Your Failures". Ain't that the truth.
From: Hollister Subject Line: Woke up in shreds Date: August 23, 2009
First things first. Love this subject line. Love it. I had 30+ emails waiting in my strictly retail email inbox this morning and this is the first one I opened. What I also love is that the subject of the email delivers on the promise of the subject line. It's all about torn-up jeans.
Two big misses for me: 1) At first, second, and third glance, I didn't realize this was a horizontal email. I love that they're exploring a new perspective, but they need to offer some copy to help their email subscribers along. This is a shift in the norm, so a little help would be good. A cool "Keep scrolling" would've helped me figure it out, at least. 2) An even bigger issue for me is that there's no CTA. A simple "Get shredded" would do the trick.
But, even without the CTA, I clicked on the image anyways and was taken to a fantastic landing page within the chick portion of the site. What I can't figure out is how Hollister knew I was a Betty and not a Dude. They never asked when I signed up for email, so I'm thinking they just guessed. Rather than taking a 50/50 shot, my suggestion would be to just add a question to the sign-up a process: Are you a Betty or a Dude? Or better yet, add two CTAs to the email, Betty Shop and Dude Shop.
At any rate, the subject line rocks and so did the landing experience. Now, to try and fit into those skinny-leg shredded jeans... but that's another story for another blog.
Setting aside the fact that Whole Foods is probably not the most economical place to shop, I still feel somehow healthier when I buy my food there. I just signed up for their emails yesterday, and while the Welcome letter was a little boring, I'm loving their newsletter! Here's what I heart about it:
Preheader: Althought it's a bit wordy, the fact that they have a
preheader is a step in the right direction. I do think they could
streamline it a bit and still get the messages across.
Relevancy : The Renegade Lunch Lady is a perfect feature story for back to school. Even if the meals she's suggesting are more what Claire would eat vs. Brian (that's a Breakfast Club reference BTW), the idea is timely. Plus they include links that go directly to the recipes, which makes life easy for busy moms.
Dynamic Content : Love the fact that they were able to populate the "What's on sale?" story with the deals for my specific Whole Foods store. Hint: they could do that because they asked me for my zip code when I signed up for their emails.
Recipe Reviews: This is a smart way to bring me into their community and encourage me to try a recipe as well as write a review.
Smart Design: They really broke up the content in any easy to digest way (pun intended) and maximized the right rail.
From: The Container Store Subject Line: Know a teacher? Don't miss this offer! Date: August 20, 2009
How refreshing to see a back-to-school email that's all about teachers! Since I live in a state where they've slashed, yet again, the funding for schools, I would imagine that a lot of teachers are having to dig into their own wallets to buy the "extras" they want for their classroom. Bravo to The Container Store for giving these hard-working superstars a special savings discount of their own.
Fantastic offer aside, there are a few things from an execution standpoint that I think they could have done better. Let's start with the copy. It's written as though I'm not a teacher, which is fine because I'm not. But what if I were? Also, it doesn't tell me whether I can shop online and in-store. The landing page did go into more detail, but I think telling people WHERE they can shop is a pretty important fact to get across up front. The fulfillment part of this is also interesting because they will email you a discount code once you've registered. I don't know about you, but I'm thinking a simple 1-2-3 approach to the copy would have educated the subscriber quickly on the logistics of the program and made them feel like this is super-easy to do and not a time suck. Plus, at first scroll, I missed the fact the teacher needs to register for the discount... so maybe that call to action should have been above the fold. And lastly, the subject line might have been a little more powerful if the percentage was included: Back to School Special: 15% Off for Teachers!
On the design front, I think it would have been great to show some products to inspire teachers to consider The Container Store as a resource center. Plus, for those of us who aren't teachers, we might get excited about some really cool storage ideas that could corral the clutter and make our lives just that much more organized. Because, you know, piles only work for so long. Eventually, you really do have to file.
From: The Daily Sip Subject Line: Daily Sip: Frick-in' Dry Creek Date: August 17, 2009
Taking a cue from Daily Candy's playbook, The Daily Sip by bottlenotes focuses on one big feature per email. Short on the sass that Daily Candy is known for, but long on copy just the same, the emails combine a swirl of education with a splash of salesmanship. They bottle each one as a "daily dose of wine knowledge" and they've created a pretty tight editorial calendar around that direction, with five main content types per week: Tips & Tools, Featured Winemaker, Chef Notes, Wine of the Week, and Regional Spotlight.
Overall, I'm really digging these emails and read at least three out of the five I get each week. The tone is friendly and casual, not corporate, which is a definite bonus. That said, I think there are also some things they could do to help their subscribers interact more with the bottlenotes site, which appears to be big on community. (Their tagline is Good People. Great Wine.)
A top nav would be a great start. My suggestion: Wines, People, Notes, Clubs...at the minimum.
Including a few secondary messages that drive people to the site would be key, i.e. a small promo similar to what's on their homepage to entice people to write notes about the wines they're drinking now. It's a no-brainer; the promo is already built!
From an inbox perspective, I'd also change the "from" field to bottlenotes vs. The Daily Sip. They have "Daily Sip" in the subject line itself, so use the opportunity to promote the name bottlenotes in addition to The Daily Sip.
Lastly, I'm the first to admit that I'm not a designer, but I find the right rail ads to be disjointed from the rest of the creative. If it's a bottlenotes promotion, then the design seems to work, but when it's an ad for grass-fed beef...well...it just doesn't, IMHO. If they turned the ad into editorial content, then they could have more control of the creative. They could also connect the ad to the feature story. So if it's about a killer red wine, then reference that the grass-fed beef would be the perfect food pairing. Otherwise, I'm not sure I get why it's there. Any other design suggestions here?
I lied. One last thing. I was a bit bummed by the experience of clicking on the "past sips" button. I was hoping to land in a newsletter archive, but instead ended up on a subscribe to The Daily Sip landing page. Since I already subscribe, this seemed like a miss.
From: Hollister Subject Line: Have you heard our new tracks? Date: July 21, 2009
Super-cool idea. Not-so-super-cool execution. The concept of creating a "lounge" on the Hollister site where Dudes and Bettys can listen to tunes is fantastic. Unfortunately, there are some glitches in the experience.
Glitch #1: When I clicked from the email, it took me to the homepage, rather than landing me in the lounge. Glitch #2: A streaming video with sound that has absolutely nothing to do with the music automatically starts playing and continues to play even when I click on one of the bands. It's chaotic. Glitch #3: I wish the album cover would pop up in the HUGE video space available on the page, rather than this dinky little pop-up window. It'd also be cool if they had a bunch of info about the band and their music influences.
On the plus side, I got to hear the entire song vs. just a snippet and they do have links to the band sites. All in all, I wish they'd dialed this experience in like they did for www.hcoridethewave.com.
From: Victoria's Secret Subject Line: Thank you for your recent purchase Date: June 20, 2009
Isn't it fun when you rediscover a brand? Take Victoria's Secret, for instance. Lately, my gal pals and I can't get enough of this iconic brand. And it has nothing to do with sexy little underthings, either. (Sorry guys.) We're all about the dresses, tanks, tshirts and swimsuits featured in the summer catalog. One of my girlfriends went so far as to say that the only promotional emails she opens anymore are the ones from Victoria's Secret!
I'm not sure if they revamped their email marketing and merchandise, or what. But, whatever they're doing, it's working. What sealed the deal for me was this simple "thank you for your purchase" email. Instead of combining it with my order confirmation, they sent a separate email to just say...thanks. I loved it. Plus they gave me free shipping on my next order of $100 or more. I already have three dresses picked out.
From: giggle Subject Line: help us help you Date: May 28, 2009
If you ask giggle, my two cents could be worth $500! Thought this was a great incentive to get people to engage with the giggle site and start writing product reviews. Their creative is always fresh and clean, and they really do a great job of carrying their brand through every customer touchpoint, from the site to email to the store.
Total Sidebar: Not sure it was intentional, but I love the Jerry Maguire reference in the subject line. Remember that scene? "Help me help you, Rod. Help ME, help YOU."
From: Abercrombie & Fitch Subject Line: New for Summer. Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009
From: Abercrombie & Fitch Subject Line: Post-Grad by Abercrombie & Fitch Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009
From: Abercrombie & Fitch Subject Line: The Cheeky Cousin of Abercrombie & Fitch Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Each Abercrombie & Fitch email I receive violates my comfort more than the last. I'm at the point of considering unsubscribing due to the graphic content. I would be curious to find out how successful these campaigns are. I can't even tell what they're advertising - 2 of the 3 don't even have a call-to-action.
Share your thoughts: Are they going too far, or does sex sell???
From: Crate and Barrel Subject Line: 1,2,3 ways to save on select Wusthof and Shun cutlery Date: May 1, 2009
If you're into knives (or should I say cooking 'cause just being into knives might be a little creepy) then you'll know that Wusthof and Shun are on the cutting edge (pun intended). I love how Crate and Barrel turned a simple knife sale into something fun, interesting, clean and simple. And the texture with the lettuce at the bottom is simply gorgeous. Plus, they always have that dynamic store location in the footer. Guess they are the sharpest knives in the drawer. Okay, enough puns for one day...
From: Southwest Airlines Subject Line: 50% off a Mystery City Each Day Date: April 24, 2009
I love the way Southwest took a 50% off sale and made it a game. Sticking out in the inbox these days is a challenge, and this is the perfect example of how simple clever can be. Best of all, I love how they do not include the city in the subject line. It forces me to open the email. Very smart. While I'm not in the market to fly to Philly today, I can tell you this: I'm hooked. I'm already guessing about what tomorrow's city will be.
From: Victoria's Secret Subject Line: One Day Only! 20% Off Your Order of $50+ Date: March 31, 2009
From the subject line to the preheader to the focused design and copy, I just love this email. Maybe it's because my apartment is cluttered with moving boxes that I am craving the clean and simple, but right now, I'm really appreciating the retailers who are sticking to a main story and doing it right. Thanks for the email, VS. I'll be shopping.
From: Sephora Subject Line: Do It Yourself - and save! Date: March 3, 2009
Just like a lot of folks out there, I'm making calculated choices about where I spend my cash these days. So how can marketers reach a gal like me who's holding tight to her credit card? Give me a reason to spend money so that I save money. Case in point, this super fun email from Sephora. I scrolled the whole way down and purchased a couple of things off this DIY list. They even highlight the salon price for each service and compare it to the Sephora DIY price. Very clever, very timely, very creative. IMHO, this is the perfect example of how marketing to the masses via recession-minded tactics can come off smart, not sneaky.
From: Newegg.com Subject Line: The Newegg Holiday Sale - 'tis the season for huge savings! Date: Monday, December 15, 2008
I LOVED Newegg's call-to-actions in this email:
Gifts They'll Like (Under $50)
Gifts They'll Love ($50-$149.99)
Gifts That'll Make You a Hero! ($150 and up).
From: Smith-Harmon Subject Line: Chad White's Cyber Monday Report Date: December 5, 2008
Online retailers put a lot of bank behind Cyber Monday this year, and the big question is: Did it pay off? That's a big ole YES from Chad White, Smith-Harmon's new Research Director. His latest FREE reportlet, Cyber Monday Sees Record Retail Email Volume is packed with much more than just retail email volume and messaging stats. This 11-page gem gets into a full-on discussion of messaging trends with creative samples.
From: Michael Stars Subject Line: New Breast Cancer Charity Tee Date: October 7, 2008
In the last few weeks, I've received quite a few emails from retailers with a Breast Cancer Awareness message as the main story. This really got me thinking about the whole idea of cause-related marketing and whether or not it can actually drive sales.
Lo and behold, I received a blog posting on October 15th from MediaPost.com that talked about this very topic. Here's a slice of the story:
According to the 2008 Cone/Duke University Behavioral Cause Study, released recently by Cone and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, cause-related marketing can exponentially increase sales, in one case as much as 74%, resulting in millions of dollars in potential revenue for brands.
Gets you thinking, doesn't it? What if every company found a way to include a cause-related message once a month, rather than once a year? In addition to driving sales through the roof, just imagine all the good we could do. Food for thought.
Read the full blog posting on cause-related marketing at MediaPost.com.
From: Anthropologie Subject Line: Dust off the dog-ears. Date: September 29, 2008
With an inbox that boasts 571 unopened emails, I think it's safe to say that I probably subscribe to more emails than the Average Joe or Jane. So when a subject line truly stands out from the hundreds I get each week from retailers, airlines, credit cards, non-profits and others, well, I think that's an accomplishment worth mentioning. Right out of the gate, this week's honors go to Anthropologie for their subtle invitation to revisit their fall catalog. Dust off the dog-ears. is one of the most creative subject lines I've seen in a good month. I loved the SL so much that I was actually a little nervous that maybe the email wouldn't deliver on such cleverness. But it definitely did. It featured torn pages out of the fall catalog with even a dog-ear on one (talk about detailed!) and the copy simply stated: Isn't it time to revisit your favorites?. Yes, Anthropologie. I think it is.
From: Old Navy Subject Line: Time to Play Favorites Date: July 31, 2008
In keeping with the theme of this month's Smith-Harmon Loveletter, I want to take a minute to talk about preference centers.
Personalizing the inbox is no longer as easy as just including a Dear Jane as a greeting to your email or adding a name to your subject line. These days if you really want to deliver personalized messages that stand out in the inbox, you have to find out what your customers want. And you do that by building out your preferences center. Find out what interests your subscribers and you'll be better able to deliver the right messages to the right people.
Piperlime includes a banner that's dedicated entirely to preferences in every email. Pretty cool, right? Only problem is that the landing page felt like they were trying to get me to sign up for more Gap Inc. emails vs. finding out what interests me. I was hoping for questions about my age, shoe size, fave colors, sense of style, etc. etc.
Taking a giant leap, Old Navy actually dedicated an entire email to finding out what interests their subscribers. I was excited! Unfortunately their pref center landing page was as sparse as Piperlime's page. When I clicked-through, it simply asked me if I wanted info on Men's, Women's, Plus-Size, etc. clothing. Nothing else. Oh wait, it also asked if I wanted to sign up for more emails from any other Gap Inc. brands. Wish they'd asked me about my favorite colors or personal denim style. Or maybe at least what age bracket I fall in!
It comes down to this: The more you know about your audience, the more you can personalize the message. Check out Sephora's Beauty Insider profile experience to see a really cool pref center in action.
From: giggle Subject Line: Time for a big bed? Introducing giggle's twin-size collection. Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I really like this giggle creative for two reasons. The first is that it's bright and happy. The second is that the grid of close-ups is an imaginative, visually-appealing way to feature a broad array of product. While the email may not include product names & pricing, which, according to an EmailLabs study is basically the most important piece when speaking to moms, I feel like the visual excitement generated by the brilliant colors and playful shapes is actually enough to compell click-through, even if it's just to load up on more orange. Yum!
One (huge) recommendation for improvement? I don't care how cute it looks down there: bring that call-to-action up above the fold, folks! Despite how compelling the creative may be, many-a-tired-subscriber will not scroll down in order to locate the click-through opportunity.
From: FreePeople.com Subject Line: Dresses for every day at Free People Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Let's play "Find the Call-to-Action!" Can you find it? ...
Why make the call-to-action so tiny? Why hide it in the weeds? Why not put it right below the body copy? In doing so, Free People would better serve prospective shoppers and increase sales without compromising their low-key approach.
From: Ann Taylor Subject Line: Spring is in the details... Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Here, Ann Taylor does a nice job of introducing new spring product. The close-ups show us what makes these items different from last year's. The sweet pink treatment suits the merchandise, and the "Click and see" button is a nice, strong call to action.
One suggestion: add product names and prices to the product imagery.
From: Serena & Lily 
From: Clinique
From: Clinique
From: MobileMe
From: 
From: Audible.com Hear and Now
From: Barnes & Noble
From: Victoria's Secret
From: Victoria's Secret - Facebook
From: Victoria's Secret - SMS
From: Staples
From: Lenovo
From: Papyrus
From: Anthropologie
From: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Magazine
From: The Zoe Report
From: Saks Fifth Avenue
From: The Container Store
From: Free People
Setting aside the fact that Whole Foods is probably not the most economical place to shop, I still feel somehow healthier when I buy my food there. I just signed up for their emails yesterday, and while the Welcome letter was a little boring, I'm loving their newsletter! Here's what I heart about it:
From: Hollister
From: Victoria's Secret
From: giggle
From: Crate and Barrel
From: Southwest Airlines
From: Victoria's Secret 
From: Sephora 
From: Newegg.com
From: Smith-Harmon
From: Michael Stars
From: Anthropologie
From: Old Navy
From: giggle
From: FreePeople.com
From: PBteen
From: Ann Taylor
