From: The Container Store
Subject Line: Have a summer camper? Send them packing in organized style
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
When you think about summer shopping, The Container Store probably isn't the first destination that jumps to mind. This email is an awesome example of a brand finding ways to stay relevant to the summer season without offering bathing suits or vacation packages. Their tips for campers add value for the subscriber beyond the products and carve out a place for The Container Store in a parent's mental catalog of summer resources. In addition, summer is the perfect time to try out fun and risky layouts like this one - people are looking for fresh stuff and more open to your brand's playful side.
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: CB2
Subject Line: Spring ahead of the times with CB2
Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2010
I love how CB2 takes advantage of daylight savings to market their clocks. Not only are the clocks fun, but CB2's use of books to provide the background color is both visually appealing and appropriate for the product.
The simple copy makes the message seem almost like a public service announcement (which I like - it's so timely...). All the elements come together for a unified, relevant message.
Even with this email, however, I totally forgot about daylight savings until 11, which turned out to be noon. Oh well. They tried.
From: Chase Subject Line: Your Communities. Your Vote. Our $5 Million. Date: Friday, December 11, 2009
As we're all rushing to buy and wrap presents, decorate our homes and offices, snap that all-important family picture and figure out what to do with Great-Aunt Esther's annual fruitcake [insert your choice of atrocious holiday tradition], I'm reminded to take a breath and appreciate the small things that bring us holiday cheer. I was jolted back into a true appreciation of the season with an email forward from a coworker on a viral email that was making the rounds. Many of you have already seen this email or read about it on the blogosphere, but if you haven't - I urge you take a look at video.warmup.com.
I was reminded of this effective strategy today. My bank teller at Chase wished me a happy holiday, but instead of her usual reminder of other Chase products and services, she asked me if I supported any local charities and if so, to check out Chase's effort on Facebook to give away $5 million dollars this year to customers' favorite charities. When I signed into my bank account, I saw the following banner ad. Chase has set up an ingenious effort to generate "fans" and spread this goodwill and holiday cheer by asking users to "vote" for their favorite local charity and put them in the running for a $25,000 grant. I voted for my favorite local organizations as well as spread the word throughout my network by posting my "vote" on my wall.
I was grateful for Chase's effort to help me slow down and think about these other acts of giving. I won't ever receive the much-needed gift of time from an email or an online marketing campaign, but they can cement my brand loyalty and loosen my purse strings. Now, if only a company could figure out how to email me idiot-proof instructions to assemble my kids' dollhouse ...
For those of you who missed this year's Email Insider Summit, we've brought our "Email Top Chef Masters" presentation to you: Download the PowerPoint here >
Special thanks to Arti, Meg, Christine and Carolyn for both wearing aprons AND bringing us their marketing smarts. I feel so lucky to be working in an industry with such amazing individuals :)!
From: Starbucks.com Subject Line: Turn your iPhone˙ into your Starbucks Card Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
OK. I saw this and was like, "Is this not the moment we've all been waiting for?" It's basically the holy grail. To be able to pay for your Americano with your iPhone is every aspiring upper-middle class marketing manager's dream, right? Right?
Major letdown: "Find out more about which stores are accepting mobile payment here" leads to a store location page with no information whatsoever about which stores in particular accept mobile payment. Hel-LO!? How totally annoying. Considering the integrated email-to-landing-experience path is becoming more and more of a focus here at Smith-Harmon, and clickthrough moments like these are just one of the reasons why it needs to be more of a focus industry-wide.
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: Goop Subject Line: It's Goop - DO Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Okay, okay, I admit it. I signed up for GOOP newsletters. Never heard of GOOP? It's Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website. At first, I didn't get it. As a matter of fact, I initially mocked it, jumping on the bandwagon with other folks who, quite frankly, were excited to have something negative to say about Princess Gywneth.
But, I've noticed an inner shift in my inner aspect. (Gwyneth would get that reference.) Secretly, I look forward to her emails, and I realized today when I received the latest that I needed to come clean. In some weird way, it feels like Gwyneth is literally pulling my email address out and saying, "Oh, I think I'll email Darrah today." It's kind of like Twitter on Botox. It's all plumped up and I love it.
While at times her tone comes across a bit condescending, like she's dispelling her glorious wisdom to us simple folk who are never going to be as fabulous as her, I do believe that her intentions are genuine. And actually, she's featured some pretty impressive interviews and tips in her newsletters. Now, if she could just break loose and make it feel more like a casual conversation between the two of us...now, that'd be seriously cool.
From: JCPenny Subject Line: A Special Message to You from the CEO of JCPenney Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009
From: The Limited Subject Line: Affordably Chic. Get The Fashion You Love For Less! Date: Monday, March 23, 2009
Relevancy is an important part of email. Relate to your audience, anticipate their needs, and you will find astonishing results. In tough economic times such as these, why not emphasize what you can do to help your subscribers? Like JC Penny & The Limited: sending out a friendly reminder that you can still get quality products without emptying your wallet.
There are many more emails out there similar to these examples. This type of messaging could also be a good opportunity to provide a discount.
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: Starbucks.com Subject Line: New Starbucks VIA˙ Ready Brew - We Found A Way! Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
They did send a product announcement several weeks before the official retail store launch to help build anticipation and educate consumers. In a break with Starbucks email tradition, the message had a clear call-to-action, taking recipients to a rich landing page experience where the product is described in more detail. Even more exciting (from my perspective as an email nerd!), and something else new for Starbucks emails, they included secondary messaging with a link to purchase directly from their online store. Go Starbucks!
It looks like Starbucks is conducting some segmentation in their email program now - I received the message, but Lisa did not. That leaves me wondering if it's because I'm the one who spends more money at my local Starbucks, or if the folks at Starbucks top-secret R&D labs were able to determine Lisa wouldn't need an email to help compel her to try VIA :)
From: Nordstrom Subject Line: 9-to-5 Looks at Nice Prices Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2009
From: Nordstrom Subject Line: Just In: Fresh, Affordable Dresses Date: Friday, March 6, 2009
With the economic downturn raising stress levels throughout society, it's interesting to see how retailers are marketing to a belt-tightening subscriber base. The last couple emails I've received from Nordstrom have come with subject lines touting affordable prices.
Nordstrom is traditionally a high-end brand, selling sophisticated fashion to the consumers that can afford it. While they're famous for stellar sales, their regular messaging is not about price--it's about high-end style.
With the landscape changing for marketers, I wonder if the introduction of "affordability" messaging in Nordstrom's full-price email campaigns signifies an attempt to shift their brand perception slightly, to be thought of not only as the place to find the best service and best fashion pieces available, but also a destination for high style with low prices. I also wonder whether their price tags will be able to match their messaging, especially as subscribers change their ideas of what "affordable" means.
From: Lisa Harmon Subject Line: Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009
If you didn't stop at Starbucks yet this morning, you may not have seen the window and in-store promotions for the new VIA™ Ready Brew. First of all, I can say that I've tried it and it's actually drinkable, and particularly useful in those moments when (a) you're up either earlier or later than your barista or (b) you've somehow magically found yourself in a place where there is no Starbucks within walking distance. Does that happen!? Anyway, consumer confidence being where it is, seems to me that Howard has made a super-smart move with VIA™. Go, Howard!
Only...where is the email announcement, Starbucks!? An email would have been the perfect marketing channel by which to announce the VIA launch, driving folks to the homepage - not to mention the stores - to check out the new single-serve "microground coffee" first-hand. Maybe we'll get one later today... I'll be checking ;)!
From: InStyle.com Subject Line: Look of the Day: Michelle Obama Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
From: Barneys New York Subject Line: Mrs. Obama and Barneys LOVE... Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Yesterday, the world wasn't only inspired by President Obama's inaugural address. We were also wowed by the beautiful colors that Hilary, Jill, Michelle and other leading ladies - and babies - paraded onstage. I admit it: I was absolutely waiting to see which brands would get major points for inbox relevancy and react to the inaugural opportunity via email. Kudos to two of my fab five favorites - Barneys New York and InStyle - for pulling together these messages lickedy-split.
P.S. J.Crew threw an error when I attempted to browse their "gloves" category today. Could it be that everyone's trying to pick up a pair of Mrs. Obama's moss greens?
From: The Container Store 
From: CB2
For those of you who missed this year's Email Insider Summit, we've brought our "Email Top Chef Masters" presentation to you:
From: Starbucks.com
From: Goop
From: JCPenny
From: Sephora 
From: Starbucks.com
From: Nordstrom 
From: Lisa Harmon
From: InStyle.com
