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Category Archive: Form & Function
August 25, 2010
Website: American Express
Subject Line: Your August Business Newsletter
Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I'm interested in three things Amex did with their Business Newsletter:
(1) The preheader: "How to be ready when recovery comes." I think it's interesting that they chose to lead with such a powerful hook.
(2) The single-column format: Some older smart phones break two-column HTML.
(3) The preview pane message: I like that they used a large type size and a strong call-to-action on a field of generous white space to bring their statement of purpose and call for feedback to the fore.
Have you seen any good B2B newsletters lately?
June 21, 2010
From: Various Email Footers
Date: June, 2010 Way back in October 2009, when Smith-Harmon became Smith Harmon, a Responsys Company, we went through a change of email platforms. I kept telling myself that I would learn to like the change and/or just get used to it, but I have finally come to the reluctant conclusion that neither of these options are ever going to happen. I don't want to name names, but "old platform" = 1 click to create new folder, and "new platform" = many more steps and lots of clicks and changing of (ahem) windows to create new folders and organize emails. Once the number of emails in inbox passed the half-way mark to 5 digits territory (I probably shouldn't be admitting to the world how unruly I let things get), I decided it was time to take action; I opened a new email account to house my collection of Retail Emails, and am currently in the process of trying to switch my email address over on all the lists to which I subscribe. Turns out, this is surprising difficult in some cases. Here is a random sampling and reviews of my experiences with attempting to change my email address (listed in no particular order):  
• Victoria's Secret didn't have Email Preferences link in footer. As with many of the others, the unsubscribe link took me to an Update Your Email Preference Page. It made me laugh that that they have a Continue Shopping button on this page. Good for them for not missing an opportunity, but I was frustrated at not finding where to change my email, and not particularly in the mood to shop.   • Barney's did well over all. While they only had an unsubscribe link in their footer, it took me to the best preferences page of the bunch: 3 simple options to either reduce frequency, unsubscribe, OR change email address - all with Barney's trademark, super-sharp copy-writing, I might add. The follow-up " Thank You" page was spot on as well (and preferable to an email).  
• Kate Spade's graphical unsubscribe link was unclickable, so had to take a long-winded approach to unsubscribe. But then on the bright side, they had a link to join their mailing list and get 15% off my "first order"... Hmmm maybe I'll just unsubscribe and resubscribe every time I want to purchase something from KS. ;)   • Urban Outfiitters had an Email Preferences link in footer, but it did not lead to an option to change email address. Also, IMHO their preferences page was too busy and asked too many questions.   • Daily Candy had a link to "Change your e-mail address" in their footer, but no actual place to do so when clicked. What gives?   • Tablespoon had no preferences link in their footer nor an option to change email address when I clicked the unsubscribe link, but politely asked if there was a reason why I wished to unsubscribe, and wanted to know if there was anything they could be doing better.   • Horchow gets the highest marks from me for ease of email address change. Their footer had one link to change preferences or unsubscribe which led me to a nicely designed and simple page to do everything at once (which was perfect since Horchow was previously on my worst-offender list of over-sending!). In summery, if I found it too difficult to change my email address, I simply unsubscribed, which is a pity, because that was not at all my original intent. (Plus, is there a retailer in the whole world wants to unnecassarily lose its subscribers?!). My suggestion to all email marketers, would be to add an email change and/or preferences link to your footers, and to make the following page is simple to use.
June 7, 2010
From: Athleta
Subject Line: Full Support Swimwear is Getting Into the Mix
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I've been reading a lot about the rhythm of language and how it adds beauty to your writing. I think Athleta has been checking out the same books, because there is a very crafty copywriter behind this email. It takes a lot of work to make something that sounds so effortless. Notice the symmetry in the sentences? "Full-Support Designs For Full Sport Days" is concise, balanced and pleasing to the ear, without sacrificing the message. I also love the use of puns and wordplay to add a light, inspirational tone. The copy, especially "perfect set," nods toward the image (which, talk about inspirational) without being obvious. It doesn't have to scream VOLLEYBALL for the reader to get the point. I do wish the image and copy had been a little more integrated visually, but ah well--a girl can dream!
March 19, 2010
From: Gilt Groupe
Subject Line: Your Thompson London Order
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010 12:10 PM
From: Gilt Groupe
Subject Line: Our apologies
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010 2:08 PM
OK, so Gilt Groupe made a mistake; I didn't order the cuff links. (Sorry, Aaron!) Apology emails are good, we get it. What I'm more interested in with these messages is the treatment of the email background and preheader text. The dark grey background and even darker grey preheader type makes these more functional messages feel like the pop-up windows appearing before a dimmed background, like those one can create on web pages using jQuery. I like that these utility messages feel similar to how they might if they popped up on a website.
February 8, 2010
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."
January 6, 2010
From: Sports Basement
Subject Line: NA
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Let me start by saying I love Sports Basement. Thanks Sports Basement, not only for your charitable support of non-profits, fantastic inventory and prices to swoon over, but also for your thoughtful pop-up opt-in box! I was frantically scouring websites for last minute Christmas shopping (I know, I'm such a cliché) and found myself browsing Sports Basement's website. As I was perusing their hiking boot selection, a nifty little opt-in pop-up appeared. It's not a new function, but a great one none-the-less.
What's nice about this strategy is that you are not passively collecting opt-ins. Users are presented with the opportunity to opt-in. As an added bonus, because the box pops up after a prospect has spent some time on the site, Sports Basement will likely collect a higher quality email address.
However, there are a couple areas that should be considered. The website does not offer any other area to opt-in. In addition to the absence of the traditional opt-in, Sports Basement drops a cookie once they've collected the opt-in in order to suppress the pop-up moving forward. This suppression is most likely implemented in order to soften the aggressive acquisition process. While this may be a thoughtful business rule, it does not take into consideration that computers and laptops may be shared. Other prospects using the same machine will not have the opportunity to opt-in. To avoid leaving dollars on the table, I recommend adding the traditional opt-in box to every page, then test the suppression business rules to get optimum acquisition results.
December 8, 2009
From: Martin + Osa
Subject Line: All Sweaters 50% Off Now Through Sunday, December 6
Date: Thursday, December 03, 2009
After my recent post chiding Kohl's for its imprudent use of a brightly colored background, I thought I'd offer a more pleasant example. This email from Martin + Osa takes the same simple approach as Kohl's--solid background, large headline, one message--but look what a difference a little texture makes. Don't you love the subtle sweater pattern? A well-done and simple photograph like this turns an otherwise rote email into something special by introducing a sensory aspect. As an added bonus, it's a perfect way to get more mileage out of your creative. In this case, that pretty orange isn't just a nice background; it actually echoes the message of the email.
November 11, 2009
From: Anthropologie
Subject Line:Our niftiest gifts & cleverest contraptions.
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009
There's no lack of love for Anthropologie on this blog, but this gift guide in particular is really nicely done. I love the dimension created by the combination of art and photography and the way each tumbles over the other. Everything about the design of the email is fresh and, indeed, marvelous. I love how they've redesigned the little Twitter and Facebook icons at the bottom so they fit with the look of the email.
Another thing I appreciate about this is that it avoids Christmas clichés that, come November, seem to multiply like fruit flies in my inbox. After so many "Tis the Season" and "Holiday Cheer" emails, it is refreshing to open a beautifully designed email that takes a different approach. There's nothing wrong with seasonal advertising, but isn't it nice to see an ad that imagines a world where you give gifts just because you want to?
September 30, 2009
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.
September 10, 2009
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?
July 27, 2009
From: Abercrombie & Fitch
Subject Line: A&F Premium Jeans
Date: July 23, 2009
Subject Line: The best plaid to party in
Date: July 26, 2009
I've given Abercrombie & Fitch some flack for their emails in past entries, so I'm excited to see some cool stuff coming from them lately. The horizontal scroll is fun and still a fresh sight in the inbox, and the copy is fun and on-brand, too. The copy on the jeans email especially optimizes opportunities to play with the pants theme, mentioning...erm..."assets," and telling subscribers to get their "butt in stores" to check out the jeans.
July 21, 2009
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.
May 22, 2009
From: Let's Not Motor Day: Friday June 5
Subject Line: MINIUSA
Date: Friday, May 22, 2009
Two little surprises in one MINI email:
(1) The preheader link -- "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it in your browser." -- opens the full MINI website with the email itself in a smaller pop-up window. I like this idea. It allows us to both view the email and engage with the entire website, should we choose. I'm surprised I haven't seen this before; it makes so much sense. Thoughts?
(2) MINI has personality, down to the unsubscribe copy: "If these emails are boring you and you don't mind missing out on all the lip-smackin' stuff we'll be sending in the future, simply send a message to unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com and include "Unsubscribe" and your favorite fruit in the subject field." Cute, right? I honestly think that the favorite fruit piece might make someone chuckle enough to cause them to consider not unsubscribing!
April 6, 2009
From: Coach
Subject Line: have you seen it? the new coach.com
Date: Monday, April 4, 2009
Coach.com announced their website revamp via email this morning. In contrast to the very focused approach taken by Williams-Sonoma in 2008, Coach's message is an explosion of screenshots and pink. While I could go on about the lack of standard logo and navigation, the unfortunate, not-so-easy-to-read tiny graphical text and the endless scrolling, that would just be boring. By now, we've all taken a trip on the best practices train to 516 W34th Street and back. (Check out our Email Insider "Break the Rules" article for more on this topic.) What I like about this email is that while it's absolutely overflowing with content and screengrabs, it's also overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement. I get the sense that Coach is excited about the new coach.com, and therefore, so am I. As an email viewer, do I have the patience to actually squint through the fine print and all the little screenshots? Not so much. But I am inspired to click through and check out the new website (and I'm not really even a Coach shopper), so in essence, this email has more than done it's job.
I like to make this analogy: a promotional retail email should act like a retail store window. It needs to be compelling enough to bring passers-by inside.
April 2, 2009
From: shopbop.com
Subject Line: You've Got It, Flaunt It! Styles that Showcase Your Best Feature, How to Wear the Harem Pant + Our Top 5 Handbags in the New Style File
Date: Friday, March 27, 2009
Shopbop's "got it" with their monthly newsletter, Style File. Three reasons why shopbop has beauty and brains:
(1) They find a happy balance between beautiful, aspirational product imagery and disabled-images friendly HTML text.
(2) Their copy has attitude, just like their subscribers. It's actually worth reading! "As more than one Wall Street mogul can attest, now is not the time to be hiding your assets. You’ve clearly got it. Flaunt it." Question: have you ever seen a longer subject line than this one?: "You've Got It, Flaunt It! Styles that Showcase Your Best Feature, How to Wear the Harem Pant + Our Top 5 Handbags in the New Style File" OMG! What do we think!?
(3) They seamlessly integrate product and editorial copy. I have to admit that I actually tried on a pair of black Helmut Lang harem pants at Barneys last week. I couldn't tell if I looked fabulous or like MC Hammer. I wavered between thinking "these are so now" and "these are so me at 13 in Z. Cavariccis." Hot or not? Got it? Flaunt it?
March 31, 2009
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.
March 26, 2009
From: Coach
Subject Line: shine with new metallic op art.
Date: Friday, March 20, 2009
As a vertical preview pane user, I was struck by the positive user experience I had viewing Coach's "op art" email in my preview pane. I was inspired to consider that -- while not currently in vogue -- vertical navigation might make more sense these days. With more folks viewing their mails on smaller screens -- whether they're preview panes, minimized browser windows or mobile devices -- right-aligned horizontal navigation items can easily go unseen without scrolling.
Perhaps it's time to give the vertical navigation another whirl! Have any of y'all done any vertical vs. horizontal navigation testing lately?
October 14, 2008
From: Crate & Barrel
Subject Line: Hurry...Free Shipping on bedding ends 9/30.
Date: September 25, 2008
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: Dress Me Up - Our Exclusive Dolls Are Here!
Date: October 14, 2008
Let's take a minute to talk about store locators. Here's the deal: Email not only drives traffic to your website, it also drives traffic to your stores. In fact, companies with the ability to track their email subscribers' in-store purchases have the numbers to prove it. This is why including store information in your email is a slam dunk. Not only will it help drive sales, it also adds dynamic content, personalizes your message, and reinforces your subscribers' customer service experience.
My favorite execution is by Crate and Barrel. They include a banner at the bottom of each email they send me, with copy that reads: We're in the neighborhood. 155 Stockton Street, San Francisco, California. First, I love the friendly approach. Second, I love the click-through experience even more. When I clicked on the copy, I was taken to their store locator page on their website, complete with a map and a photo of the Union Square store. Nice touch.
Pottery Barn Kids also included a banner in their latest email, but the payoff wasn't quite as streamlined as the Crate and Barrel experience. At first I was impressed because they included a zip code field, which is a cool idea in theory. However, after entering my zip code, I expected to be taken to a page with a listing of all the stores in my 'hood. Not the case. I was taken to their general store locator landing page and asked to input my info again. The idea is there, they just need to work out the details.
If nothing else, adding store location information might be an interesting test to throw out there for the holidays, especially if you have exclusive in-store only merchandise you want to promote. If you know where your subscriber lives, you can recommend a specific store location, a la Crate and Barrel. If you don't, you can use a default message that takes your subscriber to your store locator page.
July 8, 2008
From: Starbucks.com
Subject Line: Starbucks Card rewards are waiting for you
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008
From: Amazon.com
Date: Depends on Prime Sign-up Date
Notably difficult to depict are the ephemeral benefits that come with products like gift cards and membership subscriptions. Starbucks does a lovely job with this mail promoting their souped-up Rewards Card. The simple three-column structure, illustrative photography and concise text communicate the new rewards clean and clear. Starbucks' big challenge with email, of course, is tracking effectiveness, as emails drive customers to retail locations rather than trackable URLs.
Speaking of ephemeral benefits, Amazon.com also does a lovely job outlaying the perks of Prime membership here. Have you tried the program? I checked it out and got addicted to ordering stuff like shampoo.
April 10, 2008
I'd originally planned to use this post to scold Burberry for designing their emails again and again in a way such that the preview pane view is woefully unhelpful. (I've animated through five examples at left to give you the gist of it; please click the thumbnail to experience it at full size.) It's impossible to tell what the messages are about - and just as tough to find a point of click-through - without scrolling down.
Now, a question arises in my mind: is Burberry repeating this not-best practice because it's actually working for them!? Perhaps their data shows that, despite popular belief, the mystery actually encourages scolls and clicks. Burberry - reveal your secret to the email creative community!!!
All - please share your thoughts. Have you done any testing to support either my initial instinct or my new re-think?
From: Burberry
Subject Line: Arrive in Style with Accessories from Burberry.com
Date: Thursday, February 7, 2008
View the email >
BTW: This shoe is frickin' awesome.
From: Burberry
Subject Line: Shop our New Handbags & Accessories Online
Date: Friday, March 14, 2008
View the email >
BTW: Crazy/Beautiful?
From: Burberry
Subject Line: The Latest Selection of Outerwear plus Complimentary Shipping!
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
View the email >
BTW: Am I interrupting something?
From: Burberry
Subject Line: Shop Women's & Men's Spring Styles at Burberry
Date: Friday, April 4, 2008
View the email >
BTW: How nice of those British boys to keep her standing.
From: Burberry
Subject Line: Shop Online - The NEW Burberry Spring/Summer 2008 Brochure
Date: Tuesday, April 10 2008
View the email >
BTW: How many iterations of two guys and a girl can we actually tolerate?
P.S. This blog is dedicated to Nicole Cobble :)!!!
January 26, 2007
From: Forth & Towne
Subject Line: Now order by phone
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I visited a Forth & Towne store for the first time just before Christmas and - depsite the fact that it makes me feel old - I really liked the product assortment. The merchandise appeared to be of good quality, and there were some pretty interesting, unique-looking pieces in the mix.
In general I've also liked Forth & Towne's email creative, but I want to bring up a detail that's repeatedly caught my attention, and that's the use of the bracket character - } - to indicate a call-to-action. While it's a novel idea, I'm not sure there's a good enough reason to use it in place of an underline or a more standard carrot. While I'm sure most people "get it", the bracket lacks the universal "click here-y-ness" of the carrot or the underline. I'd recommend doing a creative test to see how it affects CTR.
January 19, 2007
From: Gymboree
Subject Line: Gymbucks Ends This Sunday - Shop Valentine's Day Styles Today!
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2007
You have one nav, but many campaigns. Make sure your nav is flexible enough to handle every situation - regardless of any single campaign's content, strucutre or color. In this example, Gymboree's green nav doesn't play nicely with the pink Valentine's day creative, and the orange logo doesn't help much either. In order to avoid this issue, I recommend either using a more neutral nav that works with any palette, or implementing a flexible nav, which retains a consistent structure, but changes color from campaign to campaign to suit the creative. (Williams-Sonoma does this well.)
November 16, 2006
From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Style for Every Event, and a Special Online Offer
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2006
I like the use of the calendar element here. Ann's customer is an organized woman, and visually correlating event dates with outfits gets her into planning (and purchasing) mode for sure.
May 9, 2006
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Custom Color Outdoor Collections
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2006
From: Lands' End
Subject Line: Family Summer Fun Starts Here
Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2006
While the rotating GIF image image can be a fun, dynamic addition to any EDM, it is rare that the animation ultimately edifies the actual message. Here we have two examples in which the rotating GIF is used efficaciously.
Like Pottery Barn's April 17 Chesapeake Collection ourdoor furniture message, Crate and Barrel's "Custom Outdoor Collections" campaign engages shoppers in the furniture customization process using color swatches. Here, going one step further, Crate and Barrel applies the color options to the product using the rotating GIF. Unfortunately, we run into some image dithering here, a common scenario when saving photography in the GIF file format, however, the sacrifice is well worth it in this instance. On an unrelated note, I applaud the inclusion of four lower pricepoint "Coordinating Items" in addition to the furniture product, as full-price furniture is often a difficult sell via the EDM vehicle.
View the animation here >
Let's move on to the Land's End message. For the purpose of this discussion, let's ignore the jumbled lower half of the message and focus on the animated GIF. I truly admire the way they've synchronized their category names with correlating imagery. This could be a great way to do a New Season Intro message (for instance, What's New for Summer for "Boys", "Girls", etc.) or a Gift Finder campaign (Great Gifts for "Men", "Women", "Coworkers", "Kids", etc.)
View the animation here >
As internet bandwidth increases and email inbox capacity skyrockets, consider the animated GIF as a way to add another dimension to your next campaign.
April 7, 2006
From: Modernseed
Subject Line: Capture Your Mini!
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Modernseed is the self-proclaimed "starting point in a lifestyle rich in design knowledge and well-conceived, functional products." While Modernseed does offer a wide selection of smart, stylish product, their "fresh scoop!" newsletter offers too much: too many words and too many images. While the messages (Product Test Contest, Gitta Bags, Doodles Coloring Book and Gift Registry) may be compelling, they get lost in tiny type and thumbnail imagery. This type of format might work for a print newsletter, but for an EDM, which needs to capture a busy customer's attention in 8 seconds or less, we have to feature one or two messages very clearly using large images, a few well-chosen words, and a strong call-to-action: "Click here to shop now!" While at first a simpler presentation may seem inferior or watered-down, we have to create messages appropriate to the medium, and in the rapid-fire email environment, a brief, clear campaign better serves both the customer and the merchant.
Now for the technical piece. This EDM is implemented as a single, flat graphic. Links are constructed using image maps. In the complex world of Email Browser Compatability, this is a no-no for two reasons:
1) Image maps are stripped by several email programs, meaning that here, since they were constructed using image maps, the blue text that looks like links will not be clickable for some users. In order for links to work properly in every email program, it is necessary to cut up a message into separate graphics and tag each linkable piece with it's own "href" (or, obviously, and in this case more appropriately, to use HTML text.)
2) More and more email browsers are hiding graphics by default. A customer has to click a "show images" option on a campaign-by-campaign basis in order to view a message with graphics. This includes Microsoft Outlook. One way we can entice customers to elect to "show images" is to use as many interesting "alt" tags as possible. "Alt" tag text appears in place of graphics when they are stripped. We can attach a different "alt" tag to every graphic within a single message. The more separate graphic pieces we have, the more "alt" tag text we can show in a customer's browser window, and the more chances we have to interest them enough to opt to "show images."
In short, I'm a Modernseed fan, and they would gain more fans (and more dollars) via Email Direct Marketing using simpler creative and more sophisticated technical executions.
February 23, 2006
From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Shorts for Spring Break and all season long!
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Spring break is a trip to Cancun, not the local Funeral Home! This is a classic case of message/execution mismatch. The message is all about springtime and shorts, but it's executed in washed-out greys, and the logo and font treatments have a dusty, almost Transylvanian feel to them. Maybe the models look so limp because they just had their blood sucked.
February 22, 2006
From: Safeway.com
Subject Line: Great deals on Great wines Under $10
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
This email message was brought to my attention by a colleague. Thank you!
The story here isn't so much the wine or the meat. ("The Great Meat Sale!" just sounds weird to me.) What's smart about this message the structure; they did a really nice job handling their main and submessage placement. The light grey bar dividing the two breaks the separate messages while keeping the unity of the design as a whole. Yay, Safeway!
January 24, 2006
From: CB2
Subject Line: The Very First CB2 Catalog is in the Mail
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Here, CB2 did a great job showing a whole lot of product while avoiding the dreaded "garage sale" look. (You can't see it in my screenshot, but the polka-dots actually rotate between product images and product info.) If only I could CLICK on each image to find the product for purchase on the website! The images all link to an "order a catalog page", which I would imagine will result in a lot of lost revenue for this message.
A note about copy: CB2 is no longer a "new" destination from Crate and Barrel - I've been getting their EDMs for over a year now. Time for a new tagline!
December 26, 2005
From: babygap.com
Subject Line: End-of-Season Sale on Outerwear
Date: Monday, December 26, 2005
This EDM exhibits what I'd call "classically good form." We've got our logo and menu items at the the top, followed by a hero image and a color copy block with a clear call to action. Four image silos with product names and prices appear below, followed by two smart submessages.
This is an email design layout format you can use again and again. Now if only gap.com could get it's website to work in the Safari browser! They must be losing a ton of money when customers click-through to a website that doesn't work. Ouch!
December 3, 2005
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: FREE SHIPPING plus our most luxurious gifts
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2005
Now there's something you don't see every day: a vertical submessage! Way to innovate.
On a totally unrelated note, why do you think it is that luxury product models always look so sad? Is it because, having finally attained all of their material desires, including a mink-trimmed cape, they realize they are still not satisfied in any kind of meaningful way?
December 1, 2005
From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Holiday Hint 5: You Could Instantly Win Up to $1,000 - Play Now
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2005
Kudos to Old Navy for trying something new - an interactive EDM! Here we PLAY for our special offer rather than just CLICK for it Smart! Although I'm not sure how the "Holiday Hint 5" peice of the subject line relates to the message. A "hint" should be a piece of useful informtaion. It would have been better to use the SL to fully capitalize on the novel game element.
November 9, 2005
From: west elm
Subject Line: this season's glimmer and glow: gifts from west elm
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Unfortunately my screeshot doesn't capture the rotating imagery in this email, but imagine the photos and copy boxes swapping out to create a glittering grid. It's a great use of effect to support a "glitter and glow" message. One wish: that the images and copy block colors matched more closely. There's a lot going on here, and a common color would have helped the grid feel more uniform.
October 27, 2005
From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Snap Up Our Picture-Perfect Looks: Sweaters Start at $19.50
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005
Here, Old Navy does a nice job employing the "polariod" look which is suddenly showing up everywhere in online retail. Everyone's putting product shots into polariod frames for a more "authentic" look, and it's cute, but here it makes SENSE thanks to the "Picture-Perfect and "It's a Snap" copy.
October 12, 2005
From: holdeverything
Subject Line: Specialty of the house: furniture that works
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2005
I like this email because it really typefies the holdeverything brand. The product is relevant and the copy is helpful. What you can't see in the screenshot: the couch animates from folded to pulled-out.
September 19, 2005
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Everything you need for fall entertaining
Date: Monday, Septebmer 19, 2005
This EDM is so grand. Pottery Barn sounds the trumpets and I almost expect to see racing horses burst into gallop. But seriously, the use of script and pattern is lovely here, and the large hero image surrounded by smaller product shots works beautifully in this context. Love it!
August 30, 2005
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: The best of summer bedding for girls, plus even bigger savings on sale items
Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Pottery Barn Kids innovates EDM functionality with the Tabbed EDM - virtually three EDMs in one mailing. The Tabbed EDM is perfect for messages with more than one facet or category, such as, in this case, "Boy", "Girl" and "Baby". Love it, bucko!
July 6, 2005
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: New Markdowns on Select Items at Pottery Barn, plus our all-time, bestselling favorites
Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Looks like PB's having a garage sale! The mish-mash of imagery and dull color pallete bore rather than inspire us.
I'm also going to guess that this EDM inspired a few calls to the call center; putting the "Additional Savings" promo ABOVE the Bestsellers body area leads us to think that the bestsellers themselves are on sale, when this is not the case.
May 24, 2005
From: J. Crew
Subject Line: Planning a quick getaway?
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Brilliant! Pack his suitcase (and thereby his shopping cart) for him! This is a great way to sell mix and match items as a set.
A general note about J. Crew EDMs: They're about 200 pixels wider than best practices recommend, requiring us to scroll to the right in order to see the entire design. Recommendation: cut the width down to 600 pixels. 640 max.
April 20, 2005
From: Williams-Sonoma
Subject Line: Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Williams-Sonoma
Date: Thursday, April 20, 2005
This is a really smart, sensible layout for a gifting occasion message like Mother's Day. We've got an environmental hero shot to set the mood, a paragraph romancing a few ideas, and an easy, functional list of "by price" links. Nothing too crazy hitting us over the head, but very effective.
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