Website: Barneys New York
Situation: Preference Center Update Confirmation Page
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2010

I love to see companies that look for every opportunity to surprise and delight their customers. Here, Barneys created a cute "thank you" experience for those of us updating our email preference center profile.
It's a little thing, but that's where the difference lies.

From: west elm
Subject Line: Tips for decorating with confidence
Date: Friday, May 7, 2010

I love that this email was not about the hard-sell, but instead provided helpful designing tips to subscribers. If you can inspire your subscribers to imagine how your product can benefit them, your job of selling will be a lot easier.

The tips were short and to the point, which was great. To inspire click-through, the email showed a teaser of three tips and provided a link to see all ten. The actual design of the email was also nice and light and had great flow.

The landing page also tied in nicely with the email design. One thing the landing page could have used: rollovers on the room images with product names/prices and the ability to link to those products.

From: Clinique
Subject Line: Clinique Bonus at Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers!
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010

From: Clinique
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010

Landing pages are often overlooked in email marketing, but are key in maintaining relevance between the email and the visitor's motivation when they click through. Every element of your landing page should state or support the value proposition of your primary offer. If the landing page is confusing, the conversion rate will suffer.

I received this Clinique bonus email this morning and was ready to make a purchase. I typically wait for "bonus time" to do so but this is where my confusion started - the email lists 7 stores that I have never heard of. I clicked through to the landing page to see if one of these stores happens to be located near me. However, when I clicked through, I was led to the store locator, which showed Nordstrom as the closest store (it is not one of the 7 stores listed in the email). Here's where I get even more confused - is the bonus available at Nordstrom, or just the 7 department stores?

I clicked on the "Clinique Bonus" link on the landing page and saw that a bonus is in fact available at Nordstrom. More confusion! Is it the same bonus? If so, why was Nordstrom not listed as one of the stores? Why isn't the gift and offer details on the landing page? After much confusion, Clinique has officially lost me on their landing pages.

From: HP Home & Home Office Store
Subject Line: Your HP Home & Home Office Store Deals - Week of January 4, 2010
Date: Monday, January 4, 2010

From: HP Home & Home Office Store
Date: Monday, January 4, 2010

While I know a few senders already have begun to take advantage of the power of using their email lists to build their mobile contact lists, I still get excited when I see an example in the wild. Like most consumers, I'm not eager to get text messages for promotions on my iPhone. I don't mind receiving timely and relevant alerts for specific reasons, but for this message from HP, my excitement quickly turned to skepticism when I tried to provide my details.

I clicked on the image based form on the landing page to enter my mobile number, however, that was the only requested data point. The fine print reads "As a member of the HP Club you'll receive a maximum of 4 messages a month", which doesn't sound very customized or alert based to me. Without any chance to provide other details to HP like my name, email address (both could be populated from the email click saving time and ensuring data synchronization) printer type and typical usage, how can they possibly send me a relevant and timely alert when my ink is low?

As we continue to build cross channel programs and lists throughout 2010, we need to keep in mind one of the key lessons learned from the email channel -- consumers want meaningful choices and control of where and how they receive messaging from marketers. Respecting these choices builds stronger performing programs with more engaged recipients.

From: kate spade
Subject Line: i resolve to wear out my passport
Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010

From: kate spade
Subject Line: i resolve to sing in the rain
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2010

Simple, clean and fresh. What a perfect way to start off a new year. Kate Spade is carrying this "i resolve..." handle throughout all their emails this month and I love it. Everything about this email gives me room to breathe. From the photography to the typography, and the free shipping top promo to the social footer. My fave is the "i resolve to sing in the rain". Given that I'm practically rowing a boat to my local coffee joint because of all the rain, the timing on that one was perfection. My only gripe is the landing page experience. When you click on the "Shop the Collection" link, it takes you to a pretty little landing page with a few rain essentials... and a few randoms (why is there a necklace on this page? is it waterproof?). Wish they had more of a selection to really tell the rainy day story. They have two jackets, one boot, two bags and an umbrella. Makes me wonder what a Macy's or a Piperlime or a Nordstroms could do with this type of story, since they have so much more to choose from.

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: 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: 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: Boden
Subject Line: Open me, I expire on Thursday! This Boden offer won't last.
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Just when I thought I could resist the temptation of spending money, bam, there was an offer I couldn't refuse - almost.

First, the subject line told me exactly what I needed to do, open the email. Second, it clearly stated when the offer expired. Third, the SL told me that I needed to jump on this deal now. When I opened the email, dogs greeted me. Each dog was labeled with the day-of-the-week and showed a percentage off. As a dog-lover, this creative pulled me in, although Boden apparel has nothing to do with pets.

I'm not a designer, but an essential part was missing. I clicked through the hotlinked email and it took me to the home page instead of a landing page with similar creative. I love a great offer, but a seamless email to website experience is just as important.

Cat lovers, what does this email do for you? Hopefully the offer is compelling enough to bypass the canines and get straight to the apparel.

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'.