Improve your customer retention program by instating a birthday email!

From: The Container Store
Subject Line: Happy Birthday! We have a special gift for you!
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Container Store's email doesn't say what the gift is, you have to go to the store to claim it. Making your gift exclusively available in-store is a good way to drive traffic to your store, but I would prefer if the email said what the gift was.

From: World Market Explorer (Cost Plus)
Subject Line: Guess what? You've earned a Reward!
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010
Cost Plus's email doesn't say Happy Birthday anywhere in the email or subject line, only on the landing page (thumbs down). Also note that you have to click in order to see your reward, which doesn't bother me and helps drive traffic to the website.

From: Disney Movie Rewards
Subject Line: Amy, Happy Birthday!
Date: Friday, June 18, 2010
My favorite. I was looking forward to this one after getting it last year. Although the movie selection is exactly the same as last year's. Offering an awesome reward like this can do 3 things: 1) Build customer loyalty. If the gift is worth it, you can bet people will stay subscribed to get the same perk next year. Until then, you have a better chance of reeling them in on other offers. 2) Build your List. If I got a great deal on my birthday, I'd tell my friends to sign up for your emails. 3) Increase your conversion rate. By giving a gift, you may be reminding an inactive customer just how great your products are -- and get them buying again.

From: ING Direct
Subject Line: Happy Birthday from ING DIRECT!
Date: Friday, June 18, 2010
I liked how this email gave 3 product suggestions for using my 15% discount.

From: Nature Made
Subject Line: Happy Birthday From Nature Made
Date: Friday, June 18, 2010
I like how Nature Made included my name in the email. They also used the opportunity to cross-promote a product.

From: Piperlime
Subject Line: Happy Birthday! Here's a treat.
Date: Friday, June 18, 2010
The offer on this one wasn't as great as some of the others ($15 off a purchase of $60).

From: Amazon.com & Netflix Subject Lines: Various Date: Friday, November 6, 2009 - Friday, March 12, 2010 If you're looking to increase user engagement & loyalty, personalization is sure to help. My advice: 1) Get creative. Think about what your subscriber would like to receive rather than what you want to send them. The more you know about your subscriber and use that information to target relevant messages, the more likely you are to hook that customer for the long haul. 2) Start a dialogue. Surveys are a great and easy way to find out what your subscribers are experiencing. If they report problems, work to correct them. 3) Seize the opportunity to add ratings and reviews to your website. They're sure to drive more traffic to your website. A good way to collect reviews: after a subscriber purchases a product, wait a few weeks (to give them time to test the product) and send them a friendly reminder to rate the product. Many people will be happy to share their good or bad experience. Two companies that I've noticed do an awesome job at personalization are Amazon.com and Netflix. Here are just a few examples of great personalization emails that they send: Amazon.com: Lets you to create a gift list for friends/family and sends you reminders when their birthdays are approaching. Allows you to be notified via email when a movie is available for order or pre-order, by request. Suggests product suggestions based on your browsing and order history. Netflix: Sends emails asking you to rate your movies. By rating your movie, Netflix can recommend other movies you might enjoy, based on what other users enjoyed who also liked that movie. And what's really awesome, is that they allow you to rate the movie with one-click in the email itself, simple & time-saving. Notifies you which movie has shipped and when you can expect it. Asks you when you mailed your movie to determine if they are sending/receiving movies in a timely manner according to their policy.

From: net-a-porter.com
Subject Line: What's new for you on Monday
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010 9:34 AM

In November, I shared my hesitations about NET-A-PORTER's designer preference-driven emails. I had been auto-signed up for Burberry designer updates because I purchased a Burberry ring, and was feeling relatively over-informed about Burberry products. Since then, I invested some serious time in selecting my true and varied preferences in NAP's robust preference center. Now, NET-A-PORTER is sending me some seriously relevant emails, and is making some serious cash off yours truly.

Basically, NAP sends me email messages so spot-on, it's like a personal shopper set up a dressing room just for me, filled with stuff I'm dying to try on. Not only do I open these emails, but I enable images, then wait for them all to download (all 2,660 pixels of them, in this case.)

No email comes too frequently and no email is too long if it's totally relevant to the recipient. In this case, it was the A.P.C. a-line denim skirt that got me.

Sidebar regarding shipping boxes: NET-A-PORTER's are beautiful, but Intermix's seem to be scented. An incredibly pleasant scent emerges when you open the box. Ah, package magic!

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: 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: Mitch Stewart, BarakObama.com
Subject Line: A holiday video for Van
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

I have to give it up - Obama's stellar team of campaigners continues to impress. There has been a proliferation of personalized videos in the past few months such as Gap's Cheer Factory to Land's End's Big Boston Warm-up. Last Thursday, Obama sent me a holiday card and I LOVE IT.

These videos take personalization to a new level, placing dynamic content such as a name in different parts of video clips. This effect has such a great impact. I've gotten used to seeing my name in the email salutations, but not in a streaming video. Who doesn't like seeing their name on a card signed by the President?

Great job, Obama team!

From: Brookstone
Subject Lines:
1) FREE Sitewide shipping with $95 minimum purchase
2) Hurry, only 4 hours left for FREE Sitewide Shipping at $90!
3) Deal of the Day: $20 OFF our Men's Fleece Heated Vest plus Sitewide FREE SHIPPING!
4) Discover this year's hottest holiday gifts plus FREE Sitewide Shipping!
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2009



Brookstone has stepped into one of the most common holiday traps: over-sending.

I have received up to four emails in one day from Brookstone, and an average of more than one email per day overall. While a small handful of people may enjoy getting blasted by that many emails, I think you're more likely to lose subscribers by over-sending.

Make sure if you're sending more than one email a day that the messages differ enough to make it worthwhile. On 12/15 I received two postcard-style emails, a deal of the day AND a general product collage email. The two postcard emails were essentially the same: Free Shipping on orders over $95, and the other, Free Shipping on orders over $90 - baffling. The other two emails mentioned the free shipping offer again in a top banner. Were four emails really needed for the free shipping promo? I doubt it.

If you're not sure how many emails to send, I would suggest creating a "my account" option where the subscriber can login and choose the amount (and type) of emails they would like to receive. If you already have an option like this on your website, make sure to include a link in each email to "change my email preferences." If that's too much work (on you or your subscribers), place a survey at the bottom of each email with a simple one-click answer.
EXAMPLE: How many emails would you like to receive from us?
[ ] More than two per week  [ ] Two per week  [ ] One per week
[ ] Bi-weekly  [ ] One per month

If you give the customer a chance to control how many emails they receive, you'll be more likely to retain your subscribers by giving them a program that fits their personal needs.

From: Etsy
Subject Line: Etsy Finds: Trick or Treat
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Etsy.com is a bastion of offbeat, cool-girl style, so it's no wonder they put the "personal picks" trend to such good use. In this email, part of the Etsy Finds series, Christine, an Etsy seller and blogger, handpicks her faves for Halloween.

What makes this email stand out from others like it is the way Christine's personality is emphasized: she's perfectly Etsy-esque, but she's real--she likes pranks, she has a weird mom, and she's discovering new things on Etsy every day, just like the rest of us.

Everyone seems to agree that putting a human face to your brand is a smart idea, and it's one we've written about several times on this blog. Etsy puts a twist on this concept by using the perspective of a seller, rather than a more formal spokesperson, which ultimately synthesizes two lovely trends in one EDM--personal picks and reader reviews. The result is a friendly, intimate conversation with Christine, and it makes me want to find out what other Etsy treasures she might uncover.

My lone complaint about this email is that I received it much too late. I received this Halloween-themed newsletter on Halloween--why would I order any of this stuff now? The sloppy timing of this mars what is otherwise a very charming email.

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.

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: Sephora
Subject Line: 1 box, 10 gifts.
Date: November 16, 2008

I L-O-V-E Sephora's version of last year's Elf Yourself. Talk about creative. From start to finish, it's a seamless experience that even the most tech-challenged girl can navigate with ease. Here's the skinny: After you've uploaded a pic of yourself, you go through a series of steps where you outline your eyes, mouth and face shape. Sounds complicated, but trust me, they've made it blonde-proof. (It's okay, I can say that because I'm a blonde.) Once you've finished with the outlining, the real magic begins. Within seconds, you have four fun and fabulous looks to choose from: Smokey Sugar Plum, Merry Berry, Santa's Little Temptress and O, Tannen-Babe. It's your face all glammed up in four festive ways, complete with eye shadow, mascara, gloss and more. All that's left is for you to add a personal message and send it on to your fellow glamour gals. You'll get a sweet little email that lets you know your Mistletoe Message has been sent, and best of all, the savvy team at Sephora includes a promotion code in the confirmation email for a free set of lashes or a sample size of Sephora Lip Attitude with any purchase. Simply brilliant.

Want to see my Mistletoe Makeover e-Card?
Check it out here.

From: Last, First
Subject Line: FW: pre-sell
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008

From: NORDSTROM
Subject Line: 40% Off or More! Half-Yearly Sale for Women & Kids!
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008

We love "The Nordstrom Way" over here at Smith-Harmon – so much so that we've all read the book. There is one anecdote in particular about the original Nordic Nordstrom back in the day, building a railroad through Alaska, that really pumps up my Swedish pride :).

Beyond Alaska, Nordstrom salesfolks are known for building relationships. That's why I wasn't surprised to receive this personal email from an associate at the downtown Seattle Nordstrom Via C department (where you can find me trying things on more or less once a week!) From an anecdotal, personal perspective, it delighted me. It made me feel special to get advanced notice of a sale – like I was important enough to be notified personally. And I did go! I didn't happen to see "First Last" (her name has been blocked out to protect her identity!), and I didn't buy anything – the pre-sale stuff was...not hot. But this email absolutely got me into the store in a way that the batch-and-blast message – which arrived in my inbox a week later – never could.

Now, beyond personal and into professional: this is tricky. There is no unsubscribe on this email, and while a person could reply directly to "First Last" to say "no more messages!", the absence of unsub info is slippery. What do you think?

I'm also interested in the marketing department's control over these types of personal communications. I might have thought that the associate wrote this herself, but for the telling "FW:" in the Subject Line, which makes me think it's probably a boilerplate provided by marketing. This leads me to imagine a new type of personal associate/marketing department email fusion format, where "First Last" types up a note, which then appears at the top of a rich, graphical message, potentially featuring images of several pre-sell items I might like based on browse history or past purchase. I'd love to hear if any of y'all out there have tried anything like this. Or if you'd like to try it out, give me a shout! It would be fun to experiment with a new fusion format.