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Category Archive: Relevancy
May 18, 2010
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.
March 16, 2010
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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:
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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.
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Suggests product suggestions based on your browsing and order history.
Netflix:
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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.
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Notifies you which movie has shipped and when you can expect it.
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Asks you when you mailed your movie to determine if they are sending/receiving movies in a timely manner according to their policy.
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March 15, 2010
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: 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!
February 25, 2010
From: The Zoe Report
Subject Line: TZR: Best Overall
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010
Don't tell me that because your technology is limited or your staff is small that you can't achieve relevance. This Zoe Report email is a miracle of relevance, sans stated or inferred preferences.
It's true: the looks of the nineties are coming back. To get myself ready to re-embrace the era, I downloaded Season 1 of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, which I happily watch while I work out on the elliptical each morning. Anyway, this morning, circa 5am, Luke Perry made his first appearance as Dylan McKay, "Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know," wearing (what!?) OVERALLS. Yes, overalls, with just one strap buckled. I almost fell off the elliptical.
So what appears in my inbox circa 7:47am? Yes, overalls, courtesy of Gaultier via Rachael Zoe. Despite her - er - debated flaws, Zoe knows what her market is obsessing about, and cover(all)s it.
Yes, advanced technologies and robust support teams are important parts of building an exceptional marketing program. But so is simply thinking about your subscribers and creating content that strikes a cord with them. I know that's something all of us can do, with just one strap buckled ;).
November 25, 2009
From: Gilt Groupe
Subject Line: Valentino Pret-a-Porter, Jonathan Kelsey, Jewelry by Isharya Starts Today at Noon ET
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
If you like beautiful things and you don't already get emails from Gilt Groupe, you should. Shouldn't. Should. Shouldn't. Should...
As an industry person, I like the mails for two primary reasons:
(1) They are able to both maintain a glossy image and promote relevant content within a templatized vehicle format. I don't know how many hours marketing and brand folks argue about the impossibility of brand value retention and templatization peacefully co-existing. Here they do.
(2) They've developed a super superfooter. The "ALSO FROM GILT GROUP" zone wraps up viral and cross-channel drivers, while the "UPCOMING SALES CALENDAR" keeps designer druggies anticipating their next score.
As a person person, I am totally obsessed with the photo of the kitten with the bracelets. It makes me want to put chandelier earrings on my cats.
November 5, 2009
From: Cubs.com Shop
Subject Line: Get started early! Shop our Gift Finder
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
During baseball season Cubs.com will send quite a few emails to allow the ultimate fan the opportunity to purchase apparel, tickets and gifts. They also let the fan know about changes to the roster as well as the latest stats. With the Cubs clearly not making it to the World Series for yet another year (sigh), I found it delightful and yet painful to open this email I received today. It is holiday season, and I know that regardless of the Cubs' performance my father will enjoy any holiday gift smothered in Cubs logos. Who can resist the underdog spirit of the little bear?
After spending a few seconds scrolling down the email I see they have a Gift Finder, which peaks my interest and makes me click their CTA of Shop Now! The website and the email supply me with the same visual image to assure me that I am being led in the right direction.
I am new to using Gift Finder this season and am excited to see what products get pulled and how. Kudos to Cubs and MLB for creating the Gift Finder and letting me know this technology exists via email. Typically I fall into a rut of only viewing Tees or Caps, but now a bunch of additional accessory items have been brought to my attention. The Gift Finder allows you to narrow down products based on recipient, price, category and personality. Now all I need to figure out is if my ol' man should be considered The Rookie Sensation or The Home Team Manager.
October 29, 2009
From: UrbanDaddy (and J.Crew)
Subject Line(s): Read below to see the good ones... :)
Date(s): Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - Soon to be Discontinued
What is UrbanDaddy? Is it a "Who's your Daddy" kind of a Daddy and got my copy of Maxim
magazine ready for toilet reading material kind of a Daddy... or a stroller pushing,
farmers' market shopping, diaper changing, father of my children kind of a
Daddy? Methinks J.Crew is betting on the former which is a bummer... because the latter type is more my kind of man.
I'm just not getting it... What exactly is the relationship
between J. Crew and UrbanDaddy anyways? Is it a cross-promotion email campaign
or full-on corporate sponsorship (like Johnson & Johnson being to BabyCenter
what J. Crew maybe is to UrbanDaddy?) or something else entirely? And whatever it is,
why is J. Crew pushing it so hard?
Fellow Smith-Harmon blogger Darrah MacLean wrote in an
earlier blogpost about her annoyance with the difficulty she had trying to
enter the contest for an NYC trip for two that J.Crew was promoting (said prize being J.Crew's enticement to get people to sign up for the UrbanDaddy emails). While I didn't experience the same troubles Darrah mentioned, I do think J. Crew could/should have done a better job of trying to figure out who the target demographic would be for UrbanDaddy before they sent out the contest email (clearly, they missed the mark with
me!). My guess is that J.Crew sent the NYC trip promo email to their entire subscriber list without taking into consideration any segmentation. I'm know that I'm not that difficult to track - my cookies are always on - and I've only browsed/clicked/purchased in the women's and kid's departments... and now I am seeing these subject lines in my inbox: *Rattlesnake Sausage, Belgian Beers and Satan's Whiskers *Re: Meeting Up Tonight
*Your 7am Beer Is Here
*Late Night Booze and DJs in the Mission
*Endless Happy Hour, Bacon Biscuits and Gin for Days
(IMHO, some of these bear a strong resemblance to SPAM Subject Lines!)
To say that I find the whole "UrbanDaddy experience" offensive
might be overstating it a tad, but something about their emails make me feel a smidgen
uncomfortable and/or irritated. I know I have the option to simply unsubscribe
(and I plan to - just as soon as I finish writing my little rant here), but I'm
annoyed that I have to take the steps to do so. While I realize it's up to me
to read the fine print, and that there's no real harm done, I kinda feel
like a sucker for getting roped into signing up in the first place.
Ultimately, whatever the relationship is between the two,
I'm having a hard time figuring out why J.Crew is associating itself with UrbanDaddy.
The J. Crew man I picture is handsome, rugged and dresses with mad style (like
my 'BabyDaddy') - UrbanDaddy is just its loser wannabe hangin' in Las Vegas
Lothario friend.
This is just my 2¢... thoughts/comments anyone? :) * Addendum - I am adding a little edit to this piece (strike-through on the last sentence). I did unsubscribe from UrbanDaddy and when prompted for my reason for leaving, I put the link for this blog in the comments section. Shortly after, I was contacted by Urban Daddy's Business Development Manager who wanted to know if I would be open to having a conversation about this piece. Uh-oh! No, actually, I called her and we had a lovely conversation, after which I realized that my words in this post came across a little bit meaner than I had intended. I guess publicly breaking up with somebody is never nice to do, and for that I can be "man enough" to apologize.
October 6, 2009
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.
September 30, 2009
From: Diapers.com
Subject Line: Re-Order in Seconds
Date: Monday, August 24, 2009 Generally speaking, I can be considered a walking advertisement for Diapers.com. They carry so much more than just diapers: formula, shampoo, skincare items, books, toys, and pretty much all things baby-related. The best part is that they also have FREE overnight shipping. Last month I ordered a new car-seat for my 4 year old, and it was delivered to my door less than 24 hours later. The thing is a complete behemoth, so it was such a luxury not to have to make a trip to a big-box store and haul it around some suburban mall parking lot. I consider almost all my Diapers.com experiences to be pretty stellar, and I know I'm being overly picky about this follow-up email from them. Many times it would be convenient to re-order my previous order "in seconds", but I don't think most people are going to be re-ordering the "big-ticket items". It seems like they should be able to employ some sort of filter to the types of products on the order.
September 25, 2009
From: Apple Business University Village
Subject Line: Snow Leopard Event at the Apple Store
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009
This message is interesting to me for two reasons. No, three:
(1) I like that it's addressed to me as a business owner. Wow - the folks over at Apple know me after I spent tens of thousands of dollars on computers at their store with the sad little 5% discount they give high-volume business purchasers! No, but seriously, I appreciate being spoken to in a way that's relevant to me.
(2) This message is really skinny. The main letter body is just 382 pixels wide. I'm thinking it's because it's going to me - a business person - who they are assuming has an iPhone and checks their email on it. I'm imagining that they designed for the iPhone screen. What do you think? That's pretty cool.
(3) If I could be any animal, I would be a Snow Leopard, hands-down. "...Powerful and refined...?" That's a kick-ass animal.
September 9, 2009
From: HomeAway
Subject Line: $50 Off Special Offer
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Deemed a vacation rental website, I have had an affinity for HomeAway's copy and inviting imagery. The subject line tells me I have a $50 offer, that's great!
I clicked through and felt tricked by the message in front of me. Assuming they have multiple subscriber lists, I should be on the renter list, not the homeowner list. I scrolled down to see what the lower messaging offered. A continued lack of relevance to me was surprising. While we always want to create subject lines that encourage subscribers to click, this shouldn't be done at the cost of transparency. I'm curious if anyone else got this email or a similar one with this approach. What was your response?
August 31, 2009
From: Tobi Subject Line: 20% Off, Happy Friday! Date: Friday, August 28, 2009 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.
August 28, 2009
From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Meet Our New Designer + Shop Our New Perfect Pieces.
Date: August 24, 2009
I love the way that Ann Taylor unveils a new designer in this special email. This approach aligns perfectly with the current trend of putting real faces on big companies and of forging more of individual connections with customers and email subscribers. Not only do we get a literal face to associate with Ann Taylor designs, but the entire email creative represents the artistic process behind all Ann Taylor clothing. The swatches and sketch allows subscribers to envision the creativity and thought invested in clothing by real people, allowing shoppers to feel like they are purchasing something special and unique.
August 21, 2009
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.
June 18, 2009
From: Veer
Subject Line: Special Offer: Ask for a deal in June, you'll get one
Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The subject line in this email from Veer does a great job of sticking out amongst the clutter of my inbox. How can you not open an email that says "ask for a deal" and "you'll get one" - if only out of curiousity!?
It's the subject line and primary message working in tandem that make this message stand out. At at time when most subject lines offer a combination of free shipping and a discount to try and get you to open the email, Veer uses a more compelling hook to tap into the relevancy of the current economic climate.
The email itself is a best practice example of simplicity and creative. While the hero image could have been a little shorter to allow the HTML text below it to show up above the fold, it looks great and is clearly on-brand with Veer who have established a great reputation for beautiful imagery.
May 15, 2009
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???
May 6, 2009
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...
April 30, 2009
From: Please add our new mailing address to your contact list
Subject Line: JetBlue Airways
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009
I received this email from JetBlue a few Thursdays ago. My initial reaction: "What a gratuitous use of the channel. Overmailers! Why would JetBlue use a valuable send opportunity, asking me to (1) open and read their email, then (2) do some other boring administrative task after that, without giving me anything in return?
But maybe I am unreasonable. I'd really like to hear your opinion. Is this a wasted mail? Should it have been incorporated as a well-pronounced submessage rather than sent on it's own? Or maybe (my opinion) JetBlue should have just pumped up the "add to address book" messaging in their preheader for about a month, adding some language about the address change. Tell me what you think!
Only partially related: If you haven't seen it yet, the new JFK JetBlue terminal is finally done, and it doesn't totaly suck. It's actually quite nice. It's actually so nice compared to the frightening excuse for a temporary teriminal they had going on for a few years there. That was seriously a third-world nation experience. Anyway, if you've been avoiding flying them because of that very scary temporary terminal, avoid no more! Perhaps they should have messaged the new terminal as their primary ;).
Happy travels!
From: South Seas Island Resort
Subject Line: Experience South Seas
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Unfortunately, I received this email immediately after booking my South Seas travel (and simultaneously signing up for their email program) for roughly double the featured "spring rate." Ouch! Where's my "thank you"? Where's my "welcome to our email program"? As much as I love an offer, and as much as I love a resort, and as much as I am a total customer service snob, seriously, what's the likelihood that I'm going to book again in the same season? This message just made me feel silly for paying more :).
But alas, which of you will I see at the fabulous South Seas Resort for the Email Insider Summit next week!? And if you haven't yet booked your travel, perhaps you can take advantage of H2WHOA!
April 10, 2009
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.
March 16, 2009
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.
January 21, 2009
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?
January 6, 2009
From: Smith-Harmon
Subject Line: Retail Email Year-End Trends for 2008
Date: January 6, 2009
If you're in the midst of planning your 2009 email marketing strategy, this free reportlet from Chad White, Smith-Harmon's research director, is a definite must-read. It's packed with stats, trends and charts about the overall retail email volume, frequency and timing among the top online retailers in 2008. Want to know which days of the week were most popular to send retail emails? Interested in the top 20 retail email days of the year? Ready to learn what the SECOND biggest retail email season was, behind Christmas? Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a few surprises.
Download the free reportlet now to get the panoramic view of what happened in the world of retail email in 2008.
January 5, 2009
From: Tommy Bahama
Subject Line: Relax
Date: January 5, 2009
I love the imagery and sentiment of this Tommy Bahama email, which hit my inbox today. On the plus side, it totally makes me want to plan a mid-winter escape to some place warm and sunny. On the down side, I think they should have dropped the "spirit of the season" idea and focused on "Happy New Year". The holidays are definitely over, so the copy of this email feels a little late to the party. Kudos to the subject line though, which simply says: Relax. The perfect mantra for the first back at my desk.
December 10, 2008
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: So, you need a gift? Look no further + Free gift wrap & free online shipping
Date: December 10, 2008
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: FINAL HOURS! FREE $100 NM GIFT CARD with online purchase + Free gift wrap & free online shipping
Date: December 9, 2008
From: NM Store
Subject Line: Take an extra 30% off at Neiman Marcus stores
Date: December 10, 2008
As a follow-up to my December 8th posting, I thought I would share the latest NM news. I received three emails from Neiman Marcus in ONE DAY. Yes, that's right. 1-2-3 in 1 day. While I understand that good things come in threes, I'm not so sure it applies here. And while I also understand that two were from Neiman Marcus proper and one was from NM Store, they all look like Neiman Marcus to me. And check out the subject line lengths! The only word that comes to mind is: Unsubscribe. Otherwise, I'm speechless.
December 5, 2008
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.
Download the free reportlet now to get the complete story on the biggest day in online shopping.
August 22, 2008
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.
August 18, 2008
From: Netflix
Subject Line: We're Sorry DVD Shipments Are Delayed
Date: August 14, 2008
From: Netflix
Subject Line: We're sorry your DVD shipment was delayed
Date: August 15, 2008
No, you're not seeing double. I received these back-to-back customer service emails from Netflix last week. Seems their shipping system was on the fritz, so they took action by stepping up to the inbox not once, but twice to simply say sorry. At a time when prices are rising and savvy consumers are fine-tuning their buyers' intuition, it's in every retailer's and service provider's best interest to upgrade their personal, one-to-one interactions with their customers. Taking a few extra minutes and a few extra dollars to keep 'em feeling attended to is well worth the investment. IMHO. My only copy critique is that they should have switched up the subject lines a tad more. I almost didn't open the second email because I thought it was simply a repeat. Lo and behold, it spelled out specifically what Netflix was doing to make up for the mishap; they were giving me a 15% credit on my bill! Pretty major, right? Something like "We're giving you a 15% credit for DVD delay" as the subject line would have done the trick and let me know that it was a follow-up to the first email. One more little edit is about the casing in the subject lines; one used headline casing and the other used sentence casing. I've never seen any stats on one being better than the other, so it's more of a style consistency thing. Basically, pick a side and plant your feet.
April 1, 2008
From: Apple
Subject Line: Test-drive MacBook Air at the Apple Retail Store.
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Hey, get your data right, Steve-o! Not only did I already buy one at a retail store, but you emailed me a PDF receipt! (Which was cool, by the way, and so's the laptop.) Still - particularly for a higher pricepoint purchase like this - it makes sense to cobble together a suppression list so us early adapters feel like you still care.
February 25, 2008
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Engaged?
Date: Monday, February 25, 2008
OMG - how did they know :)!?!? Is this just a crazy coincidence, or did theknot.com sell me down the river? This is an interesting experience for me in that I am a believer in relevant messaging, but as, in this case, I was not the direct data source, the effect is unsettling as opposed to engaging.
February 6, 2008
From: west elm
Subject Line: See the chicest new sofa in town
Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
User-generated content and product reviews are popping up in email more and more, with reports of success, proving that we do want to hear what people like us have to say about the brands and products we shop. But what to do if you're just not there yet technically, and/or you're a more aspirational/less democratic brand?
west elm has found good ground by including quotes and images of people like us (only perhaps slightly cooler!?) in their emails and catalogs. Alex brings personality and perspective to this mail, no Web 2.0 required. I actually read her quote, spending perhaps 10 seconds more with this message than I otherwise might have.
February 4, 2008
From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: BABIES win CAUCUSES!
Date: Monday, February 4, 2008
I have to admit that I'm burning out a bit on all the caucuses action, but this is quite relevant and ridiculous pre-super-Tuesday :). BABIES win CAUCUSES! LOL :).
November 12, 2007
It's getting darker...earlier... Home furnishings retailers Pottery Barn, CB2 and Room & Board all picked up easy wins in the relevancy race by promoting lighting shortly after daylight savings. I also absolutely adore this easy win: the subject line "Daylight Savings!"
PB and CB2 pick up points for delivering just 2 and 3 days after the clock reset respectively, but Room & Board might have been smarter in taking the time to select a more practical product mix. That chandelier looks crazy! Although perhaps it's curiosity-factor inspired some clickthrough action.
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Daylight Savings! Save on select lighting + Sale
Date: Monday, November 5, 2007
From: CB2
Subject Line: the beauty of daylight savings
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2007
From: Room & Board
Subject Line: Lighting: Design that Illuminates
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007
November 9, 2007
From: Bergdorf Goodman
Subject Line: Open a BG Credit Card and receive a free BG Gift Card & more
Date: Friday, November 9, 2007
I was a bit disappointed to receive this communication from Bergdorf Goodman one week after having already signed up for their InCircle Rewards program and credit card. It didn't stop me from buying the Louboutins, but it did inspire me to at least crinkle my nose on opening.
November 8, 2007
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: New sale arrivals...
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007
More than once I've mentioned that J.Crew does a great job writing direct, conversational copy. I guess they'd better, since so many of their emails rely solely on graphical text, like this one. It's your standard sale message, but I like that they say "now's a perfect time to take a five minute break..." They're not saying "shop now for your best selection, quantities are limited", which, after so many years of hearing it, is a phrase I practically find myself repeating in my sleep. Instead, they're directly addressing us as we are: in front of our computers, most likely working, weeding through our email. There's a freshness to thinking about and addressing recipients as they are that I really appreciate.
October 31, 2007
From: La Quinta Inns & Suites
Subject Line: Laugh Out Loud with Our New Video Spots
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
I'd like to give a shoutout to Meg Reynolds at REI for forwarding along a particularly funny email from La Quinta. Yes, it is what it looks like it is: an ad for an ad. I'm all for "free breakfast, free high speed Internet, comfy beds and many new and newly renovated properties," and I understand that web video is apparently the bee's knees, but an email promoting "new commercials" to help subscribers "wake up on the bright side®" is perhaps a hair ridiculous?
Meg put it best: "Why do companies think people want to get an email about their commercials? This is the third email touting commercials I’ve seen in the past couple of weeks. But the first where it’s the subject line. Even if they’re hilarious, I think emailing your commercials is a weird (not to mention indulgent) idea."
April 10, 2007
From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: BEEP BOOP BEEP at fredflare.com
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Lately there's been lots of talk about making email more personal. But usually we're referring to dynamically dropping a customer's name into a "Welcome" field. I'd like to stress the importance of making emails more personal meaning human.
In a virtual landscape increasingly dominated by customized avatars and tricked-out social network profiles, it makes more and more sense to make a conscious effort to inject personality and authenticity into our electronic communications. Fredflare.com does it here! Instead of just featuring a half-naked model surrounded by an array of merchandise a la Abercrombie, they congratulate their employee of the month by featuring her in an email and allowing her to showcase her picks. This has so much more meaning for me as a consumer. I actually feel happy for Julie. How often do you feel happy for someone when you open a marketing message? Ain't that nice? What can you do to inject a little happiness into your email campaigns?
March 25, 2007
From: Sephora
Subject Line: SNEAK PEEK: Fall's Biggest Beauty Trends
Date: Sunday, March 25, 2007
Sephora generally does a good job with making their emails timely and relevant. This one is a "TREND REPORT" highlighting looks that appeared on the runways. Red lips, bouncy hair and gunmetal eyes are all well-and-good in and of themselves, but framing them as recent runway trends give them much more relevance and power. What can you do to make your messages more relevant and powerful?
BTW, Sephora is also following current best practices: body text, product names and prices are all featured as HTML rather than graphical text.
February 28, 2007
From: Lipstick Queen
Subject Line: Lipstick Queens at the Oscars
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2007
I saw Poppy King speak at a NAWBO event in New York a few years back and was absolutely charmed; she was a pleasure. I've been excited to see how well-received Lipstick Queen has been since she launched it last year.
Here, Lipstick Queen does a great job of making their product relevant by linking lipstick shades back to those that appeared on the red carpet three days before.
January 4, 2007
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Prime time to use holiday gift cards
Date: Thursday, January 4, 2007
Crate and Barrel earns double-points for relevancy here: they're leveraging the reported news that apparently everyone bought a flat screen TV this holiday to drive gift card cash-ins. And to tie it all together with a clever "Prime time" subject line? I'd call that an "advanced move." The design itself leaves a little something to be desired - feels a little junky for CB, no? - but I'm willing to forgive that since this message is actually relevant. High five!
January 1, 2007
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Fabulous stationery + test your thank-you writing know-how
Date: Monday, January 1, 2007
I really like this message from Neiman Marcus. It's timely: we all have thank-you notes to write, don't we? It's engaging: we all want to know the "right" time to send those notes, don't we? It's brief: I think they featured the right amount of content. This isn't a hugely long email newsletter about thank-you note writing that we don't have time to read. It's an easy-to-digest quiz question that clearly prompts us to click through for satisfaction. (I did!)
One recommendation for improvement: use a clearer headline. "In a word" is cute, but basically meaningless and easy to gloss over. Instead, feature "How soon should you send a thank-you note?" in the large pink type. I guarantee it will improve click-through.
November 7, 2006
From: American Apparel
Subject Line: American Apparel: Go Vote. Get 15% Off.
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2006
American Apparel knows: kids shop, they don't vote. While I generally frown upon their Korine-ish kiddie porn aesthetic, I applaud American Apparel for leveraging kids' desire for a deal to promote the youth vote. Yay Democrats, by the way ;).
October 8, 2006
From: Sephora Beauty Editors
Subject Line: Plane-Friendly Beauty: Bring It On Board
Date: Sunday, October 8, 2006
Sephora keeps things relevant by addressing carry-on restriction changes with " Flight-Friendly Beauty."
August 10, 2006
From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Who are you? And do you like Free Shipping?
Date: Thursday, August 10, 2007
This EDM uses a compelling offer to gather subscriber data. At the same time, it throws production values out the window in favor of humor. UO pokes fun at it's own categorization process, adding "Mama's Boy", "Blog", and of course, "Lindsay" and "Hilary" menu items.
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