SEATTLE, Jan. 14, 2009 — Smith-Harmon, Inc., an email marketing strategy and creative services agency, and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), the national outdoor gear and apparel retailer, have been named finalists for the Email Experience Council’s People’s Choice Award: Best in Email for their work together on REI’s new member welcome series. This is the second year in a row that REI and Smith-Harmon have been named finalists for the award.
The welcome series consists of a series of 12 email messages that are sent to new co-op members over the course of their first year of membership, culminating in a 1-year anniversary message. In addition to creating a dialog between REI and its newest members, the campaign is also one of the company’s inaugural efforts to leverage membership data to increase relevancy in REI customer communications.
“When there are still a significant number of marketers who don’t send a welcome email at all, REI’s 12-email new member welcome series is truly remarkable,” said Lisa Harmon, principal at Smith-Harmon. “Focused on engagement through brand messaging and education, it stands in sharp contrast to the highly promotional tenor of most retail emails, and shows that the soft-sell approach delivers higher lifetime value.”
Meg Reynolds, REI’s manager of email programs, said, “It’s an honor to be nominated for the eec People’s Choice Award. REI’s core purpose—to inspire, educate and outfit our members for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship—is the basis for the welcome series. It was beautifully executed by our creative partners. The design showcases photography submitted by REI members, which delivers a special sense of authenticity. REI’s relationship with its members taps into a shared passion for the outdoors and I think the series captures that emotion really well.”
Each email in the welcome series focuses on a single topic—whether it’s REI’s environment stewardship, member dividends or educational resources. The images and language highlight REI’s passionate commitment to its members, local communities and the great outdoors, while encouraging new members to take part in the REI community through stewardship, outdoor clinics, gear reviews and more.
View the creatives for the 12 emails in REI’s new member welcome series.
The winner of the eec People’s Choice Award: Best in Email will be announced at the Email Evolution Conference, which is being held Feb. 9-11 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The welcome series consists of a series of 12 email messages that are sent to new co-op members over the course of their first year of membership, culminating in a 1-year anniversary message. In addition to creating a dialog between REI and its newest members, the campaign is also one of the company’s inaugural efforts to leverage membership data to increase relevancy in REI customer communications.
“When there are still a significant number of marketers who don’t send a welcome email at all, REI’s 12-email new member welcome series is truly remarkable,” said Lisa Harmon, principal at Smith-Harmon. “Focused on engagement through brand messaging and education, it stands in sharp contrast to the highly promotional tenor of most retail emails, and shows that the soft-sell approach delivers higher lifetime value.”
Meg Reynolds, REI’s manager of email programs, said, “It’s an honor to be nominated for the eec People’s Choice Award. REI’s core purpose—to inspire, educate and outfit our members for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship—is the basis for the welcome series. It was beautifully executed by our creative partners. The design showcases photography submitted by REI members, which delivers a special sense of authenticity. REI’s relationship with its members taps into a shared passion for the outdoors and I think the series captures that emotion really well.”
Each email in the welcome series focuses on a single topic—whether it’s REI’s environment stewardship, member dividends or educational resources. The images and language highlight REI’s passionate commitment to its members, local communities and the great outdoors, while encouraging new members to take part in the REI community through stewardship, outdoor clinics, gear reviews and more.
View the creatives for the 12 emails in REI’s new member welcome series.
The winner of the eec People’s Choice Award: Best in Email will be announced at the Email Evolution Conference, which is being held Feb. 9-11 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.