I love the subtle call out to Easter in the attached main image from Piperlime. There really is no other reason for a rabbit with a stop watch around its neck, is there?Granted Easter is not until mid-April; however, when... More

I love the subtle call out to Easter in the attached main image from Piperlime. There really is no other reason for a rabbit with a stop watch around its neck, is there?

Granted Easter is not until mid-April; however, when you are living from major promotion to major promotion, as many retailers are... it is never too early to start.


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It is so easy, but yet marketers skimp on time and forget some of the basics - like testing how their emails will appear in different email clients and browsers. It amazes me that these types of issues even exist... More

It is so easy, but yet marketers skimp on time and forget some of the basics - like testing how their emails will appear in different email clients and browsers. It amazes me that these types of issues even exist today, as it is so simple to implement a process to routinely check for these types of issues. Further there are great tools on the market that further streamline this activity.

The latest example: Spiegel with a great image shot regarding their "Today Only" special.

Unfortunately the main image is broken in two places - see below.

Face it - brand is everything and by sending an email like the one below your brand is easily perceived as sloppy and rushed. Certainly not something Spiegel or any other brand wishes.


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Venus Swimwear has a weekly promotion that puts a nice spin on the classic "weekly newsletter". Each Sunday they promote their "7 Deals of the Week" - 7 items on sale at dramatically reduced prices. Each item is available all... More

Venus Swimwear has a weekly promotion that puts a nice spin on the classic "weekly newsletter". Each Sunday they promote their "7 Deals of the Week" - 7 items on sale at dramatically reduced prices. Each item is available all week, though the call-out of 7 items for each of the 7 days in the week is a nice touch.

The email contains a nice image of each item on sale, while the web landing page offers the same images. The body of the email also has a nice reminder to check back the following Sunday for the next week's items.

The approach, while simple, is compelling in that re-packages the weekly newsletter in a form that many marketers are not using.

An example of their latest email is below:


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Nice email today from Fandango tying last night's Oscar winners into an email driving people to their site. On the site you can buy movie tickets, view trailers, view winners, and most importantly view photos from the event. The email... More

Nice email today from Fandango tying last night's Oscar winners into an email driving people to their site. On the site you can buy movie tickets, view trailers, view winners, and most importantly view photos from the event.

The email exhibits some classic best practices:

• Utilizing offline events to drive online content and traffic
• Super timely - the email was sent within 12 hours of the Oscars ending
• Viral - not only does the email have great imagery, it also has a great sweepstakes, which subscribers love to participate in

See the email below:


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How many traditional retail stores can boast to having an integrated system that allows for customers to receive a customer survey within 8 hours of purchasing a product in store? Not many - that's for sure.This past weekend, I purchased... More

How many traditional retail stores can boast to having an integrated system that allows for customers to receive a customer survey within 8 hours of purchasing a product in store?

Not many - that's for sure.

This past weekend, I purchased a new 20 inch iMac. While despite many purchases at the Apple Store I continually find myself in appreciation of Apple's offer to print, email, or print and email my store receipt. I was equally appreciative of receiving the attached email only hours later asking me to "Share my thoughts on the Apple Store".

Face it - Apple takes their relationship with their customers incredibly seriously - more seriously than most marketers.

Truly a lesson for us all...
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We have been advocating marketers consider a multi-message strategy for key promotions, as they do an amazing job of generating incremental response and revenue. Newport News had a nice 3-message sequence tied to President's Day that I thought I'd share:Message... More

We have been advocating marketers consider a multi-message strategy for key promotions, as they do an amazing job of generating incremental response and revenue. Newport News had a nice 3-message sequence tied to President's Day that I thought I'd share:

Message #1
Subject Line: Weekend Exclusive: An Extra 25% off the ENTIRE SITE
Sent: Thursday, 2/12 @ 10:43PM
Content: Broad focus on all categories

Message #2
Subject Line: Get the Beautiful BLUES & take 25% off the ENTIRE SITE
Sent: Saturday, 2/14 @ 10:38PM
Content: Focus on products in blue and aquamarine - "Don't forget"

Message #3
Subject Line: LAST DAY for an extra 25% off the ENTIRE SITE...don't miss it!
Sent: Sunday, 2/15 @ 10:47PM
Content: Broad focus on all categories - "Last Day"


A nice simple flow that takes a good promotion (25% off the entire site) and extends the message across a series of messages.

Without seeing the results, from experience, I can almost guarantee that this strategy resulted in the following:

More exposure (impressions = opens) than a single message
More activity (click-through) than a single message
More revenue than a single message
And a marginal amount of additional unsubscribes

Additionally, the online marketing team at Newport News only had to define 1 promotion and then 3 email designs in sequence to support it. Versus 3 promotions and 3 creatives - much more time-consuming.

Overall, this is a recipe for success. And in today's economic challenges, one all marketers should be using.
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Wow! In the world of email accidents, I've certainly seen my share. That being said the one below from Expedia certainly rises to the top. Expedia sent an email to assumingly a select group of affected subscribers on Friday, February... More

Wow! In the world of email accidents, I've certainly seen my share. That being said the one below from Expedia certainly rises to the top.

Expedia sent an email to assumingly a select group of affected subscribers on Friday, February 13th letting them know that their email address had been inadvertently unsubscribed. The unsubscription happened due to a one-time "technical issue" that occurred between November 8 and December 5. Expedia has since re-subscribed those users back to a 'subscribed' state.

What is most damning though about this accident is not that it occurred (hey, mistakes happen), but that it took over two months to identify, resolve and communicate the resolution to the affected subscribers.

The issue certainly couldn't have happened at a worse time given seasonality.
Despite the issue, the email below does a good job of communicating the issue with full transparency and providing subscribers a proactive way to opt-out if that is what they so desire.


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Some of the most effective email programs are those that are automated and tied to a subscriber's buying cycle. FAO Schwarz has a nice Repeat Purchase Program where they send subscribers a special offer if they have not purchased within... More

Some of the most effective email programs are those that are automated and tied to a subscriber's buying cycle. FAO Schwarz has a nice Repeat Purchase Program where they send subscribers a special offer if they have not purchased within 60 days of their last purchase. In the email below, they are offering 20% off the next purchase. I particularly like the "We hoped they loved it!" call out, as it directly ties the email to the last purchase made.


In respect to these types of programs, do you, have a:

•       1st Time Buyer Program

•       Repeat Purchase Program

•       Lapsed Purchase Program

•       Abandoned Shopping Cart Program

There are many other variations; however, these four are some of the most important. Less

More and more companies are starting to integrate a call to action for email subscribers to also interact with them via different social media channels. The most recent email from Whole Foods has a nice call-out regarding following Whole Foods... More

More and more companies are starting to integrate a call to action for email subscribers to also interact with them via different social media channels. The most recent email from Whole Foods has a nice call-out regarding following Whole Foods on Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr.

See below:

While many brands, those early adopters in the social space, are focused on creating brand presence in these channels, many have yet to introduce key reasons to drive "followership" / "membership".

If you are moving in this direction, be sure to think through the following key items:
• What is your overall social media strategy? Is it brand presence or is there some element of exclusivity?
• How are you integrating your marketing message across channels (email, mobile, social, etc...)?
• Are you identifying customers that exist in multiple channels? Are you marketing to them differently?

These are areas that we are actively engaged on with our clients and beginning to see some truly interesting results.

If you need some help - drop us a line.
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Another example of a company not doing a good job of tying the subject line to the body content within the message, only this time the example comes from Marketing Sherpa - someone whom you would think would have their... More

Another example of a company not doing a good job of tying the subject line to the body content within the message, only this time the example comes from Marketing Sherpa - someone whom you would think would have their stuff together...

Subject Line

[EmailSherpa] Benefits of Centralized Database Control

Body Content

1.      Check Your Email Reputation to Improve Deliverability with Easy, No-Cost Tools

2.      Exclusive Sherpa Research: Social Media Marketing and PR Benchmarks, Best Practices, Tactics

3.      Social Media Marketing: What Works and What Doesn't

Perhaps this was just an error in the subject line; however, if so, it reinforces another recent callout of the importance of Quality Assurance.

It is these types of errors that lead consumers to have a lower opinion of the brand in question.

Take a look at the email:


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Love the fact that John McCain chose to announce his intent to seek re-election to the U.S. Senate via email (see below):Hate the fact that upon clicking through to the John McCain website the graphics on the page are off... More

Love the fact that John McCain chose to announce his intent to seek re-election to the U.S. Senate via email (see below):

Hate the fact that upon clicking through to the John McCain website the graphics on the page are off (see below) - what happened to the "donate today" button?!?:
 


Suffice it to say this reinforces the need for all email programs to have a good solid approach to Quality Assurance. How many times have you fully tested the content of your email campaign only to forget to fully test the destination URL's? It happens to the best of us.

If you haven't in awhile, it is a good time to review your QA practices.
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I'm a huge fan of HP products and the company as a whole. That being said... here comes the 'but'... I'm disappointed in their most recent email campaign for the HP Small and Medium Business line. The email "0% Financing.... More

I'm a huge fan of HP products and the company as a whole.

That being said... here comes the 'but'... I'm disappointed in their most recent email campaign for the HP Small and Medium Business line.

The email "0% Financing. 100% HP" had one of the best subject lines I've seen for awhile, as an HP advocate it really resonated with me. However, upon opening the email looking for some great information regarding the 0% financing I was lost. I did finally find the information buried in an article below the fold. Yet the email violated a critical best practice in email - always, always, always ensure that the content of your subject line is easily found in the body of the content - and here's the key - immediately upon opening the message.

HP missed the mark.

Take a look at the creative:


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I didn't expect the Star Trek reference, but a nice overall story.A snippet:"When online retailers sit down to craft an e-mail and marketing communications strategy, it may help to consider StarTrek's Captain Kirk and the origination of his request to... More

I didn't expect the Star Trek reference, but a nice overall story.

A snippet:

"When online retailers sit down to craft an e-mail and marketing communications strategy, it may help to consider StarTrek's Captain Kirk and the origination of his request to be beamed up, says Mike Hilts president and general manager of e-mail marketing services firm Yesmail.

Yes, Captain Kirk.

"When Captain Kirk called Scotty and said 'Beam me up' it was Captain Kirk initiating the call, not Scotty," Hilts says. "Scotty didn't ask him every hour if he wanted to be beamed up."

Today's most effective e-mail campaigns, in a sense, work in a similar way, Hilts says, by filling a need or request initiated by a consumer rather than simply blasting out messages en masse, hoping a few lead to sales."

Check out the full article:

http://emailactivity.ecn5.com/engines/publicPreview.aspx?blastID=148060&emailID=24853504 Less

The election may be over, but don't anyone tell Barack Obama. He continues to utilize email to drive his message home. In the process, he is creating new "brands" that never existed. When was the first time you heard of... More

The election may be over, but don't anyone tell Barack Obama. He continues to utilize email to drive his message home. In the process, he is creating new "brands" that never existed. When was the first time you heard of "Organizing for America".

Another theme of his messages is an increased use of video to drive his message. Over the past three days two campaigns have been sent featuring video as the primary call to action:

Saturday, February 7: "Urgent Message from President Obama"

Monday, February 9: "Your economic crisis story"

Are you using video in your marketing efforts? If so, let me know how effective it has been.

On an unrelated side note, it continues to irk me that the Obama campaign continues to forget to have a link at the top of the message referencing a hosted version of the message... it is so easy!


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I really like the way Lucy has integrated their "Find us on Facebook" in the Bottom Navigation of their emails.The Lucy Fan Page is also fairly built out.As a marketer, have you built out a Fan page on Facebook? More... More

I really like the way Lucy has integrated their "Find us on Facebook" in the Bottom Navigation of their emails.

The Lucy Fan Page is also fairly built out.

As a marketer, have you built out a Fan page on Facebook? More importantly do you have an active strategy regarding how you are using that Fan page and cultivating customer relationships on it?

We can help.

See below:



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Kudos to Express for doing a really nice job of integrating with Facebook.Beyond having a nice call to action in their normal emails; they have used Facebook in the following ways:• Utilized Facebook Events to publicize upcoming sale promotions (e.g.... More

Kudos to Express for doing a really nice job of integrating with Facebook.

Beyond having a nice call to action in their normal emails; they have used Facebook in the following ways:
• Utilized Facebook Events to publicize upcoming sale promotions (e.g. This Saturday and Sunday Friends and Family Sale)
• 5 published videos
• 8 posted albums featuring new fashion and over 375 fan photos wearing Express merchandise
• Usage of the Fan page discussion boards

And they have over 20,000 Facebook fans.

Take a look at their Facebook call-out:


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I sign up for all sorts of email campaigns. Why? I like email. I like dissecting the various marketing strategies that brands are pursuing. So in my effort to dissect Spiegel I find myself at a loss. ..I'm confused, perplexed... More

I sign up for all sorts of email campaigns. Why? I like email. I like dissecting the various marketing strategies that brands are pursuing. So in my effort to dissect Spiegel I find myself at a loss.

..I'm confused, perplexed and mystified...

In 2009, Spiegel has thus far sent me 56 emails (and counting) - an average of 1.5 emails per day.

49 emails in January and 7 in February

Why? What did I do to deserve this honor? Yes, I have opened a few emails in the past, I rarely click though - and - I have never, ever purchased. But alas, I find myself on the 'pound them until they submit (buy) or unsubscribe' mailing strategy, which I know does not work.

As an example of the insanity in February I've received the following emails:

Feb 1 10:20PM: NEW STYLES! NEW COLORS! Our NEW Must-See Silk Linen Collection is HERE!

Feb 2 7:19AM: ONE-DAY ACCESSORY SALE! Save up to 60% on Perfect Little Luxuries To Update Your Look!

Feb 3 9:24AM: My Stylish Valentine... Special Savings on Our Most Romantic Dresses, Details, Gifts and MORE!

Feb 3 10:15PM: TODAY ONLY! EXTRA 15% Off The Most Versatile Dress of the Season!

Feb 4 6:28AM: TODAY, 5 HOURS ONLY! Save up to 60% on Perfect Winter-to-Spring Styles!

Feb 4 10:15PM: NEW! 2009 Swim & Travel Looks for Your Ultimate Escape! Now Up to 30% OFF + DOUBLE Rewards Points!

Feb 5 8:19AM: The Secrets of Effortless Dressing. Easy Signature Looks You'll LOVE!

As a consumer, I'm confused! Should I be buying Silk Linen, a dress, swimwear, or acting on a today only special, which was yesterday or today?!? Enough!

I would LOVE to offer some mailing strategy advice to Spiegel - there is a better way. Contact me. Less

Aeropostale & WinterSilks - Today is the Day!Aeropostale and WinterSilks conveniently both launched "1 Day Only" sale campaigns today. Aeropostale touting: "Today Only! Shop Your Heart Out - 25% Off!" and WinterSilks touting: "Today only web exclusive: Silk PJ under... More

Aeropostale & WinterSilks - Today is the Day!

Aeropostale and WinterSilks conveniently both launched "1 Day Only" sale campaigns today.

Aeropostale touting: "Today Only! Shop Your Heart Out - 25% Off!" and WinterSilks touting: "Today only web exclusive: Silk PJ under $25". Both promotions are geared toward Valentine's Day and strive to drive incremental sales, due to the urgency of the promotion.

Many marketers have started to utilize the concept of extremely time sensitive campaigns. For example, 1 day only, 8 hours only, the first x people that respond, etc. Historically these types of campaigns can definitely add an injection of new revenue. A short story, several years back when the practice was not as common we were reviewing the sales results for the previous year with a catalog customer. The results had your normal swings up and down building higher in the fourth quarter. One particular campaign though jumped off the page. The fact that it was sent around July made it even more suspect. The campaign? A "1 day only" sale.

Take a look at the creative:



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As we enter 2009, it is a great time to reflect on successful strategies implemented in 2008 and prioritize how to spend precious budget dollars in the New Year. If I had my own email marketing budget to manage, here... More

As we enter 2009, it is a great time to reflect on successful strategies implemented in 2008 and prioritize how to spend precious budget dollars in the New Year. If I had my own email marketing budget to manage, here are some of the top new opportunities I would pursue: Predictive Modeling, Social Networking, Integrating Mobile Messaging into Email, and Triggered Messaging.

Learn more here.
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Love the new Apple email with the iPod game reflection on the back of the other iPod. Check it out:This level of visual depth adds a nice element to an email - essentially pulling the user in to 'experience' it,... More

Love the new Apple email with the iPod game reflection on the back of the other iPod. Check it out:

This level of visual depth adds a nice element to an email - essentially pulling the user in to 'experience' it, as it is more alive than a flat image.
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I like politics. I like following it. I like the personalities. Pretty much everything.While considering myself a moderate, I have no issues signing up for every possible political email campaign I can to understand how our "nations leaders" are using... More

I like politics. I like following it. I like the personalities. Pretty much everything.

While considering myself a moderate, I have no issues signing up for every possible political email campaign I can to understand how our "nations leaders" are using to drive their marketing/political objectives.

Recently (last week) I signed up for the SarahPAC, the PAC formed to help Sarah Palin. I was delighted to see SarahPac follow good best practices in collecting my information via their web site and to follow-up the collection with a nice "Welcome / Thank You for Joining" Message, which I've included below.
 
The only problem - it was sent over a week after I signed up. Certainly not the level of timing I would have preferred.

If you have a Welcome / Thank You campaign running, be sure that it is well integrated with your email program and any lag is less than 24 hours. Otherwise you lose the opportunity to successfully build the relationship in the best way.
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The election may be over; however, the use of email to drive political thinking is certainly not.Take a look at the email below from John McCain to his supporters regarding the economic stimulus package being discussed in the Senate.A few... More

The election may be over; however, the use of email to drive political thinking is certainly not.

Take a look at the email below from John McCain to his supporters regarding the economic stimulus package being discussed in the Senate.

A few nice actions:
•       Use of "Fwd" in the subject line - certainly a nice way, when used selectively, to draw in incremental opens
•       Strong call to action - though a better creative template would certainly help; including a link to a hosted page
•       Use of a signature image to further personalize the communication

CNN even commented on the email.

Does anyone yet doubt the power of email? Less

Great Super Bowl yesterday!My favorite commercial was from Monster.com and can be viewed on Hulu here.Several marketers have released their post Super Bowl email specials... Hats off to:Warner Bros - Super Bowl XLIII Champions - Pre-Order now and get 25%... More

Great Super Bowl yesterday!

My favorite commercial was from Monster.com and can be viewed on Hulu here.

Several marketers have released their post Super Bowl email specials...

Hats off to:

Warner Bros - Super Bowl XLIII Champions - Pre-Order now and get 25% off any 2nd DVD
View the creative here.

Finish Line - Steelers WIN! Get Your Official Gear Today!
View the creative here.

...I love how marketers are taking advantage of social events and capitalizing on them for their purposes.

Are you? You should consider it.

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