Smith-Harmon Email Creative Review

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 09:45 AM
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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.

I'm a Loser

Posted by Alex Madison at 02:26 PM
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From: Urban Outfitters
Subject Line: You lost. Will 15% off make it better?
Date: December 11, 2008

This Urban Outfitters email made me laugh out loud. About a month ago I entered a sweepstakes of theirs, in which they invited subscribers to start a wish list to enter a drawing to win a $1000 Urban Outfitters gift card. I’d forgotten all about it until I got this email today. Bummer, no shopping spree! But the email is great. The irreverent copy works because their brand is so irreverent, and it’s smart that they encourage me to start shopping again by offering a discount as a consolation prize.

Trigger Happy

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 08:27 AM
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From: Sirius
Subject Line: Talk to Us Request
Date: December 10, 2008

From: Tim Westergren at Pandora
Subject Line: Welcome to Pandora
Date: December 9, 2008

While I do love all things girlie (beauty, clothing, shoes), I think it's important to take a look at some OTHER industries, to see what they're doing with email. Recently, I ventured into the world of Sirius and Pandora, and I really like the way they communicate with their customers in their triggered emails.

The first email is one I received from Sirius. While it's far from flashy, the sentiment made me read it to the end. The back-story is that I filled out an online form asking about a song that was played on The Coffee House. Within 24 hours, I got this nice note from them telling me they were on it. They also let me know that they value my feedback and that they're dedicated to customer care. And it didn't come across as lip service. I think they actually mean it. The two suggestions I'd make as far as copy goes is to change the "from" field to Sirius Customer Care and to make some of the text clickable so I can easily get back to the site. They might want to think about adding in a logo to align it with the brand, too.

The second email is the welcome message I got from Pandora after creating an account. Again, nothing too fancy, but engaging all the same. It made me feel a part of the community, like I belong in this really cool music world where I get to create my own radio stations. (I LOVE PANDORA! Totally addicted.) I'll be interested to see what the next round of emails looks like from them. I'm hoping they do a welcome series that tells me how to amp up my Pandora experience.

Read the Cyber Monday Tell-All

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 09:54 AM
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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.

Love always,

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 08:35 AM
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From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: From Me To You.
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2008

From: Eddie Bauer
Subject Line: An important message regarding Eddie Bauer gift cards.
Date: Monday, November 24, 2008

From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: You're Invited
Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Dear Reader:

While not quite as "personal" as an email sent directly by an actual sales associate, I'm interested in Pottery Barn Kids' and Eddie Bauer's efforts to "personalize" communications using a letter format, particularly with regards to difficult, fear-assuaging messages such as – in essence – "times are tough, but shopping is an expression of love" and "don't listen to what NPR says, our gift cards are A-OK". I'm curious about your thoughts with regards to this "me to you" style-communication. Have you tried it? What were the circumstances under which you sent this type of message? What type of response did it elicit?

From me to you: Happy Thanksgiving! Have a fantastic holiday. Go buy some gift cards ;).

Lisa Harmon
Principal
Smith-Harmon, Inc.

Mistletoe Makeover

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 06:32 PM
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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.

Blithesome Holiday

Posted by Alex Madison at 02:50 PM
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From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: A holly jolly good time.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I love how well Anthropologie has integrated their holiday messaging into their regular creative style. This email is so clearly holiday, but nothing about it is cliched or off-brand for Anthropologie. The subject line, the snowy cream color, the whimsical copy and the quirky candle animation are all so Anthropologie, and also all so refreshingly holiday.

Isn't it ironic? Or not.

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 03:30 PM
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From: Abercrombie
Subject Line: winter coats to keep you warm.
Date: October 30, 2008

From: Abercrombie
Subject Line: layer-up in classic style.
Date: November 6, 2008

I'm having a little trouble figuring out Abercrombie's latest email campaign. Maybe someone can help me sort it out.

The first email shown here has the subject line: winter coats to keep you warm. But, ummm, the email features a plaid flannel shirt. I guess it would be ironic if the guy happened to be naked or something, but he's not. So it just looks odd. Although, the links do make sense: Boys Outerwear and Girls Outerwear. At first, I thought it was just a production error, like maybe the wrong file was sent or something, until I received the second email and I realized they're trying to be ironic.

The second email's subject line is layer-up in classic style., which uses a hyphen incorrectly, but that's not really the issue, so I'll move on. The hero image features a guy with no shirt on, albeit he does have a short-sleeve tee draped over his shoulder. So, what exactly is he layering here? I guess it's ironic, but does it really sell the clothes? Maybe on a huge billboard it does, but in email when the whole objective is to get people to click through, does it work? The thing that's too bad is that the link to Boys Knits goes to some cool long-sleeve knit pullovers, tshirts, etc. IMHO, it would have been good to show at least a few products to tell the story and spark someone's interest enough to click the links. The way it is now, you really have to be a die-hard Abercrombie fan to be interested enough to click through.

It's election week: Let's put it out for a vote. Check out the two emails and share your thoughts. But remember this: It's like rain on your wedding day, a free ride when you've already paid, and having 10,000 spoons when all you need is knife. That's ironic, don't you think?

Think Pink

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 06:02 PM
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From: Michael Stars
Subject Line: New Breast Cancer Charity Tee
Date: October 7, 2008

In the last few weeks, I've received quite a few emails from retailers with a Breast Cancer Awareness message as the main story. This really got me thinking about the whole idea of cause-related marketing and whether or not it can actually drive sales.

Lo and behold, I received a blog posting on October 15th from MediaPost.com that talked about this very topic. Here's a slice of the story:

According to the 2008 Cone/Duke University Behavioral Cause Study, released recently by Cone and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, cause-related marketing can exponentially increase sales, in one case as much as 74%, resulting in millions of dollars in potential revenue for brands.

Gets you thinking, doesn't it? What if every company found a way to include a cause-related message once a month, rather than once a year? In addition to driving sales through the roof, just imagine all the good we could do. Food for thought.

Read the full blog posting on cause-related marketing at MediaPost.com.

Find a Store Near You

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 02:57 PM
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From: Crate & Barrel
Subject Line: Hurry...Free Shipping on bedding ends 9/30.
Date: September 25, 2008

From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: Dress Me Up - Our Exclusive Dolls Are Here!
Date: October 14, 2008

Let's take a minute to talk about store locators. Here's the deal: Email not only drives traffic to your website, it also drives traffic to your stores. In fact, companies with the ability to track their email subscribers' in-store purchases have the numbers to prove it. This is why including store information in your email is a slam dunk. Not only will it help drive sales, it also adds dynamic content, personalizes your message, and reinforces your subscribers' customer service experience.

My favorite execution is by Crate and Barrel. They include a banner at the bottom of each email they send me, with copy that reads: We're in the neighborhood. 155 Stockton Street, San Francisco, California. First, I love the friendly approach. Second, I love the click-through experience even more. When I clicked on the copy, I was taken to their store locator page on their website, complete with a map and a photo of the Union Square store. Nice touch.

Pottery Barn Kids also included a banner in their latest email, but the payoff wasn't quite as streamlined as the Crate and Barrel experience. At first I was impressed because they included a zip code field, which is a cool idea in theory. However, after entering my zip code, I expected to be taken to a page with a listing of all the stores in my 'hood. Not the case. I was taken to their general store locator landing page and asked to input my info again. The idea is there, they just need to work out the details.

If nothing else, adding store location information might be an interesting test to throw out there for the holidays, especially if you have exclusive in-store only merchandise you want to promote. If you know where your subscriber lives, you can recommend a specific store location, a la Crate and Barrel. If you don't, you can use a default message that takes your subscriber to your store locator page.

Old Dog? Time for a New Trick.

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 08:35 AM
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From:JetBlue
Subject Line: Low, lower and lowest...Our BIG fall sale is here!
Date: July 28, 2008

Feeling a little low on the creativity scale today, I decided to dig through my email archives to find a gem of inspiration. This JetBlue email is an oldie but goodie. It came out this summer amidst a flurry of emails where everyone was screaming SALE, SALE, SALE! What I love about this email is that they found a clever angle and made the sale messaging interesting. The body copy says: Our CFO is away. It's time for a sale. Book now before he gets back on August 6th! In reality, the CFO probably knew about the sale, but I just loved imagining the CFO coming back from vacation and everyone snickering behind his back because they pulled off the ultimate inside job. Finding unique ways to spin played-out content is a sure-fire strategy for grabbing your subscribers' attention. The only miss for me on this JetBlue email is the subject line. IMHO, the SL is a window into the content of the email. So, if you have a witty email, then use your SL to give subscribers a sneak peek into your creative genius. Not only did the JetBlue SL call this a Fall Sale when it was only July, but it also left out the whole fun-factor story about the CFO being on vacation. My SL suggestion? Our CFO is on vacation – flights starting at $39!

Battle of the Boots

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 09:18 AM
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From: Bloomingdale's
Subject Line: Rock With Motorcycle Boots + Free Shipping.
Date: September 20, 2008

From: Piperlime
Subject Line: Rock out! Biker boots and bags are in.
Date: September 30, 2008

Trend alert! Looks like all you rocker chicks and wannabe biker babes can rejoice in this season's biggest trend. Within a little over a week, I received these two emails from Piperlime and Bloomingdale's. I think Bloomingdale's showed a killer breadth of assortment, but Piperlime nailed the copy and showed off the handbags to complete your look. They also had a strong secondary shoe message for the shoe gal who's a little more Mad Men vs. Rock of Love. Bloomingdale's, on the other hand, went with Children's Clothing as their secondary. Hmmmm. Seems like a missed opportunity there. It's a tough call, but I think I'm going to have to go with Piperlime for overall execution. Rock on.

The Standout Subject Line

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 12:33 PM
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From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: Dust off the dog-ears.
Date: September 29, 2008

With an inbox that boasts 571 unopened emails, I think it's safe to say that I probably subscribe to more emails than the Average Joe or Jane. So when a subject line truly stands out from the hundreds I get each week from retailers, airlines, credit cards, non-profits and others, well, I think that's an accomplishment worth mentioning. Right out of the gate, this week's honors go to Anthropologie for their subtle invitation to revisit their fall catalog. Dust off the dog-ears. is one of the most creative subject lines I've seen in a good month. I loved the SL so much that I was actually a little nervous that maybe the email wouldn't deliver on such cleverness. But it definitely did. It featured torn pages out of the fall catalog with even a dog-ear on one (talk about detailed!) and the copy simply stated: Isn't it time to revisit your favorites?. Yes, Anthropologie. I think it is.

This Email is Not the Funnest

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 02:48 PM
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From: Apple
Subject Line: The new iPod touch. Game on.
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2008

Normally, I love just about everything Apple sends me, but this email left me speechless and a little disappointed. What did it to me? The headline: iPod Touch. The funnest iPod ever. Really? With all the creative genius coming out of Apple, that's the only word they could come up with? Funnest!?! I get that language evolves and that non-words become words over time simply because we use them in our everyday conversations. I also totally get that in today's TXT world, it's cool to ditch the grammar we learned in school and go straight for the slang. But, funnest? IMHO, the writer could have at least tried to make it relevant by using the word fun as a comparison. So maybe other iPods are fun, but iPod Touch is the funnest. I could have played along with that, but this just missed the mark for me. On another note, the subject line totally reeled me in with The new iPod touch. Game on., and the body copy did its job by supporting the SL with The new, ultrathin iPod touch was born to play. Tilt, tap, shake, and swipe your way through stunning 3D games and applications. It's just that headline. Sorry, Apple. I still love you, though. Write soon.

You Had Me at the Subject Line

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 02:46 PM
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From: Piperlime
Subject Line: Brown bag it.
Date: August 21, 2008

Piperlime writers get to have some serious fun with their copy. They have developed a really strong brand voice and I love that they keep it dialed with every email. Last week, as I sifted through my cluttered inbox, this particular subject line jumped out at me. Maybe it had something to with the fact that I'm looking for a brown handbag or maybe it just brought back fond memories of school lunches (and considering it's back-to-school time this SL is even more appropriate). Either way, it got me. So I opened the email. While the headline fell a little flat for me because it didn't support the subject line sentiment, the body copy was right on – Nothing says fall like a gorgeous brown bag. I agree, Piperlime.

What's Your Preference?

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 08:52 AM
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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.

Sometimes Sorry Does Cut It

Posted by Darrah MacLean at 01:05 PM
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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.

Ephemeral Benefits

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 11:53 AM
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From: Starbucks.com
Subject Line: Starbucks Card rewards are waiting for you
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008

From: Amazon.com
Date: Depends on Prime Sign-up Date

Notably difficult to depict are the ephemeral benefits that come with products like gift cards and membership subscriptions. Starbucks does a lovely job with this mail promoting their souped-up Rewards Card. The simple three-column structure, illustrative photography and concise text communicate the new rewards clean and clear. Starbucks' big challenge with email, of course, is tracking effectiveness, as emails drive customers to retail locations rather than trackable URLs.

Speaking of ephemeral benefits, Amazon.com also does a lovely job outlaying the perks of Prime membership here. Have you tried the program? I checked it out and got addicted to ordering stuff like shampoo.

Go Ask Alex

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 12:23 PM
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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.

Want to receive fewer Horchow e-mails?

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 11:48 AM
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From: Horchow
Subject Line: Want fewer Horchow e-mails?
Date: Monday, January 14, 2008

This email was brought to my attention by the fabulous Megan Regard. Thanks Megan! I say: snaps to Horchow for giving their recipients more control over the number of messages they receive. I like the idea of sending a dedicated mail totally focused on updating communications preferences, although I'm not sure I'd recommend framing it like this. I feel like the subject line "Want to receive fewer Horchow e-mails?" could potentially plant the idea into subscribers' minds that they receive too many emails, while something like "Customize your email experience!" seems more positive and open-ended, and doesn't potentially make the opt-down (or out!) decision for the recipient.

But that's just my opinion; the proof is in the pudding! It will take months to measure how this mail ultimately effects subscriber behavior, but if anyone from Nieman Marcus would be willing to share the initial results, I'm sure many of us would be grateful to benefit from your learnings.

Thanks and Happy Friday :)!

Nice and Concise

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 11:09 AM
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From: Louis Vuitton
Subject Line: Let Louis Vuitton help you find the perfect gift
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007

While the copy is awfully flat (I'd guess the designer, without a writer, "did their best"), this is beautiful creative. Nice and concise.

Idle Day Diary

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 08:34 AM
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From: shopbop.com
Subject Line: Busy Girls Need Fabulous Clothes
Date: Friday, December 7, 2007

I like how shopbop contextualizes their product here, diary-style. For the girl who dreams of days floating from one retail location to another, properly-attired...

Talking to Your Audience as They Are

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 09:10 PM
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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.

Heads up!

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 08:42 PM
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From: CB2
Subject Line: a.m./p.m. space solutions
Date: Monday, October 1, 2007

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: New Fall Home Trends
Date: Monday, October 15, 2007

Thanks to Terri Potter from ScanSource for bringing two Crate and Barrel brand family emails to my attention. With reference to the CB2 campaign, Terri pointed out the synchronicity between the subject line, headline and photography, and I concur: "It's coordinated without being too matchy-matchy." We also agreed that the Crate and Barrel Fall Trends campaign is very attractive. As a Corporate Marketing Copywriter, Terri made an interesting point about the headline: "The copy might be a little too clever – you have to read it out loud, I think, to get the joke. Makes me wonder how many times I’ve "talked through" copy that sounds funny in my head without thinking that this is going to people’s email inbox. Is it even funny on screen? I think this would work if a Tennis Pro Shop was having a fall sale..."

I'll Stand, Thanks

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 07:47 PM
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From: Brocade Home
Subject Line: Take A Seat...SALE on Upolstered Chairs...Quantities Limited
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2007

From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Take a Seat + Additional Savings
Date: Monday, October 8, 2007

Hello again! After forever-and-a-day, here I am, Lisa Harmon, back in action. After they rolled into my inbox yet again yesterday, I felt compelled to get back on the blog to write about three overused words: "Take a Seat".

I admit to the fact that I do receive a highly disproportionate number of home furnishings emails. I've also observed that we're in the midst of a custom upholstery craze, which ups the volume of seating-specific messaging. All the same, I'd simply like to call attention to the fact that virtually every one of these emails uses the words "Take a Seat" in the Subject Line, Headline or otherwise. OK, that's not true; it's not every campaign, but I've seen the phrase so many times now that it's become a running joke between myself and one of my colleagues. OK, we get it: it's clever! But not the 20th time!

I'd like to earnestly request that we all put on our copy caps and come up with something new as we start to discount all that leftover custom upholstery.

Creating a Good First Impression

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 02:04 PM
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From: BabyCenter
Subject Line: Welcome to BabyCenter
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007

BabyCenter is basically the bible to every new mom I know (and it seems like almost everyone I know is a new mom!) They recently underwent a brand refresh, and I am a major fan of their new logo; it reminds me of lollipops.

I signed up for their email program yesterday and received (immediately, for bonus points!) a very well-written welcome message. The copy body highlights the specific benefits of being a member of the BabyCenter community, while managing to make a person-to-person connection. (It's signed Tina Sharkey, Chairman.) The email also includes a number of intelligent links, including my profile, articles and online shopping.

Here are a few ways the campaign could be rendered even more effective, from top to bottom:

1) Above the logo and website navigation, add language similar to the below:

"View here if you're unable to see images in this e-mail.
To ensure receipt of our e-mails, please add babycenter-email@babycenter.com to your address book."

"View here" links to a hosted version of your newsletter, which allows users with disabled images to view graphics.

2) Include "Forward this email to a friend >" in the upper-right.

3) Add alt tags to your images. This will allow users with images disabled to get a sense of what they're missing, inspiring them to enable images or click through.

4) Break up your navigation items into separate graphics rather than a single, image-mapped graphic. Some email browser strip out image map links, preventing users from clicking through!

5) Jazz up the creative a little! Add some color to the "My Profile", "Quick Links" and "Shop" sections. Pair photo thumbnails or icons with each Quick Link. This will help to distinguish and draw attention to the messaging.

6) For your primary calls-to-action, try using HTML buttons as opposed to text links. They'll grab more eyes and generate a higher CTR.

7) There is a slew of "fine print" messaging that needs to be added to the footer below the creative, some of which has legal ramifications. The most important is to include an unsubscribe link, plus your company's postal address so that you are in compliance with CAN-SPAM. Something like the below should work:

If someone sent you this message and you'd like to receive BabyCenter e-mails, subscribe now.
Unsubscribe from BabyCenter e-mails.

Copyright © 2007 BabyCenter LLC | 163 Freelon Street | San Francisco, CA 94107 | View our privacy policy.

I'm feeling more welcome already...

Mum Says: "Two Thumbs Up!"

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 07:35 AM
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From: CB2
Subject Line: modern dinnerware in bloom
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2007

I'd like to give CB2 a standing ovation for their work on this campaign. They took a relatively run-of-the-mill product - "verde dinnerware" - and married it to both the season and a holiday (Mother's Day) through photography and copy. As far as effectively using what we have at our creative disposal to form a coherent, visually-appealing, relevant message, this EDM is one of the few to make it into the same league as Apple's legendary February 2006 "In the Ear" campaign. It should inspire all of us to put more forethough and preparation into our email creative. Thank you CB2!

Fork and Knife

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 07:15 AM
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From: CB2
Subject Line: create a cool gift registry
Date: Monday, April 2, 2007

CB2 does a nice job with their gift registry promotion here, infusing levity and delight into what can be a stressful process during a major shift in people's lives. I've heard one too many stories about engaged couples second-guessing their commitments based on flatware disagreements, so CB2's positioning the idea of "fork and knife" as fun is both refreshing and kind (as well as on-brand.)

A Green Light

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 07:07 PM
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From: Bergdorf Goodman
Subject Line: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN: The red sole you love in new spring styles
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2007

I love how Bergdorf included this Louboutin quote: "I always say, 'It's a red color, but it's a green light.'" It's a clever little line, and it infuses the featured shoe with story and meaning.

How to say goodbye?

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 04:40 PM
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From: Forth & Towne
Subject Line: Important News about Forth & Towne - Please Read
Date: Monday, March 19, 2007

From: holdeverything
Subject Line: save 20% on your first west elm purchase
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2006

Some of you may have already heard that Gap Inc. is already shutting down it's fairly-new Forth & Towne brand. Their email notification brings up a good question: how do you handle bad news, like a store (or brand) closing, via email?

First things first: it is important to break the news to customers. You don't want them making pointless trips to your retail locations, only to find them shuttered. But how you break the news is everything. Here, Forth & Towne erred on the side of being a little too, well, sad. This email just feels depressing. It's important, even with negative news, to keep upbeat and highlight a customer's opportunities. For instance, Forth & Towne could have focused more on sale opportunities at local stores, or could have plugged some of their other brands in an attempt to convert shoppers to Banana Republic or Piperlime, like HoldEverything did with west elm in this example from last year. I realize Forth & Towne will probably cover these things over the course of the next couple of months, but at least touching on them in this initial message would have helped soften the blow.

The Many Personalities...

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 09:23 PM
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From: Coach.com
Subject Line: Introducing the first fragrance from Coach
Date: Monday, March 5, 2007

A lot of us have been feeling like Coach has turned into a big old logo machine as of late, watering down the product in order to appeal to a broader market. I guess that's one way to grow. And so is launching a fragrance! Reed Krakoff puts it nicely: "I wanted to create a fragrance that embodies the many personalities of Coach women." So are we targeting everyone after all, or only schizos? (I think we might want to reword that quote. Is there a copy editor in the house?)

Too Strong a CTA?

Posted by Lisa Harmon at 01:04 PM
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From: katespade.com
Subject Line: What's The Buzz About...
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007

I wonder whether "Buy Now" is actually too strong a call-to-action. There's a level of commitment the word "Buy" requires that might not be appropriate until a customer is sitting in front of a fully-detailed product page. I'd recommend "Shop Now" instead, which is very direct a