From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Neither Naughty Nor Nice...
Date: Friday, December 14, 2007
From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Slackers: You can STILL get it there on time!
Date: Friday, December 21, 2007
Digging out from under the pile of holiday mails I received last quarter ;)...I like Urban Outfitters' take on the classic "Shop By Category" and "Shipping Deadline Extended" communications. By adding humor (and a talking camel), the messages come across as being more authentic than formulaic.
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.
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: FREE GIFT WRAP ON THE BIG 100 & A chance to win one + FREE SHIPPING AT ANY PRICE
Date: Tuesday, November 13 2007
Here's an interesting way to compel recipients to click quick: Neiman Marcus offers subscribers the opportunity to win a handbag - but only if they respond by 11AM CT!
From: katespade.com
Subject Line: shop pop & color
Date: Tuesday, November 20 2007
I agree with Shannon Milar, who loves this message for it's "unique vision for holiday." Like kate spade's fall imagery, their holiday photography feels fresh and fun. It's so easy for us to fall into blahliday mode, slavishly aping last year's creative (only redder!), but this campaign illustrates the opportunity to consider how we can mix our unique brand elements with traditional holiday visual cues to bake up something new.
From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: The holiday gift guide has arrived
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
It was refreshing to see this email from Banana Republic today. Their creative had been feeling somewhat stale these past few seasons, but here the combination of color, ornaments, ribbon and model movement makes for a happy change. I particularly like this gal's Dr. Seuss-illustration-like facial expression and enormous hair. I want that hair. It's rad.
From: Me
Subject Line: Happy Halloween from Smith-Harmon
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Halloween is my favorite holiday. What other time of year practically requires us to dress like freaks and eat tons of candy? We got into the spirit here today at Smith-Harmon. Cowboys, beer cans and bunnies - oh my! Plus, check out my Halloween post on the EEC blog.
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Thanksgiving Countdown Ideas. Free Shipping, too.
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2007
From: chefs
Subject Line: Day 1: Countdown to Thanksgiving Free Shipping Any Size Order
Date: Monday, October 29, 2007
Thanksgiving is a super-prep-heavy, gear-intensive holiday - one I personally plan to never ever host. The crazy-complicated big-budget Hollywood movie production nature of the feast gives retailers a number of angles from which to approach it. Enter the email series! Both Crate and Barrel and chefs kicked off a Thanksgiving series this week, which makes for an interesting comparison.
Let's start with subject lines. They both boiled down to the same thing - "Thanksgiving Countdown" and "Free Shipping" - only chefs' SL unfortunately had a relatively "Me Talk Pretty One Day" ring to it: "Day 1: Countdown to Thanksgiving Free Shipping Any Size Order". Is that grammatical!?
Moving into the creative, I was charmed by chefs' tip about how to set the table. It's embarrassingly true that I'm always uncertain as to where to put the fork, and I appreciate that they were willing to get so basic. But I was disappointed that the content tidbit was totally unrelated to the imagery featured below it. Why not show place settings!? And while chefs' clearly read Chad White's "All I Want for Christmas Are Daily Deal Emails" Reportlet, I would have loved to have seen the deal relate to the story as well. (A pastry blender couldn't be more random!)
Conversely, Crate and Barrel did a beautiful job weaving together content with relevant imagery; their message has a very editorial feel. I love the "N weeks" graphical header, which I assume we'll see as a visual tie between each email in the series. I also enjoyed the lead-in to next week's topic, "talking turkey." Still, call me a "marketer's designer" all you want, but I don't think it would hurt too much to add a few obvious points of click-through to encourage sales? C'mon, kids! Think of it as a form of customer service...
Last point: while I've been constructively critical, I do want to hand it to both chefs and Crate and Barrel for two signs of email program maturity:
(1) Planning far enough in advance to even conceive of an email series and
(2) Having planned it, executing it, despite an email or two that may not generate as much short-term revenue as - say - a sale message might. Hooray for saying no to email crack cocaine!
Last point less: I personally do not enjoy turkey. However, that leaves more room for multiple servings of dessert. My Thanksgiving prep tip: don't forget the punch n' pie!
From: Me
Subject Line: WhatCounts to Publish Holiday Loyalty Marketing Practices Whitepaper
Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This just in:
Visit WhatCounts.com this Friday to download their hot-off-the-press whitepaper on Holiday Loyalty Marketing Best Practices. I got a sneak peek earlier this week and was impressed by some of the innovative ideas included, particularly around RFM data and points-based email loyalty programs. There's been a good deal of talk about loyalty lately, and of course a huge emphasis on holiday, but this is the first time I've seen both topics considered simultaneously. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the paper!
Enjoy,
Lisa
There is something truly decent about sending out non-promotional holiday wishes. Snaps to all of you out there who were willing to risk losing a little revenue in the short term in order to express long-term good will. And with that, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
From: Built by Wendy
Subject Line: Happy Holidays from Built by Wendy!
Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Merry Christmas from Barneys New York
Date: Sunday, December 24, 2006
From:CHEFS
Subject Line: Season's Greetings from CHEFS
Date: Sunday, December 24, 2006
From: Restoration Hardware
Subject Line: Give the Perfect Last Minute Gift – Shop Gift Certificates
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2006
This is a brilliant piece of copy: "Give the Gift that's Never Re-Gifted". That should have been the subject line of this campaign, too. So many retailers are pushing gift cards this season, and this is the first promotion that's really turned my head. Lackluster creative, but very compelling copy.
From: American Eagle Outfitters
Subject Line: Get Gifted with Great Gifts under $30
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
While it's a challenge we face all year long, avoiding the dreaded "garage sale" mish-mash of product photography becomes particularly difficult during holiday, when strategy calls for random groupings of product to be featured together under various promotional umbrellas such as "free shipping" or, in this case, "under $30". But American Eagle Outfitters has done something extremely intelligent in order to avoid that. They've photographed all of their giftable product in a super-holiday environment, which, rather than playing up the "garage sale" factor effectively neutralizes it. Think about the amount of work and hassle this saves: creative no longer needs to fake backgrounds to make products shot in different environments look as though they were shot at the same location; business and creative don't have to argue about what products can be tastefully featured in tandem. This is total genius! Let it inspire us all to do better photo planning for Holiday 2007. Let's photograph absolutely everything in front of a Christmas tree, then rest just a little easier for the the rest of the holiday season. High five, AE!
P.S. AE, if you actually did a great job of PhotoShopping these products onto this background, think of how much easier it would have been if you'd photographed them all this way in the first place!
From: PUMA
Subject Line: Play the game. Win PUMA prizes.
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2006
Here, PUMA does a nice job using white, as well as incorporating holiday without blasting us with red. (I am SO SICK of seeing red in my email inbox! Winter will be a welcome sight.) ... Although, is that Michelle Yeoh hovering ghostlike behind the body copy? That's weird.
And what the heck is this "Round Three of our Holiday Heroes puzzle" thing? People are so busy this time of year and their inboxes are so crowded; they don't have time to read multiple paragraphs of contest rules, and they don't have the interest to keep up with more than one "Round" of information. So do us a favor and keep it simple: give us a few good gift ideas and a free ship offer, please.
For those of you unacquainted with giggle, they're a baby/new parent store, offering a product assortment "pre-sorted to include only the most healthy, stylish and innovative" items. I think they've done a great job distinguishing themselves from both branding and merchandizing perspectives.
As far these EDMs go, I love the design template; the stripes and the dropshadowing around the border make for an unexpected, fun combination. But are we so overloaded with product that we don't know where to look? As a $-friendly designer, I'm all for showing the widest breadth of assortment possible, but how many elements are "too many"? At what point do we overwhelm a user into overload? Do too many click-through opportunities cancel each other out entirely?
From: giggle
Subject Line: Spooktacular Halloween Treats
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006
From: giggle
Subject Line: 50 amazing gifts under $25, plus FREE gift wrapping
Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Enormous dueling superheroes! Which of the two would you click through? (C'mon, help me out, I'm hurtin' for comments here...) I'd have to go with Pottery Barn's "Free Shipping" offer. (Didn't you know? Nobody pays for shipping anymore!)
From: Restoration Hardware
Subject Line: Introducing Our New Holiday Catalog
Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2006
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: FREE shipping on more than 60 items
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2006
From: Lacoste
Subject Line: Happy Holidays to Lacoste's Friends and Family
Date: Monday, December 4, 2006
It's snowing gators! Look out!
This holiday season, I've received a flurry of "Friends & Family" special offers like this one, all from retailers that are not my family nor my friend. While I understand the desire to make customers feel special and deals seem exclusive, it doesn't make sense to claim an intimate connection with a subscriber who's never made a purchase before.
That won't stop me from using the discount though. Keep 'em coming.
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Gourmet chocolates ready to give
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2006
This is what I'd call a good old, honest, hard-working EDM. There are no crazy hooks, no flashing animations and no groundbreaking, medium-altering innovations. However, what this email does illustrate are several very basic, measured best practices, which, in combination, will match the performance of any gimmick. Crate & Barrel promotes conversion by:
1) Featuring relevant, giftable product.
2) Including "FREE SHIPPING" in red in the top nav.
3) Adding a link to their Holiday Delivery Schedule.
4) Submessaging a Gift Guide, Gift Cards and Free Shipping: three very trusty catch-alls for follks who aren't as interested in fondue.
5) Keeping the overal design clean, simple and digestable.
It's not rocket science, folks: it's good customer service. Make shopping easier for your subscribers by giving them real reasons to click through.
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Free shipping on orders over $150!
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2006
This is cute! I didn't know Rudolph could type. Maybe I could get my cats to write my emails, and just Cc: me.
Rudolph was sneaky, though: The Land of Nod is a home furnishings business promoting free shipping on everything but home furnishings. (See the asterisked disclaimer.) It's "just not right" to give us global free shipping and then take it away, even when it's couched in cute language. Bad Land of Nod!
From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Style for Every Event, and a Special Online Offer
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2006
I like the use of the calendar element here. Ann's customer is an organized woman, and visually correlating event dates with outfits gets her into planning (and purchasing) mode for sure.
From: Eddie Bauer
Subject Line: Guaranteed Christmas Delivery With No Rush Charges.
Date: Monday, December 19, 2005
Eddie's pushing five different messages simultaneously, with very little creative distinction between each, employing the same colors, fonts, and even the same red ribbon treatment. Reads like a rush job to me. The email browser incompatibility (in the out-of-alignment red promo) confirms it.
From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Time's not on your side: Shop now for holiday delivery!
Date: Thursday, December 15, 2005
Almost everyone offered amazing last-minute shipping options this holiday. I think sending out a message specifically calling out the cutoff dates is a great idea, and am curious about the kind of revenue it generates. Combined with a FREE SHIPPING offer, it could be extremely powerful.
From: holdeverything
Subject Line: web exclusive: 5 days only, free shipping on book-cloth
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2005
Tasked with merchandizing a decidedly "not hot" gift at holiday time (How many folks even know what book-cloth is?), holdeverything did something really smart that you don't see too often in email campaigns: they bulleted the technical virtues of the product. Real product info, topped with a free shipping promo - what a great solution to a tough sell.
From: giggle - healthy. happy. baby. store.
Subject Line: find the perfect gift at giggle!
Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Giggle's got such a clean, boppy brand. Everyone's doing "Find the Perfect Gift" messages this holiday, but this is a notably nicely-executed one.
From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Cashmere, Buy One Get 50% Off Second plus Free Shipping
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2005
I don't know about you, but I experienced deja-vu every time I opened an Ann Taylor EDM this holiday. While it's important to give campaigns a consistent "look" throughout any season, I've seen either that garland or those gift boxes in what seems like every message Ann Taylor sent November 1 through December 25. Provide more help to customers by showing a variety of gift recommendations and imagery both within each campaign and throughout the season. In a cashmere message, at least show us a few sweaters!
From: Coach.com
Subject Line: Find Charming Holiday Gifts at Coach
Date: Monday, November 28, 2005
These past few years, Coach has done such an amazing job of going from boring to boppy. This campaign is just another example of the bright, happy new presence they've become. The idea of buying charms as holiday gifts NEVER crossed my mind - until I saw this EDM and immediately purchased three.
One suggestion: leverage your brand recognition and newfound popularity by rocking a big old logo! "Coach.com" only appears here as one of several small menu navigation items.
From: American Eagle Outfitters
Subject Line: Shop early and take 15% off
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Proof that it's possible deliver multiple messages in one EDM without confusing customers, American Eagle Outfitters gives us a product-specific sale, a one-day-only sale, an in-store sale, a sweepstakes offer AND a gift guide without making our eyes cross.
Love the "Get Together" seal they employed throughout the season, as well as the wood texture used in this particular message.
From: west elm
Subject Line: this season's glimmer and glow: gifts from west elm
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Unfortunately my screeshot doesn't capture the rotating imagery in this email, but imagine the photos and copy boxes swapping out to create a glittering grid. It's a great use of effect to support a "glitter and glow" message. One wish: that the images and copy block colors matched more closely. There's a lot going on here, and a common color would have helped the grid feel more uniform.
From: Aveda Online
Subject Line: aveda gifts to stir up the senses
Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Gift sets are great for the holidays, but the thumbnails pictured here are too tiny for anyone with a standard screen size and resolution to get much of a look at them. Instead, the prime real estate is occupied by a graphical text treatment which is cute, but would work better as a purely graphical sale message. Here, it exclipses the featured product, and doesn't even include a call-to-action.
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Celebrate! From napkin rings to soup tureens, our holiday guides cover it all
Date: Monday, October 31, 2005
Love this. The color, pattern, type and imagery work, and the "by party" links are clear and practical. PB does what it does best.
One note: I'm confused about the new menu navigation - it kind of reminds me of welding tools or something. What are we going for there? (See September 19, 2005 entry to compare with previous menu navigation.)
From: Williams-Sonoma
Subject Line: Williams-Sonoma Business Gifts: 10% Discount and Free Gift Wrapping
Date: Monday, October 17, 2005
Good lord, have you ever tried the Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark!? It's DANGEROUSLY GOOD. I'm warning you, you'll eat the whole tinful in one sitting. Be very careful!
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Everything you need for fall entertaining
Date: Monday, Septebmer 19, 2005
This EDM is so grand. Pottery Barn sounds the trumpets and I almost expect to see racing horses burst into gallop. But seriously, the use of script and pattern is lovely here, and the large hero image surrounded by smaller product shots works beautifully in this context. Love it!
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