May 2009 Archives

May 28, 2009 1:10 PM

What Are My Two Cents Worth?

Posted by Darrah MacLean
From: giggle
Subject Line: help us help you
Date: May 28, 2009

If you ask giggle, my two cents could be worth $500! Thought this was a great incentive to get people to engage with the giggle site and start writing product reviews. Their creative is always fresh and clean, and they really do a great job of carrying their brand through every customer touchpoint, from the site to email to the store.

Total Sidebar: Not sure it was intentional, but I love the Jerry Maguire reference in the subject line. Remember that scene? "Help me help you, Rod. Help ME, help YOU."


May 27, 2009 11:26 AM

Unusual Cross Promotion Combo: Stay Now, Rock Later

Posted by Lyla Reinero
From: Starwood Preferred Guest
Subject Line: Rock Your Summer with Concert Tickets from SPG
Date: May 27, 2009

Is it me, or is this a weird pairing? I wonder if I was "picked from the crowd" because I happen to subscribe to both Live Nation and Starwood Preferred Guest emails. I pretty much subscribe to both of them since I am an Email Marketer, but the last concert I saw was Prince back in 2001 (back before Live Nation was even around!) and I've only been to a Starwood Hotel once (when friends of the family had booked an extra room and gave it to us for free). My point is, that I personally don't really fit into either demographic, and I have a hard time visualizing people who are in the Luxury Hotel and Rock Concert markets concurrently: "Hey honey! Let's stay at the St. Regis and then we can go see The New Kids on the Block for FREE!". Thoughts anyone?
May 22, 2009 8:31 AM

Mini Surprises

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Let's Not Motor Day: Friday June 5
Subject Line: MINIUSA
Date: Friday, May 22, 2009

Two little surprises in one MINI email:
(1) The preheader link -- "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it in your browser." -- opens the full MINI website with the email itself in a smaller pop-up window. I like this idea. It allows us to both view the email and engage with the entire website, should we choose. I'm surprised I haven't seen this before; it makes so much sense. Thoughts?
(2) MINI has personality, down to the unsubscribe copy: "If these emails are boring you and you don't mind missing out on all the lip-smackin' stuff we'll be sending in the future, simply send a message to unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com and include "Unsubscribe" and your favorite fruit in the subject field." Cute, right? I honestly think that the favorite fruit piece might make someone chuckle enough to cause them to consider not unsubscribing!
May 21, 2009 7:03 AM

Twitter vs. Facebook

Posted by Darrah MacLean





From: Twitter
Subject Line: wyatt seipp is now following you on Twitter
Date: May 21, 2009

From: Facebook
Subject Line: Kendal Burrell confirmed you as a friend on Facebook
Date: May 10, 2009

Yes, I have a Twitter account and I guess people are following me. What that means I haven't quite figured out yet, and I think it requires that I start doing something. But, I'll get there...at some point. What I really want to talk about is how much I appreciate Twitter adding a little life to their triggered messages. I get that these emails need to be easy-to-read on a mobile, but does that have to mean boring old type without any color? Couldn't Facebook at least add the profile pic of who confirmed my friendship? Thoughts? Anybody? Anybody?

May 19, 2009 2:32 PM

Unsub Confirmation Emails: Yay or Nay?

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: CB2: Unsubscribe Request
Subject Line: CB2
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Unsubscribe verification emails: good idea, or "too much" when a subscriber's request is already confirmed on a landing page at the end of the opt-out process? I'm interested in your input.
May 15, 2009 2:29 PM

Crossing the Line

Posted by Amy Hamilton












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 15, 2009 9:38 AM

Happy Colors

Posted by Lyla Reinero
From: Lands' End
Subject Line: Free Shipping + save 4 ways for 4 days
Date: Friday, May 15, 2009

This Email creative just sort of jumped out at me and made me happy! It's very simple, yet somehow the layout of the circles and the colorfulness completely drew me in (which is saying something a lot for a Sale creative). They did a nice job on the visual! Now, HTML text would have improved it from a best practices standpoint, but that's another blog...  :)
May 14, 2009 1:28 PM

My Top 4 Club Card Specials Are Not Mine

Posted by Lyla Reinero
From: Safeway
Subject Line: LYLA, your top 4 Club Card Specials plus Big Savings inside!
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009


A while back (Thanksgiving 2008), I got mad at Safeway.com - they charged me for about $50 worth of stuff that did not arrive with my order, and then it took me the hassle of at least 6 phone calls to make sure that my account was properly credited. I've been boycotting them ever since, but I've really cut off my nose to spite my face... having your groceries delivered right to your front door is an awesome thing - especially when the alternative is schlepping two toddlers to the grocery store and then parking the car back home and getting the kids and the groceries up two flights of stairs in an urban environment. OK, that's enough about my self-imposed hardships of city living.  :)

This Email got my attention with the headline addressed just to me! I got my hopes up perhaps a little too high... with "LYLA, your top 4 Club Card Specials plus Big Savings inside!", I thought maybe they had been tracking my orders and really knew my top 4 Club Card Specials: Huggies, Goldfish Crackers, Cheerios and Fig Newtons. (Of the 4 they listed, I've only ever bought, or would buy the cherries). So I'll give them credit for the personalized headline, but overall the Email could have been better if it were dynamic with products I have purchased in the past and if it were addressed to me directly instead of "Dear Club Card Member".

May 7, 2009 11:28 AM

Email Confession: I Heart GOOP

Posted by Darrah MacLean
From: Goop
Subject Line: It's Goop - DO
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009

Okay, okay, I admit it. I signed up for GOOP newsletters. Never heard of GOOP? It's Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website. At first, I didn't get it. As a matter of fact, I initially mocked it, jumping on the bandwagon with other folks who, quite frankly, were excited to have something negative to say about Princess Gywneth.

But, I've noticed an inner shift in my inner aspect. (Gwyneth would get that reference.) Secretly, I look forward to her emails, and I realized today when I received the latest that I needed to come clean. In some weird way, it feels like Gwyneth is literally pulling my email address out and saying, "Oh, I think I'll email Darrah today." It's kind of like Twitter on Botox. It's all plumped up and I love it.

While at times her tone comes across a bit condescending, like she's dispelling her glorious wisdom to us simple folk who are never going to be as fabulous as her, I do believe that her intentions are genuine. And actually, she's featured some pretty impressive interviews and tips in her newsletters. Now, if she could just break loose and make it feel more like a casual conversation between the two of us...now, that'd be seriously cool.

May 6, 2009 3:47 PM

Stacking It Up

Posted by Amy Hamilton
From: Barnes & Noble
Subject Line: This Week -- Coupons, Michael J. Fox, New B&N Recommends Selections, More
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

From: Express
Subject Line: Shop Our Hot List Favorite V-Neck Tee! + Take An Additional 20% Off Clearance!
Date: Monday, April 27, 2009

Here are 2 examples with the "stacking syndrome." Placing multiple full-width messages can make the design feel overwhelming, take away the "flow", and can even make the message feel unfinished. I suggest adding a side rail to break up the content.


From: Endless.com
Subject Line: Top Trend Update, Overnight & Return Shipping on Us
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009

Here is a good example of a well-executed right rail from Endless.com.
May 6, 2009 10:10 AM

Slice Out a Story of Recession Marketing

Posted by Darrah MacLean
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...
 
May 6, 2009 9:58 AM

Can Trigger Messages Be Fun?

Posted by Darrah MacLean


From: JCrew
Subject Line: Your password has been updated
Date: March 26, 2009
 

They most certainly can. Check out this fun password change request from JCrew that I found in my archives. Talk about jazzing it up with some personality. Bravo.


 
May 2, 2009 3:12 PM

"... Ballerina / You must've seen her ..."

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: introducing our first ever crewcuts catalog + free shipping
Subject Line: J.Crew
Date: Friday, May 1, 2009

I am all about beauty and brains.
This image has both.
(1) It's delightful with sorbet colors, chalk swirls and jungle animals.
(2) It tells a story: this girl is sitting on her brothers' skateboard in her SoCal driveway. Those are his jungle animals. Those are her chalk drawings. She's so proud of her jewels and her tutu.
(3) It sells: the accessories, the clothes and the shoes are unmistakably crewcuts, and will make your kids' life - and your life - as smooth as strawberry sorbet.

This email message also includes a "View this email on a mobile device" link. For the uninitiated: for now, this is how a "mobile version" should look (at right.) Simple to do, right? Go for it, all! Only I think J.Crew is being a little too eager putting the mobile link as the first element of the preheader. I'm interested in what portion of audiences are clicking on this link from brand to brand. Have any input for us?

I would probably dress just like this every day if I could, only none of you would take me very seriously ;).
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