December 2009 Archives

From: J Crew
Subject Line: Need a present in a pinch?
Pre-header: Our gift cards are waiting in the wings from now until December 25th. Just hit send.
Date: Monday, December 21, 2009

After scanning hundreds of holiday emails about free shipping and discounts, J Crew's presents in a pinch subject line was refreshing, timely and spoke to the procrastinator in me who is in search of a lifeline. To top it off, the creative was sublimely simple in its short and sweet message. Even little animated wings happily fluttering with ease added to the overall effect.

This was the perfect product to market at a time when you're looking for gifts and Christmas was only a few days away. The availability of expedited shipping also helped. Two thumbs up!

From: Business.com
Date: Friday, December 18, 2009

B2B magazine's recent "2010 Outlook" indicates social media marketing will be of rising importance for business-to-business (B2B) marketers.

This was proven with the experience of one of my B2B clients who focus on a professional market. They indicated that Facebook was the winner when it came to driving engagement and Twitter was the winner when it came to driving revenue. What was surprising to me was that professionally focused LinkedIn was well down on their list when it came to engagement and driving revenue.

Their social campaigns have been running for just a few months and they consider the jury to still be out regarding long-term trends. However, their initial campaigns have proven that social, as an important channel to increase engagement, drives sales and provides user generated content to enhance their email programs.

B2B marketers, have you included social media as a part of your 2009 marketing mix? If so, what channels and which have been the most effective in driving engagement, sales and/or leads? Are you using this User Generated Content to enhance your email content? I am interested in your comments.

From:Athleta
Subject Line: Last Call for Standard Delivery by Christmas
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Congratulations to Athleta for this piece of copy wizardry. I'm not motivated by "Hurry! Do It NOW!" emails--I don't like being rushed--but I'm genuinely impressed by Athleta's approach. Besides being totally on-brand, Athleta's copywriters manage to transform the crazy-making hassle that is last minute shopping into some kind of exhilarating challenge. It's just like exercising! Well, maybe that's a stretch, but this much is true: this email reminds me of a rapidly approaching shipping deadline without trying to stress me out or guilt-trip me. It's a great way to stand out in an inbox full of pushy messaging. Thanks, Athleta!

From: Bluefly
Subject Line: You Have Credit In Your Account + EXTRA 15% OFF Everything!
Date: Monday, December 14, 2009

Free money at the holidays! Who doesn't love that? Right in the middle of my holiday shopping frenzy, I was sent this email from Bluefly. What a perfect example of how minor segmentation (and what I assume was minimal effort) can drive major results. The versioned subject line reminding me of a credit caught my eye and made me do a double take on an email that I usually ignore (does anyone really read their Bluefly email EVERY day?). Once I opened the message I noticed a simple banner that reinforced the credit messaging.

I think most marketers feel that segmentation is a big, complex strategy that they don't have the time for or the data to tackle. Bluefly shows us that segmentation can be achieved with a simple version of the subject line and one small banner at the top of a regular campaign. No major data and RFM modeling required. Just simply pull a list of customers who have money to burn and watch the revenue come in.

Well done, Bluefly! Now the big question is do I spend the extra money on buying gifts for others or myself?

From: Barnes & Noble
Subject Line: Nook: The World's Most Advanced eBook Reader
Date: Friday, December 11, 2009

The real secret to a successful product is having people use it. Barnes & Noble truly understand this and use an automated message after purchase to make it easy for first time users to learn the ins and outs of their top selling holiday product, the "nook". After the receipt, this secondary transactional response focuses on how easy it is to use the product you just purchased.

Notice how this message starts with a thank you but immediately re-enforces the benefits of the product. Then, it moves right into a simple three step guide on how to get the most from your new nook (complete with a link to a short video tutorial). Rounding out the perfect activation message, Barnes & Noble include a simple yet subtle CTA to their eBookstore. I can quickly add the newest Alex Cross eBook by James Patterson to read while I sit at the airport during my Christmas break. Now, I won't mind so much if my flight is delayed for the third time cause I can just sit back and lose myself in my new nook.

From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: Our Way of Saying Thank You: Special In-Store Offers.
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From: Victoria's Secret - Facebook
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From: Victoria's Secret - SMS
Date: Friday, November 27, 2009

Victoria's Secret is leading the way with their strategy for integrating cross channel campaigns to engage their audience at multiple touch points. Case in point, their Black Friday free bag giveaway message was delivered via email, mobile and social. However, in order to be successful, great strategy needs to follow through with great execution. Timing is everything and their timing was off.

Their email should've been a specific Black Friday reminder. The email was sent out Wednesday and included offers for the whole weekend. It's important to map out the timing of your marketing messages against the timing of when your customers are shopping, while also giving them enough time to plan in advance if the call-to-action is a retail store.

Once I received their SMS message, I was already done with my shopping for the day. Don't they know that people start lining up at 4am to get the best deals and by noon most people are back home taking a nap? As for Facebook, they should've talked about the in-store offer for Black Friday, not the Fashion Show. I realize they posted content on the 25th, but a reminder on the 27th would've been more important than the Fashion show, which was several days later.

Overall, they need to close the loop. The SMS link does not take you to a mobile site, nor do they have a mobile store app. There are also missed opportunities with the email and Facebook pages - both are prime locations to encourage mobile sign up, but the only place I could find mobile sign up was on their website. (I understand they do have in-store signage but I've never seen it - and I shop there often).

A great cross channel strategy will only get you so far - the key is making sure the execution ensures the success of the campaign.

Blogger's note: Hours after I finished this blog post, I received an SMS message that Victoria Secret has now launched a mobile website. Glad to see they're headed in the right direction!

From: Mitch Stewart, BarakObama.com
Subject Line: A holiday video for Van
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

I have to give it up - Obama's stellar team of campaigners continues to impress. There has been a proliferation of personalized videos in the past few months such as Gap's Cheer Factory to Land's End's Big Boston Warm-up. Last Thursday, Obama sent me a holiday card and I LOVE IT.

These videos take personalization to a new level, placing dynamic content such as a name in different parts of video clips. This effect has such a great impact. I've gotten used to seeing my name in the email salutations, but not in a streaming video. Who doesn't like seeing their name on a card signed by the President?

Great job, Obama team!

From: Horchow
Subject Line: Win your shopping cart up to $5,000...
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2009


From: Horchow
Subject Line: 25%-30% OFF OUR PICKS JUST FOR YOU + FREE SHIPPING...
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009


Most people who have heard me talk about email have heard me mention the Horchow email program. I talk about them not because their email program is perfect, but because I happen to love furniture, especially theirs. I'm excited to write about a terrific campaign they did recently. On October 31st, they sent a "Win your shopping cart up to $5,000..." email - the sweeps was for email subscribers only, ran for one weekend and had three lucky winners. As a big fan, I quickly filled my cart with items I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn't win my shopping cart, but I loved the idea of collecting data from a subscriber's in-market interests.

This week, I received a site-wide sale email from them that featured some of the products that I put into my cart. The low-cost sweepstakes ($15,000) provided them with tons of data they can use later to target with. Now that's smart marketing.

From: Graham and Green
Subject Line: 20% off your Christmas shopping at Graham and Green!
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2009

I received an email last week that got me thinking, could an email creative ever be so captivating that even if all best practices were ignored, it could still turn in a decent performance?

Scrolling down this email by Graham and Green, I was instantly struck by a glossy image of table lamps. I'm in the market for a nice table lamp, so I clicked on the product category and was unceremoniously dumped on the company's home page. Normally I would have given up at this point - offer or no offer, if a retailer can't be bothered to show me the particular product I'm interested in, I can't be bothered to go looking. Despite the obvious discount incentive, my curiosity got the best of me and I continued to click through.

At second glance, I realized that this "email" was actually a collection of horizontal images lovingly crafted in Photoshop. There's not a single font tag or HTML text character between the "Having trouble reading this mail?" at the very top, or disclaimer at the very bottom. Furthermore, all the URLs are pointed to the home page, despite the fact that the email is bursting with merchandise from numerous product categories.

This email breaks all best practice guidelines but it has managed to achieve the end objective - to capture my interest and get me from the email to the purchase page. Even though this was an unconventional journey, does this make it a bad email? Not necessarily, but making a few basic changes would have massively improved user experience and reduced the friction from click to purchase. I'm sure this retailer is losing out on potential sales. Whether you're a small or large retailer, in order to maximize all retail opportunities, the user experience should be as smooth and painless as possible.

From: Harry & David
Subject Lines:
1.) FREE as FREE Can Be: Christmas Delivery for ALL Gifts + Bonus Offer Inside!
2.) JOHANNA, We'll give you FREE Christmas Delivery + 20% OFF Fruit-of-the-Month Club gifts!
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009



The urgency of 'hurry' is cluttering up my inbox these days. Everyone is fighting for my attention, even emails from my own mother are getting lost in the shuffle. Some retailers are getting a little aggressive in the inbox and I'm not sure if I'm a fan or not...but I'm more likely to look at the messages they are sending me. In the case of Harry & David, I'm actually purchasing thanks to the repetitive messaging. Harry & David always has beautiful emails, simply based on photography of fruits and chocolates. My mouth might be watering just a little thinking 'bout their pears. Recently though, Harry & David's urgency -- HURRY, FREE, JOHANNA! -- is overwhelming my inbox more than most other retailers. In one given day I received four different emails from Harry & David with all messages in caps.

At first the urgency is slightly annoying, but then the shopper in me takes over and I can't miss out on this big savings taking place TODAY ONLY! Also, they have "Blitzen Deals" that last 24 hours on specific products. I flipped through the messages, visited the website, and even purchased a few items for friends as holiday gifts. So, even though I'm annoyed, you win Harry & David. You're like a nagging friend reminding me to do something good for others. THANKS! 


From: Brookstone
Subject Lines:
1) FREE Sitewide shipping with $95 minimum purchase
2) Hurry, only 4 hours left for FREE Sitewide Shipping at $90!
3) Deal of the Day: $20 OFF our Men's Fleece Heated Vest plus Sitewide FREE SHIPPING!
4) Discover this year's hottest holiday gifts plus FREE Sitewide Shipping!
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2009



Brookstone has stepped into one of the most common holiday traps: over-sending.

I have received up to four emails in one day from Brookstone, and an average of more than one email per day overall. While a small handful of people may enjoy getting blasted by that many emails, I think you're more likely to lose subscribers by over-sending.

Make sure if you're sending more than one email a day that the messages differ enough to make it worthwhile. On 12/15 I received two postcard-style emails, a deal of the day AND a general product collage email. The two postcard emails were essentially the same: Free Shipping on orders over $95, and the other, Free Shipping on orders over $90 - baffling. The other two emails mentioned the free shipping offer again in a top banner. Were four emails really needed for the free shipping promo? I doubt it.

If you're not sure how many emails to send, I would suggest creating a "my account" option where the subscriber can login and choose the amount (and type) of emails they would like to receive. If you already have an option like this on your website, make sure to include a link in each email to "change my email preferences." If that's too much work (on you or your subscribers), place a survey at the bottom of each email with a simple one-click answer.
EXAMPLE: How many emails would you like to receive from us?
[ ] More than two per week  [ ] Two per week  [ ] One per week
[ ] Bi-weekly  [ ] One per month

If you give the customer a chance to control how many emails they receive, you'll be more likely to retain your subscribers by giving them a program that fits their personal needs.

From: Email Experience Council
Subject Line: Happy Holidays From the eec & Smith-Harmon - 2 Gifts Inside
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

I try not to get high on my own supply, but check out this AWESOME horizontally-scrolling, animated email the team here at Smith-Harmon created in partnership with the Email Experience Council! Shoutout to Ali Swerdlow of the EEC, and to S-H team members Sara Zin and Raleigh Briggs for bringing holiday inspiration to the inbox!

Speaking on which, get inspired about email in the new year! Sign up for the EEC 2010 Email Evolution Conference >
Get $200 off when you use the code HOLI by December 31. I'll see you there!

From: Fresh Pair
Subject Line: The 12 Thongs of Christmas + Shop Our Biggest Sale of the Year
Date: Friday, December 9, 2009

I want to thank the Smith-Harmon team for building a great blog and allowing us to contribute. It's an honor.

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of emails pouring into my inbox right about now and it takes a lot to get me to open them. The subject line of this particular email made me smile, but more importantly, it got me to open it. 12 thongs of Christmas is a funny theme and it definitely made me want to find out more - isn't that the perfect formula for a winning subject line? 80 percent of respondents decide whether to click the "Report Spam" or "Junk" button without opening the actual message, while 69% base their decision on the subject line. (Source: A survey conducted by the ESPC and Ipsos).

Once I opened the email, the theme and the copy "Getting a little cheeky for the holidays" made me laugh. I'll admit the ornaments in the wreath are racy - and the landing page made me blush - but my level of engagement was up. I would have posted this to my Facebook page, had Freshpair included a SWYN (Share With Your Network) option next to their other social options in the email. I really wanted to talk about this email, so I forwarded it to three friends instead.

Another feature that I really like about this email is how Freshpair created a sense of shopping urgency, and then anticipated my questions about shipping dates for getting my order processed in time for Christmas. Contact information for their Customer Care Specialists is also very easy to find.

I'm looking forward to the next Freshpair email. :)

First off, let introduce myself. I am a Sr. Strategist in the Chicago Responsys office and a loyal reader. I am happy that Smith-Harmon has joined forces with Responsys and now I can contribute to this blog on a regular basis!

Email is the online channel of big shoulders, like poet Carl Sandburg's Chicago. Social media may reach your prospects with your brand message, but email needs to be integrated with your plans, toiling, "under the smoke, dust all over his mouth," to perform the heavy lifting of informing the prospect about your brand, helping them become comfortable with the purchase decision and ultimately drive the conversion.

If you still don't believe that social media and email marketing are partners in crime and not adversaries, Facebook is about to make it very easy for brands to collect email addresses from their fans, pages and applications as soon as next month. This functionality is scheduled to go live this year or early in 2010. (The best guess is in mid-to-late January, according to Michael Lazerow's December 8 commentary published on MediaPost.com.)

Emerging channels are not killing email - they're actually making the channel even more dynamic and powerful. Be sure to include a quick sign up on your Facebook brand pages and landing pages for content linked from Twitter, Digg and Delicious, a vanity URL pointing to an email sign-up form at the end of your YouTube videos, LinkedIn groups and profiles, and other social media content to keep your email program "strong and cunning."

As you're wrapping up 2010 marketing plans, don't forget about email. It is there - a "tall bold slugger" working as hard as ever to help you meet your marketing goals. Treat social as a natural extension of your email and lifecycle marketing strategy and harness the power of multichannel marketing in 2010.

From: eBay
Date: Friday, December 11, 2009

Have you ever wished for a quick sign-up form on a web site? I recently heard an ad on the radio for eBay's 'Daily Deal' - limited time and quantity offers that are usually 20% - 90% off, all with free shipping. All I have to do is visit eBay.com and sign up to have these deals delivered right to my inbox, or at least that's what the lovely voice on my stereo said. Pretty cool, right? Well, in reality, not so cool.

I found the daily deal page and email acquisition module with no problems. Unfortunately, I had to register in order to sign-up for this email. Determined to get these great deals, I forged ahead and registered. During the process I was told that I'd be able to adjust my notification preferences once I was done registering. Hmmm... I clicked through the confirmation email and still couldn't find a place to do this. Luckily, they sent me a welcome email with some language and a link in the footer on how to make these changes. Unluckily, it "may take up to 10 days to process" change requests. Also, the preference center didn't include a single reference to daily deal emails anywhere. (I THINK that was why I started this process 30 minutes earlier.)

I'm still not sure if I'm going to get these emails at all. If I do, it may be too late for my holiday shopping. I think a better time to smooth out this process would have been before the holiday season, and before you invest in a radio campaign.

From: Staples
Subject Line: Check out our new look!
Date: Monday, December 14, 2009

I just can't decide if the timing on this email was a hit or a miss. On the one hand, it offers a break from all the holiday madness hitting my inbox. And since Staples isn't exactly where I do my gift shopping, maybe it was smart to offer a breath of fresh air that doesn't scream HOLIDAY. On the other hand, by sending this email during peak holiday times they run the risk of people overlooking it completely as they search for FREE SHIPPING, SAVE, SALE, etc. etc. Starting out the new year with a new look would have made so much sense. Especially as people get back to the office and realize they need more post-its, pens, folders and what not.

Stepping back from the timing debate, I think the design and copy of this email are stellar. I love the simplicity and easy-to-see callouts that point to the new features. Best of all, when you click on the Visit Staples.com button, you're taken to the homepage where the first story you see supports the new look messaging. I heart follow-through.

From: Mileage Plus
Subject Line: Happy Holidays from Mileage Plus
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009

Always glad to see a holiday greeting, and always happy to find fun animated GIFs in the inbox like this one from United:
Look mummy, there's an airplane up in the sky > (Cue Pink Floyd Laser Light Show)

From: JCrew
Subject Line: Jenna's picks...holiday gifts + FREE SHIPPING
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Lately, I've noticed a lot of retailers showing "celebrity" picks. Sometimes, I'm dying to know what these celebrities picked, but there are other times where I find myself scratching my head - who picked this? Am I supposed to know them? Why should I care? Case in point: Jenna's Picks

When I first saw this email I had to stop and ask myself who the heck Jenna is. Why isn't she using her last name? Is she like Madonna? Piperlime, a sister brand of Banana Republic, has picks from Rachel Zoe, a celebrity stylist who has her own TV show and her own line. Most people know who Rachel Zoe is and many of the fashionably conscious care about what she likes and dislikes.

For the past 12 months, I've received Jenna's picks from JCrew. Like most email subscribers, I don't open every single one of them. I missed the email that told me who Jenna is, but once I found out why she's important (she's the Creative Director of JCrew), it made more sense - she is a credible source for style. However, I still have some problems with this email campaign, especially since she works for JCrew. If I didn't go back and search through my emails that included Jenna's picks, I wouldn't have known who she is or why I should be interested in her picks.

Using an individual as a source of authority, or as a motivator of interest, requires that person to be identifiable and somewhat unbiased. Rachel Zoe has been successful at this because not only has she become a celebrity, she's a stylist with thousands of brands and styles at her fingertips and selects based on style, not brand affiliation.

From: Enterprise
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009

I have a plea to all email marketers of the world - make it easy for people to opt in to your email marketing programs. I recently began signing up for the "Big Eight" car rental company email programs. I couldn't believe how difficult it was to sign up. Of the eight, only four had a quick sign up on their homepage. It was so hard to find the sign up for one brand, that I had to ask a colleague for help. When we finally found it, I was also required to provide my driver's license number, phone number and home address - just to opt in to their email program!

When I say make it easy, remember these best practices:
1. Include a quick sign up in a prominent location on your homepage and every page of your website.
2. Have a link to a sample email so people know what they're signing up for.
3. Ask for an email address at the time of booking AND have a pre-checked opt in box for your email campaigns.
4. Most importantly, track your list growth to ensure it is trending in the right direction. (UP!)

Of the eight rental car companies, Enterprise wins for best sign up placement on their homepage, but they could still benefit by keeping these other practices in mind.

From: Chase
Subject Line: Your Communities. Your Vote. Our $5 Million.
Date: Friday, December 11, 2009

As we're all rushing to buy and wrap presents, decorate our homes and offices, snap that all-important family picture and figure out what to do with Great-Aunt Esther's annual fruitcake [insert your choice of atrocious holiday tradition], I'm reminded to take a breath and appreciate the small things that bring us holiday cheer. I was jolted back into a true appreciation of the season with an email forward from a coworker on a viral email that was making the rounds. Many of you have already seen this email or read about it on the blogosphere, but if you haven't - I urge you take a look at video.warmup.com.

I was reminded of this effective strategy today. My bank teller at Chase wished me a happy holiday, but instead of her usual reminder of other Chase products and services, she asked me if I supported any local charities and if so, to check out Chase's effort on Facebook to give away $5 million dollars this year to customers' favorite charities. When I signed into my bank account, I saw the following banner ad. Chase has set up an ingenious effort to generate "fans" and spread this goodwill and holiday cheer by asking users to "vote" for their favorite local charity and put them in the running for a $25,000 grant. I voted for my favorite local organizations as well as spread the word throughout my network by posting my "vote" on my wall.

I was grateful for Chase's effort to help me slow down and think about these other acts of giving. I won't ever receive the much-needed gift of time from an email or an online marketing campaign, but they can cement my brand loyalty and loosen my purse strings. Now, if only a company could figure out how to email me idiot-proof instructions to assemble my kids' dollhouse ...

From: Lenovo
Subject Line: Oops - the Lenovo.com site is back up. We've extended Employee Pricing.
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be a problem. You craft the perfect campaign, consumers are eager to find deals and shop, and your website gets overloaded. Then, all the hard work you put into your campaign comes to a screeching halt, and you have to try and figure out how to recover lost sales. Sadly, several retailers experienced "Cyber Monday Meltdown", but how you respond to it can make all the difference.

I'm typically not a fan of the "oopsie" email and I regularly advise against sending apology emails, unless you are going to extend some benefit to the impacted customers and give them a reason to try again. That's why I love this example from Lenovo.

Notice how the subject line and pre-header work in tandem to acknowledge the problem, state it was solved, and promote the extension of the sale. It even clearly lists the date of the extension and reinforces the consumer's benefit. They shortened the email to more of a postcard format, with a very simple call to action. While I can't share numbers, I can tell you the apology email was almost as successful in total sales as the original launch.

When life gives you lemons, make some lemonade.

For those of you who missed this year's Email Insider Summit, we've brought our "Email Top Chef Masters" presentation to you:
Download the PowerPoint here >

Plus, read what people are saying about the preso:
Arti Parikh from Orbitz mastered the art of creative testing >
Meg Reynolds from REI taught us a thing or two about incremental lift >
Chrstine Scott from General Mills shared engagement secrets >
Carolyn Ude from ESPN saw positive results with lifecycle messaging >

And, perhaps most importantly, we wore costumes >

Special thanks to Arti, Meg, Christine and Carolyn for both wearing aprons AND bringing us their marketing smarts. I feel so lucky to be working in an industry with such amazing individuals :)!

From: Facebook
Subject line: New Privacy Settings
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Great job by Facebook making it easier to share and not share. Once you have lots of people on Facebook you are bound to have a mixture of who you know (from college buds to in-laws). You need to post on a "need to know" basis. Now you can.

The "Specific People" option lets you choose friends individually or from your predefined Friend Lists.

So for a small business, you could do social posts just like you send targeted email. Don't think you can do that yet for a large business due to restrictions on Friend List sizes.

From: Moosejaw
Subject Line: Moosejaw Rewards Points Monthly Account Summary
Date: Monday, December 12, 2009

When is a rewards account not a rewards account? Answer: When it's a drive to get email address-only users to register for a full customer account. At least this is the approach Moosejaw took with this email. Not only am I a big fan of their brand, I also love their style and tone of voice. It couldn't be more friendly and funny, very much the email I'd like to go down to the pub with (Yes, I'm from the Responsys UK office in London!).

What struck me the most when I got this email was that I didn't know I had an account at Moosejaw! This could be a negative feeling - was the message sent to the wrong person or was it a phishing scam? Curiosity got the better of me - I clicked through and attempted to log in. I was then taken to a "Create a password" page and that's when the penny dropped. I wasn't going crazy. I really didn't have an account, but this email had engaged me enough to click through and half sign up for one. Some may think this is sneaky and the average consumer may not be fooled so easily. I personally love it. Plus, there are reward points waiting for me in my new account driving that ever-important first purchase.

This email doesn't have much of a design, which is a shame. This is true of all their programs and emails I have seen. There is an argument for keeping things simple, but with this email, Moosejaw missed an opportunity to enhance their wickedly humorous copy style with visual flare to attract attention. It is possible that this was a deliberate attempt to draw more attention to the copy - but in a rare twist, where most online retailers NEED a full-time copywriter on their email team, Moosejaw NEEDS a designer.

From: MGM Grand
Subject Line: Tweet your sins for a free night at MGM Grand
Date: October 28, 2009

Been meaning to blog about this one since... October 28. Don't let my tardiness in posting it tarnish the brilliance behind the idea. LOVE the clever use of Twitter here. The subject line absolutely draws you in and the fact that Las Vegas is involved makes it that much more tempting. Being the angel that I am, I confess that I didn't tweet my sins, so I can't speak to the total experience. However, I do think this is a really interesting approach to integrating social in a whole new way with your email program. On the best practices front, this email has some work to do, but the concept is sinfully genius.

From: Martin + Osa
Subject Line: All Sweaters 50% Off Now Through Sunday, December 6
Date: Thursday, December 03, 2009

After my recent post chiding Kohl's for its imprudent use of a brightly colored background, I thought I'd offer a more pleasant example. This email from Martin + Osa takes the same simple approach as Kohl's--solid background, large headline, one message--but look what a difference a little texture makes. Don't you love the subtle sweater pattern? A well-done and simple photograph like this turns an otherwise rote email into something special by introducing a sensory aspect. As an added bonus, it's a perfect way to get more mileage out of your creative. In this case, that pretty orange isn't just a nice background; it actually echoes the message of the email.

From: Epson
Subject Line: Epson Daily Deal: 50% off Specialty Paper Today Only
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009


First off, let me say hello" to everyone. I am a long-time reader, and now a first-time blogger. The Responsys Strategic Services team has joined forces with the Smith-Harmon folks and will begin contributing to this blog on a regular basis. Okay, now on to the good stuff!

I know it's the holidays and you want to drive as much revenue as possible. Lots of marketers wrestle with the temptation of Deal-of-the-Day campaigns (think of the potential revenue opportunity if you mailed promotions to EVERYONE on your list EVERY DAY). I am here to say, proceed with caution!

I was reminded of this temptation when I noticed that a certain unnamed company - who suppressed me for inactivity back in July - was now emailing me daily with promotions! Deal-of-the-Day emails are great and they work well during the holiday season, but my advice is to set up a specific opt-in box for these campaigns and limit your distribution to subscribers who are interested in this content. Mailing to everyone might seem like a good strategy, but overall, it causes big list attrition. Some subscribers will convert, but most will be annoyed, and ultimately you will drive higher unsubscribe and complaint rates.

Epson recently kicked off their Daily Coolville Deals campaigns. They clearly ask for opt-in on all related pages, and they even have a specific unsubscribe opt-out for those folks who don't want to hang in for the whole 24 days. Mailing every day can be successful, but use it in moderation and be sure you send it only to those who are interested.

From: Williams-Sonoma
Subject Line: 1 Day Only: 50% Off Ebelskiver Filled Pancake Pan Online & In Stores
Date: Friday, December 4, 2009

I always thought this was a Mae West quote, but The Googles informs me that it was actually attributed Oscar Wilde. But that's besides the point...  :)

During the holiday season I get such a ridiculous amount of Emails, that it really takes something special for me to take notice. This one from Williams-Sonoma totally did it for me. I was completely drawn in by the scrumptious looking hero image featuring those little chocolate-filled pancakes drowning in caramel sauce (I think I'm gaining weight just looking at the picture!). Also, the marketing aspect is completely spot-on with the 1-Day Deal 50% Off - I'm excited to see if there will be more 1-Day Deals. In any event, I totally feel the sense of urgency... must get now! And I'm not the only one: two fellow Smith-Harmon bloggers (who will rename nameless) are planning to stop by their nearest Williams-Sonoma after work today to buy said Ebelskiver pan.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday...Cyber Sunday? Though the holiday season has just begun, it has already set the bar for 2010. Retailers are setting new records in terms of email volume and finding new and exciting ways to get ahead of the pack. Smith-Harmon Research Director Chad White is on the front lines, highlighting the top email trends of the holiday season in his new five-page report, "Black Friday and Cyber Monday Set Retail Email Volume Records."

This research report gives you the lowdown on when retailers sent emails and provides some useful tips for how to take advantage of top selling days like Cyber Monday. Armed with Chad's email wisdom, you'll be ready to tackle those benchmarks for next year's holiday campaign.

Here's a taste:
"In addition to more retailers sending email on Black Friday itself, retailers also promoted Black Friday in their promotional emails much more vigorously and much earlier this year than in the past. During the four weeks leading up to Nov. 27, the number of retail emails referencing Black Friday rose 96% this year compared to 2008."

Get the whole scoop: Download the free report now.

From: MAC Cosmetics Online
Subject Line: Holiday gets naughty in The Baroque Boudoir
Preheader: Free Standard Shipping with any Purchase. Use Code BAROQUE
Date: November 24, 2009

In keeping with my current passion for preheaders, I've decided to start including the preheader copy along with the Subject Line with my posts (check it out above). See how there is a story there? They support each other as a subject line and preheader should.

On the creative front, how could I resist the subject line of this email? "Holiday gets naughty in The Baroque Boudoir." MAC emails are always so rich and sexy and flirty. They make me want to slip into heels for a girls' night out. Just wish that white type was easier to read because their copy is always spot-on. They also lose the power of their link at the bottom because it's the same white as the rest of the text. On first scan, I didn't even see it. One thing I can't figure out is why they send certain emails as text only, like this one , I get all their HTML, so it's not like I'm signed up for the text-only versions. It's a mystery.

From: Papyrus
Subject Line: 20% off Custom Printing + Friends & Family Sale Days
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009

This is one of the most beautiful emails I've received so far this holiday season. I love how Papyrus took a monochromatic color scheme and turned it into a piece of art - red is so stylish in this email design. What really grabs my attention is how the color gradient fades so you can read the copy clearly. The rest of the image speaks for itself - it's the holidays, aren't you excited about those gifts?

At first, I thought this email was too good to be true. However, after digging a little deeper, I started to notice that there are some confusing features to this promotion. First of all, the CTA doesn't take me to a store locator - instead, I arrive on the company homepage. (And frankly, it's not as visually stunning as the email). Second, why is the model practically stepping on the promo codes? I would expect to see this prominently displayed in the main message. These are very important pieces of information vital to the functionality of this email as a printable coupon and an online discount.

Finally, the lack of a second CTA to an online sale makes me wonder if the folks at Papyrus are using this email to push customers to go out and visit their stores. It's a good test, but if this is the case, why offer an online sale when there is hardly anything directing you to it?