April 18, 2012 8:55 PM

Shrinking Subject Lines?

Posted by Alex Madison

Though the email industry has long since set the best practice for subject line length somewhere between 35 and 70 characters, today's Twitter-ized world shows a landscape shifting toward shorter subject lines. In fact, a recent Informz study found that subject lines with just 10 characters or fewer resulted in the highest open rates.

A scroll through my inbox validates that this shift is well underway. I suspect that the past success of short subject lines has been due largely to their novelty: when sifting through an inbox full of 45-character subject lines, the occasional 12-character quip stands out. However, if the current trend of short subject lines continues, it could be the longer line that pulls the eye.

This is a trend that we'll continue to watch, but it's most important to keep in mind that, regardless of the length, the copy should be compelling. Even short subject line needs to tell enough of a story to entice the click.

Here are a few that do the trick:

UrbanOutfitters.com's "Flat-Out Awesome" (March 25)
Piperlime's "What's your sandal obsession?" (April 14)
Thrillist's "SF: The Future Is Almost Here" (April 17)

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February 5, 2012 10:38 AM

Falling in love all over again

Posted by Alex Madison

From: ModCloth.com
Subject Line: To: You. From: Your Not-So-Secret Admirer.
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2012

I'm not one to be wooed by most lovey-dovey Valentine's Day messaging. . .but I am one to be wooed by ModCloth.com. In this email, ModCloth.com manages to participate in the red-and-pink spirit of Valentine's Day while offering a little something extra: smart copy. From the unique formatting of the subject line to the inclusive, alliterative question at the bottom - "Need prezzies for a pal or paramour?" - ModCloth.com gets flirty without losing any of their brand's clever voice.

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September 25, 2011 3:34 PM

Votes that Count

Posted by Alex Madison

From: ModCloth.com
Subject Line: We want YOU to Be the Buyer
Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011****

This ModCloth email takes user-driven marketing to a new level. Before asking their email subscribers for product votes, ModCloth shows two examples of how their product has been influenced by subscriber input. I suspect that ModCloth shoppers will be likelier to spend time and energy offering their input after receiving this fun, visual alert that their voices actually matter.

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August 22, 2011 2:46 PM

A Tale of Two Survey Emails

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: Zipcar
Subject Line: Zipcar Satisfaction Survey
Date: Monday, August 22, 2011

From: Decipher Research
Subject Line: Virgin America invites you to share your thoughts about your recent flight!
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2011

From: Decipher Research
Subject Line: REMINDER: Virgin America invites you to share your thoughts about your recent flight!
Date: Monday, August 22, 2011

While I appreciate the idea behind Customer Survey emails, I find myself annoyed when I receive them if they aren't well-executed. These two examples from Virgin and Zipcar recently came to my inbox, and while they are both super-simple in execution (plain text and HTML light respectively), the tones are very different from each other, and only the Zipcar email compelled me to follow through. (For professional purposes I actually attempted both surveys, but more on that later)

The email on Virgin's behalf sent by Decipher Research could take a few lessons from the Zipcar email.

The sender: Zipcar's email was sent by Zipcar vs. Virgin's email was sent by a 3rd party, which feels slightly off-putting to me. I know, trust and respect Virgin as a brand, but previously knew nothing about Decipher Research... and the email was signed off by "Hall & Partners, research partner of Virgin America". Again, I don't know them. (For the record, I am a huge fan of Virgin's regular email program)
The subject lines: Zipcar Satisfaction Survey vs. Virgin America invites you... Zipcar's is short and very to the point. Virgin's is longer than it needs to be, and by using the the word "invites", I got my hopes up that there might be some sort of offer or incentive. Also the REMINDER in all caps for the second send bothered me... Don't shout at me! Why didn't you take the hint I don't want to complete your survey the first time?!
The greeting: Dear Customer vs, Hi Lyla. I appreciate the personal greeting from Zipcar.
The general tone and content: all business for Virgin vs. casual and friendly for Zipcar. Again, the bolding and underlining in the Virgin email seems overly strong.

As for the survey itself, my feelings towards the emails carry over to the the overall experience. The Zipcar email requests that I take the "2-minute" survey which links to the Zipcar site. Of their 4 total questions 3 were multiple choice, so it is truly a speedy experience. The Virgin survey claims to be 5 minutes. I won't know for sure how long it would have actually taken for me to fully complete, because I got annoyed with it for not allowing me to skip answers, and having a forceful tone about it. Additionally, the first 10 questions that I did answer before I gave up, were all about information that I assume Virgin would have about me anyways based on my flight bookings.

Both bottom line is, if you are going to ask your customers to take a survey, make sure that you keep it simple, and be cautious with your tone. Ideally, there should be some sort of incentive, such as a driving or flight credit, but at the very least provide your customers with a survey taking experience that is easy and pleasurable.

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July 22, 2011 12:08 PM

Subject Line Savvy

Posted by Lynn Baus

From: lululemon athletica
Subject Line: #newness
Date: Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 9:12 AM

We all suffer from inbox overload, too many messages and too little time. Using a scanable subject line can make or break a campaign. And that's why I love this message from LuLu Lemon. With one word and a hash tag they've cut through the clutter and created compelling reason to open.

Continue reading Subject Line Savvy.

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July 8, 2011 2:53 PM

Can't Contain Them....

Posted by Alex Madison

From:The Container Store
Subject Line:Star Spangled Storage | Made in the USA
Date:Monday, July 4, 2011

This email from The Container Store stood out in last weekend's sea of July 4th messaging. Leveraging everything from a clever subject line to splashes of red, white and blue in the product grid, The Container Store manages to make plastic hangers and food storage look downright patriotic. They also go beyond color and create a more authentically down-home patriotic theme by featuring only items "Made in the U.S.A." This email does a lot to create a memorable, positive brand impression around products that could easily seem mundane, likely pushing up interest levels and click-throughs and building anticipation for future campaigns.

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June 27, 2011 11:52 AM

When bribing subscribers actually works

Posted by Kathryn Alva

From: Moosejaw
Subject Line: Moosejaw Pizza Bribes | There's no better bribe than pizza.
Date: Monday, June 27, 2011

I love a good wacky sale or contest, and I don't think I've seen anyone do wacky as well as Moosejaw.

They consistently put out emails that are creative, hilarious, and just plain fun. Moosejaw actually gets me to do something that I rarely if ever do with other retailers: read fine print. (And it's always worth the read!) I totally appreciate that they occasionally depart from the ordinary to connect with their customers through well-branded promotions that definitely stand out in the inbox. Their hidden contests, hilarious copy, and an awesome loyalty rewards program makes me feel like I'm participating in a game of some sort, and all of this combined with their casual, sarcastic attitude keeps me looking forward to the next email.

Moosejaw's messaging is a great example of how to encourage subscriber engagement and build an army of fans, naturally. I engage with them effortlessly because they offer me fun incentives and humor that doesn't try too hard. After all, mom always said "to make friends, just be yourself." So thanks for being you, Moosejaw.

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June 6, 2011 4:35 PM

A Rapturous Email from Photoworks SF

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: Photoworks SF
Subject Line: Judgement Day Printing Sale
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The supposed End of the World has come and passed, yet here we all are. This email from Photoworks has also lived on (in my mind) post "The Rapture". I like to give extra bonus points and a big shout-out whenever I see a successful email campaign from a small business and Photoworks SF deserves huge kudos. I love that they even thought to capitalize on Judgement Day - the humor of the copy and AMAZING hero shot are to be commended as well.

FYI, for all photographers out there, Photoworks SF does hands down the best photo printing I have ever seen. A little pricey, but worth every dang penny because they work miracles. Even photos taken by an amateur (me) with a crappy disposable camera can look half way decent with Photoworks developing.

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June 6, 2011 11:42 AM

Keep It Simple, Silly

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: J. Crew
Subject Line: SUMMER SALE starts right now
Date:Thursday, June 02, 2011

Totally loving this simple, joyful little email from J. Crew. The colors and typeface are lovely and summery, but my favorite part is the Forward to a Friend treatment at the top. Such cute copy! Even if FTAF isn't the draw it used to be, it's great to see a copywriter giving it a little TLC.

Bonus cuteness: this adorable popsicle animation!

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May 31, 2011 10:28 AM

Get Packing!

Posted by Kathryn Alva

From: Origins
Subject Line: Origins greats - for planes, trains and automobiles
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2011

It's official - summer travel season is upon us! And with travel comes one of my favorite things: packing (I know, I'm insane). I can't help that I see packing as a fun challenge to be won. Like Jenga, but with shoes and tank tops.

Back in the good old days I used to lug around my hugenormous suitcase (affectionately nicknamed "Texas" by my family), but now that most airlines have decided to tack on checked baggage fees for pack-everything-in-case-you-need-it people such as myself, I don't mess with Texas. I now fly exclusively with a totally free carry-on, which I suppose we could call "Delaware" instead. Though, I'm still a chronic overpacker, so before every trip I play my little game of how much I can get away with cramming into a suitcase the size of a desk drawer. There's nothing quite like the thrill of a successful *zip* after arranging everything inside just so.

However, playing the cram-it-all-in-a-carry-on game means I also have to abide by the TSA's carry-on requirements, which means my giant bottle of SPF 80 goes on the no fly list. You'd think that since I'm such an eager packer I'd plan for the 3.4oz or less limitation on liquids, gels, and aerosols - but for some reason that predicament always seems to sneak up on me. Thankfully, this email from Origins (above) popped into my inbox to smartly remind me of their convenient TSA-approved set of mini products. The email is cleanly designed, the copy is thoughtful, it's well-timed to catch me before my summer adventures, and even includes a fun little animation to grab my attention (seen right). Not only does Origins get the TSA's approval, their emails definitely earn my stamp of approval, too.

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May 26, 2011 11:50 AM

Hope for The Future

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

I haven't seen quirk queen Miranda July's new movie The Future, but I think its digital marketing campaign is pretty wonderful.

First, you visit the movie's website, which hosts an "oracle" in the form of a colorful spinning wheel that dispenses life advice. You do a little ritual, receive your advice (hilariously vague, but intriguing nonetheless) and ponder it thoroughly. Then, you have the option of signing up to receive email divination twice a week from Miranda herself. Or at least, from an email address bearing her name.

The email messages aren't what we're used to seeing: there are no images, no headlines, and no buttons. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like a personal email. I imagine some folks might see this as a wasted opportunity, but the pared-down design of The Future's emails makes for a surprisingly intimate experience, like you're in on a secret game. I love it.

Here's my first fortune. Pretty good, right?

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May 19, 2011 2:38 PM

Farewell Michael Scott

Posted by Tanya Williams

From: CB2
Subject: farewell to the world's best boss. you always left us wanting more.‏
Date: Thursday, May 19th, 2011

If any of you are missing Michael Scott as much as I am, this email may bring a little bit more joy into your life. CB2 has incorporated clever copy, pop culture relevancy, and their conveniently named "Dwight" family of office furniture to create this piece of creative. What a cute concept and heart-warming message for die-hard fans of "The Office". Thank you CB2 for caring just as much as the rest of us as I do. You made me smile today! And yes...at least we still have Dwight.

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May 12, 2011 2:52 PM

Sorry, Charlie!

Posted by Kathryn Alva

From: Piperlime
Subject Line: I dream of sheen. (No, not that Sheen.)
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011

The subject line from this Piperlime email made me smile, so of course I had to open the email to see what it was all about. I'm a sucker for a good pun, and I love how they took a simple spring fashion trend (metallic sandals) and punched up the copy with a humorous pop culture reference that I can appreciate. Piperlime always does a great job of pairing witty, topical copy with their emails - from wedges featured with the headline "Reinventing the heel," to beachy springtime essentials that beg the question "Long time no sea?" Piperlime is consistently putting out great examples of smart copywriting which, as one of their recent denim emails puts it, is "pure jeanius" to me.

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April 29, 2011 10:16 AM

Horse, carriage or helicopter?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Barneys New York

Subject Line: TODAY at 3pm! Tweet with Simon Doonan about the Royal wedding!

Date: Thursday, Apr 28, 2011

On the royal heels of a timely wedding-related post by my colleague Tanya Williams, I'll pipe in with another interesting example of queenly creative. This one comes from Barneys New York, and is relevant not only because it manages to ride on the--er--train of an exciting occurrence, but also because of how it uses the email channel to promote a Twitter event.

So what did we think of Kate's dress?

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April 6, 2011 10:06 AM

High Five, Orbitz!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Orbitz
Subject Line: Lisa, need a flight to Stockholm? Fares from $554 round-trip.
Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
There are so many things that are right about this email that I don't know where to begin! I'm just going to take it from top top bottom.
1. The Subject Line: Yes, I am Lisa. Yes, I am searching for a flight to Stockholm. While personalization can sometimes err on the side of gratuitous, the double data points included here are working for me. This is relevancy.
2. The Preheader: Love that the "add to address book" language links out to a page with different instructions based on email reader.
3. The Body: The treatment of personalized data, down to the city name embedded in the call-to-action button, is impressive. Here we have an excellent melding of HTML-friendly text, dynamic data and cute copy (in the subheadline.)
4. The Submessaging: The graphical submessage division treatments are light enough such that they don't feel boxy, but clear enough to delineate one message from another. The headline treatment variation and sidebar inclusion add to the positive aesthetic experience.
5. The Customer Stories: "Price Assurance" is a difficult concept to communicate in just a few words. While Orbitz does a good job of this with the siderail copy ("Get cash refunds ... automatically / Never overpay on Orbitz"), the addition of reifying stories from actual customers makes an ethereal benefit real.

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March 17, 2011 2:53 PM

Stuck on Solestruck

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: Solestruck
Subject Line: Thanks for your purchase at Solestruck.
Date: Sunday, March 13, 2011

From: Solestruck
Subject Line: Your Solestruck order has been shipped
Date: Monday, March 14, 2011

Diary of my latest shoe-shopping adventure...
Saturday 3/12/2011: I pop into Villians and spot these leopard-print, mega-tall platform booties and I think it's love and first sight. But I'm only 99% sure that I have to have them, so I decide to sleep on it...
Sunday 3/13/2011: I'm 100% certain that I have to have them, so I head back to Villians. Too late! Somebody else with unwavering convictions has snatched them from me! Fortunately the nice people of Villians point me in the right direction (maybe they should actually be named Heros).* Following their advice I go to Solestruck.com where indeed they have my shoes. Instantly, after clicking "Complete Purchase" I received the charming Purchase Confirmation email. (Note the no sales tax or shipping charges!)
Monday 3/14/2011: Less than 24 hours later I received equally adorable Shipping Confirmation email. I love the prompt service of Solestruck and the execution of their emails: the cute receipt and "SHIPPED" stamp visuals, plus the feel-goodiness of shopping with (in their own words) a "small, independent and family-run" business.
Wednesday 3/16/2011: Package arrives from UPS!

*It was a win/win/win situation... Because they were so helpful at Villians, and I really had the urge to buy something I got some sneakers for the hubby.

Date TBD: When will I have the guts to wear 6 inch platforms?

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March 2, 2011 3:30 PM

iPad 2, by Ernest Hemingway

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Apple
Subject Line: Introducing iPad 2.
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Our subscribers communicate via text messages, IMs and 140-character Tweets. Apple knows this. You can tell by the way they message their iPad 2. There are really no complete sentences here, just three-word maximum data points! It's pure Ernest Hemingway.

"Thinner. Lighter. Faster. FaceTime. Smart Covers. 10-hour battery. Coming March 11. Starting at $499."

While I appreciate clean and airy graphics as much as the next aesthete, I would observe that the thumb here is so antiseptic as to feel vaguely strange and off-putting.

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February 10, 2011 1:58 PM

Dropbox in my Laptop?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Dropbox
Subject Line: Start using Dropbox!
Date: Thursday, February 10, 2011

While I appreciate a cute illustration as much as the next aspiringartist, and while I respect an automated message as much as the next digital marketer, I felt slightly violated when I received Dropbox's "Start using Dropbox!" email message. While I did download the software, I wasn't aware that I gave the company explicit permission to look inside my machine to see whether or not I'd actually installed it.

I believe they could have done right here by changing up the messaging. This message would have been better positioned as implicit rather than explicit. Less "we noticed you don't have the software installed," more "check out our installation tutorials!"

Tone is super-critical to data-informed automated messaging. Don't overlook the importance of your copy when it comes to these types of delicate messages.

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January 18, 2011 8:49 AM

Content was, is and will forever be king

Posted by Rafael Hernandez

From: Co.Design Daily

Subject Line: With Eyes on World Expansion, Starbucks Drops Its Name From New Logo
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011

I usually get my news from my iGoogle page through RSS feeds, but somehow I missed the big news that was the update of the Starbucks logo. It was through my email subscription to Fast Company's Co.Design Daily that I found out about such groundbreaking news in my heavily-caffeinated design world.

I love receiving these emails daily and look forward to them. I can't really say that for many emails. How does this email differ from the many emails I receive daily? For one, I signed up for them knowing that I would benefit greatly from their content.

I appreciate great editorial content, and Fast Company's magazine, website and emails deliver on this front. With a design focus, this particular email hits the mark with content that resonates with me. While not technically selling me a "conventional" product through their emails, they are selling me their brand with their story. It's worth my time and the few dollars I spend at the newsstand. Content is of paramount importance and should drive the execution of design across all media including email.

From a design standpoint, the creative delivery of Co.Design Daily's content is effective. In this particular send, the quality of the content was evident from the subject line. Their email layout is simple, clean and balanced and easily distributable through social avenues.

I also find it intriguing that they placed the "Unsubscribe" link right above their "Discuss" and "Forward" links. Their unspoken confidence in their content is evident, yet they only want to deliver it if it's of value and relevance to you.

Lastly, they tease their content, effectively enticing the audience to read the rest in their site. Also noticeable is their side rail, which packs three or four more story headlines that further piqued the reader's interest. As a result, I'm compelled to open three or four tabs with the stories from the email, while sipping on coffee, reading the latest design news and looking forward to my next day's awesome morning email from Fast Company. This is why content was, is and will forever be king.

Continue reading Content was, is and will forever be king.

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December 23, 2010 12:00 PM

Humble Message of Thanks

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Gymboree
Subject Line: Thank You From Our CEO
Date: Thursday, December 23, 2010

This Gymboree message serves as a good reminder that the holidays are an important time to send non-promotional messages to your subscribers. Sending holiday greetings messages or thank-you messages like this one reaffirm your relationship with subscribers and show that you're not just concerned with dollars. Gymboree's simple subject line "Thank You From Our CEO" and the clean letter format make the email feel authentic. My only complaint is that they copy may be a bit too long - especially with such small, gray text.

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October 24, 2010 5:45 PM

Hey, guys

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Barneys
Subject Line: GUYS! Don't get caught in a leisure suit...
Date: Saturday, October 16, 2010

The copy in this Barneys email is spot on. For brands that often target to the ladies, it can be tough to pull off a dude-directed message while staying true to the brand voice. You don't get the sense that this message is coming from a guy, but rather that a fashionable girl is shaming the gents into getting cleaned up (GUYS! Don't get caught in a leisure suit...). The red "Forward to a friend!" link stands out, too, and I wonder how many male subscribers actually got this message second-hand. That said, it would be nice Barneys had crafted a subject line and headline that actually spoke to one another, rather than just using the same line for both.

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October 18, 2010 11:36 AM

Anthropologie Hits the Streets

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: Outfits, on film.
Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2010

If you haven't see it yet, check out the homepage on Anthropologie.com. It's simply brilliant. Rather than just put up a slideshow of their fave looks for fall, they created a live-action street scene, complete with pedestrians and a well-placed cab.

There are five vignettes to choose from: Flower Shop, Bookstore, Cafe, Bike Ride or Bakery. And while each is really short, they're stunning to watch again and again. (My only comment is that the model isn't actually riding her bike in the Bike Ride video. Maybe she had a flat?)

As much as I love the site execution, I have to say that the email could have done a better job of enticing me to click by incorporating the five vignette titles. The subject line is great: Outfits, on film. But the body copy is so subtle that the true beauty of the site experience doesn't really come through in the email. I would have loved to see them figure out a way to bring the movement of the homepage to the email. But then again, I clicked. So they're clearly doing something right!

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October 12, 2010 1:35 PM

Drink Wine, Score Points

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: Virgin America
Subject Line: Join the Virgin Wines Explorers Club. Save $100.
Date: Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010

Kudos to Virgin for going after a market that one wouldn't automatically associate with the Airline Industry... the wine drinking crowd! I think they have done a lot of things right with this email. The Subject Line and Preheader were well paired, and inspiring enough for me to click through (a rarity for me these days with my out-of-control inbox!). From a distance the copy looks long, but I ended up reading every word of it. Also, it looks like great deal... Very tempting indeed!

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September 20, 2010 3:15 PM

Fresh, Fun

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: 77kids
Subject Line: fresh fun! hundreds of new arrivals + sweet sweats.
Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010

When you're writing copy, getting the correct message across should be your top priority. Second priority is, of course, to add a little flair that makes your messaging more engaging, memorable and on-brand. You want your email to stand out, but in a way that seems organic rather than contrived. A lot of email programs out there attempt to do this by bringing in bits of slang, making topical jokes or heading to Punsville. Any one of these tricks can work beautifully--however, go too far and your brand voice is in trouble. Let's look at an email that manages to incorporate some distinctive copy with grace, humor and great design.

This adorable email from 77 kids is a great example of how copy and design can work together to maximum effect. The copy has a youthful, colloquial feel to it, but it's done with a light enough hand so that it doesn't induce any eye rolling. The designer, having apparently read the copy (nice work!), smartly marries it with a cute photo and finger-painted text, allowing the elements of this design to make this whole email young and fresh. I just wish they had extended the playful tone up into the share header.

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August 31, 2010 9:39 AM

OMG!!

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Threadless Newsletter
Subject Line: A lil somethin (OMG A COUPON!!!) so you can stock up for school!
Date: Monday, August 30, 2010

Threadless always has cute, cheeky copy, but I particularly love this goofy subject line. I appreciate the fact that they made me excited about a coupon, even though I look at dozens of email coupons every single day as part of my job. Way to distinguish yourself, Threadless!

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June 21, 2010 1:48 PM

Best Practices for Change of Email Address

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: Various Email Footers
Date: June, 2010

Way back in October 2009, when Smith-Harmon became Smith Harmon, a Responsys Company, we went through a change of email platforms. I kept telling myself that I would learn to like the change and/or just get used to it, but I have finally come to the reluctant conclusion that neither of these options are ever going to happen. I don't want to name names, but "old platform" = 1 click to create new folder, and "new platform" = many more steps and lots of clicks and changing of (ahem) windows to create new folders and organize emails. Once the number of emails in inbox passed the half-way mark to 5 digits territory (I probably shouldn't be admitting to the world how unruly I let things get), I decided it was time to take action; I opened a new email account to house my collection of Retail Emails, and am currently in the process of trying to switch my email address over on all the lists to which I subscribe.

Turns out, this is surprising difficult in some cases. Here is a random sampling and reviews of my experiences with attempting to change my email address (listed in no particular order):

• Victoria's Secret didn't have Email Preferences link in footer. As with many of the others, the unsubscribe link took me to an Update Your Email Preference Page. It made me laugh that that they have a Continue Shopping button on this page. Good for them for not missing an opportunity, but I was frustrated at not finding where to change my email, and not particularly in the mood to shop.

• Barney's did well over all. While they only had an unsubscribe link in their footer, it took me to the best preferences page of the bunch: 3 simple options to either reduce frequency, unsubscribe, OR change email address - all with Barney's trademark, super-sharp copy-writing, I might add. The follow-up "Thank You" page was spot on as well (and preferable to an email).

• Kate Spade's graphical unsubscribe link was unclickable, so had to take a long-winded approach to unsubscribe. But then on the bright side, they had a link to join their mailing list and get 15% off my "first order"... Hmmm maybe I'll just unsubscribe and resubscribe every time I want to purchase something from KS. ;)

• Urban Outfiitters had an Email Preferences link in footer, but it did not lead to an option to change email address. Also, IMHO their preferences page was too busy and asked too many questions.

• Daily Candy had a link to "Change your e-mail address" in their footer, but no actual place to do so when clicked. What gives?

• Tablespoon had no preferences link in their footer nor an option to change email address when I clicked the unsubscribe link, but politely asked if there was a reason why I wished to unsubscribe, and wanted to know if there was anything they could be doing better.

• Horchow gets the highest marks from me for ease of email address change. Their footer had one link to change preferences or unsubscribe which led me to a nicely designed and simple page to do everything at once (which was perfect since Horchow was previously on my worst-offender list of over-sending!).

In summery, if I found it too difficult to change my email address, I simply unsubscribed, which is a pity, because that was not at all my original intent. (Plus, is there a retailer in the whole world wants to unnecassarily lose its subscribers?!). My suggestion to all email marketers, would be to add an email change and/or preferences link to your footers, and to make the following page is simple to use.

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June 18, 2010 10:54 AM

Give the Gift of Creepy

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Moosejaw.com
Subject Line: Hottie Poster for Gentlemen who might be Dads
Date: Thursday, June 17, 2010

This Father's Day, I got my dad a special tea mug. It had a steeping basket and a lid built in. I thought it was pretty cool. But apparently I am kind of a square--the real cool kids get their dads...posters of "hotties." Their own dads (or husbands or brothers). Ew.

I know Moosejaw is well known (and celebrated) for their snarky, rambling, copy-heavy emails, and I usually enjoy them a lot. It's important to push limits once in a while so you keep your content fun and distinctive, especially for a brand like Moosejaw.

But this email crosses a line for me. It's a little too sleazy to be funny (who calls another human being a "random"?), and a little too gross to be good-humored. There's nothing wrong with speaking to particular segments of your readership, of course--but at the same time, you don't want to alienate a large portion of your list, which I would argue has been done here. I think this copy could have been spun in a more respectful, but still funny and edgy, way.

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June 7, 2010 1:19 PM

Score One For Athleta

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Athleta
Subject Line: Full Support Swimwear is Getting Into the Mix
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010

I've been reading a lot about the rhythm of language and how it adds beauty to your writing. I think Athleta has been checking out the same books, because there is a very crafty copywriter behind this email. It takes a lot of work to make something that sounds so effortless. Notice the symmetry in the sentences? "Full-Support Designs For Full Sport Days" is concise, balanced and pleasing to the ear, without sacrificing the message. I also love the use of puns and wordplay to add a light, inspirational tone. The copy, especially "perfect set," nods toward the image (which, talk about inspirational) without being obvious. It doesn't have to scream VOLLEYBALL for the reader to get the point. I do wish the image and copy had been a little more integrated visually, but ah well--a girl can dream!

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June 1, 2010 5:18 PM

Value-focused Messaging from shopbop

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Shopbop.com
Subject Line:
Great Style/Great Price: 8 Chic, Comfortable Looks for a Week in Europe
Date: Friday, May 28, 2010 6:53 AM

Many of us have been challenged with messaging full-price product during less that full-pocketed times. Here, shopbop does some excellent value-focused messaging to highlight chic looks for ... relatively less, anyway ;).

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May 28, 2010 3:53 PM

Memorial Day Weekend Wit

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: UncommonGoods
Subject Line: Hire outside help this Memorial Day!
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

UncommonGoods has a very clever copywriter. I love how this email brings some life to otherwise common items like a grill, candleholders, and drinking glasses. Each product featured has a personality, like the bartender, "pretty to look at and always keeps its cool." All of the product descriptions tell you who to hire, why, and how they will make your Memorial Day party fun and well, memorable.

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May 28, 2010 9:42 AM

Can You Read This?

Posted by Alex Madison

From: HR Baby&Child
Subject Line: Set Sail With Our Marlowe Panel Bedroom
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010

The text overlaying the light and dark parts of the background images makes this otherwise lovely email tough to read. Chad White posted a great Email Insider article the other day about how email designs are neglecting the needs of Baby Boomers - your biggest spending force, usually - by not having readable text. Other readability issues to watch out for include too-small text, low-contrast text and full caps. Make sure that people aren't missing your message just because they can't read it!

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May 19, 2010 4:18 PM

Meet The Woman

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: French Connection
Subject Line: French Connection: California Cool
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010

French Connection's copywriter has provided the most interesting copy I've ever seen for a fashion retailer. It's quirky and shows a very distinct voice...with an accent. The headlines for "The Woman" campaign are full of humor, and I especially love that when I read them I can hear a French designer explaining the woman's look to me. The woman doesn't look like another bored model - she has a story!

As for the rest of the email, I like how colorful and simple the design is. It's light, airy, and goes well with what I feel is "California Cool." My one complaint is that the copy explaining the summer look is disconnected from the story about the woman. It has an entirely different voice and I feel like this message could be more interesting if that French designer was explaining retro beach style to me.

If you'd like to learn about French Connection's "The Man" campaign (it's also great), check out Martyn Miller's recent post here.

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May 18, 2010 10:20 AM

Packing In Some Summer

Posted by Alex Madison

From: The Container Store
Subject Line: Have a summer camper? Send them packing in organized style
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010

When you think about summer shopping, The Container Store probably isn't the first destination that jumps to mind. This email is an awesome example of a brand finding ways to stay relevant to the summer season without offering bathing suits or vacation packages. Their tips for campers add value for the subscriber beyond the products and carve out a place for The Container Store in a parent's mental catalog of summer resources. In addition, summer is the perfect time to try out fun and risky layouts like this one - people are looking for fresh stuff and more open to your brand's playful side.

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May 7, 2010 2:13 PM

Looking good, giggle.

Posted by Alex Madison

From: giggle
Subject Line: more than just good looks
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Giggle does such consistently strong work with their email creative that I just wanted to give them a shoutout. While the color scheme on this one seems a little wonky (to my non-designer eyes - and probably because of the color of the stroller), their copy nails it. From the subject line to the headlines on their submessage three-pack, the copy is fun, playful and professional, and it all sounds like stuff you might hear one hip mom say to another while sipping lattes at the playground.

They use their submessages to offer stuff that could make the stroller in the hero even better. In past emails, I've even seen them show step-by-step instructions on stroller folding...which can be tricky (as a former nanny and user of many strollers, I confess that more than one stroller has outsmarted me).

Almost always, giggle's clean designs, clever copy and knack for tying their messages into one cohesive story makes their products seem like must-haves. Keep it up, giggle.

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April 26, 2010 4:07 PM

Earth Day Done Right

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: UncommonGoods
Subject Line: Happy birthday, Earth Day!
Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010

I received quite a few Earth Day emails this year, but this one, from retailer Uncommon Goods, was by far my favorite. It's clean, cute, and smart in its design, and it manages to carry the Earth Day theme without coming off as preachy. I love how the little pictures lead the eye through the email, simultaneously adding visual interest and keeping the emphasis on the letter itself. And check out the handmade-paper textures used in the backgrounds!

The other thing I love about this is that it's totally genuine. Rather than saying, "Happy Earth Day! Buy this t shirt," Uncommon Goods makes the subscriber see the different ways in which the company is taking environmentalism seriously, and to great effect. The copy is simple, helpful, and unforced. I feel like this company cares about sustainability 365 days a year, not just when they can build a sale around it.

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April 23, 2010 5:21 PM

Celebrity or Ghostwriter?

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Nigella
Subject Line: News From Nigella
Date: Friday, April 16, 2010

I'm a big fan of Nigella Lawson and love this letter she's written to her fans. I'm always curious to receive newsletters written by a celebrity - did they write it, or did they find an amazing ghostwriter who's able to get their voice just right? It's a mystery!

Besides the fantastic writing, I like how Nigella, or ghostwriter Nigella, tied in two big updates to this friendly letter - a new book and an iPhone app, nicknamed the "Nigellapp." The design may not be much, but I do like its simplicity. It lets you focus on the letter and the CTA that takes you straight to the iPhone app preview page. Overall, I really like this quick update about what Nigella's been up to, but for future newsletters, it'd be nice to see a variety of content, maybe a recipe or two.

Check out Darrah MacLean's post about Rachel Zoe - a great example of the celebrity vs. ghostwriter mystery!

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April 19, 2010 8:41 AM

I Wouldn't Read This Entry

Posted by Amanda Withers Studer

From: Moosejaw
Subject Line: I wouldn't look at this New Footwear email. We had to rush it.
Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010

I can't even handle how funny Moosejaw's emails are. While the design isn't always the greatest, the copy is cheeky and fun. The subject line for this email sucked me in. "I wouldn't look at this New Footwear email. We had to rush it." When someone tells you not to look at something, what do you do? You look at it, of course! I had to open up the email and check out what was inside.

The email itself had some pretty outrageous copy for email standards. I found myself reading every single line of copy, just to see what they were going to say next.

Some of my favorites:

"Scroll down...or don't"
"Forward this email to a friend or enemy"
"Voted best Rewards Program by my mom"

Half of the email isn't even about a product at all - it's a fabricated story on how the staff spent their spring equinox! Moosejaw's emails are refreshing and stand out against the status quo that's in my inbox. I find myself anxiously waiting for their next email. How many email campaigns can you say that about?

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April 15, 2010 10:00 AM

Diesel Spill...

Posted by Martyn Miller

From: Diesel
Subject Line: The exclusively limited Be Stupid t-shirts (hesitate and you are lost)
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010

Diesel always inspires me creatively with their great visuals and humorous, thought-provoking headlines. I usually enjoy their approach across all channels. So, when I signed up for their emails, I was curious to see what they would do, but more importantly, say.

I wasn't disappointed! Visually, I love that they have the model imagery flipped with the headline, overlaying the most direct message, "Buy now and enjoy a regret free life." Because they did this with such a cool looking creative, they can easily get away with being so cheeky. It's cool, witty, and very current.

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April 1, 2010 2:12 PM

How Do You Nibble?

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Subject Line: 76% Eat Ear First
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010

Check out this adorable email from one of my favorite email programs, Vosges Haut-Chocolat. In addition to featuring a really delicious-looking chocolate bunny, its hero copy manages to charm without being too precious. Bonus points for working the subject line into the conversation! I also love the secondary copy, which is inventive, compelling, and perfectly captures the indulgent nature of their products. I only wish it was a wee bit larger so my old lady eyes could read it better.

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March 25, 2010 9:23 AM

west elm is...

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: west elm
Subject Line: west elm is...
Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:20 AM

I hadn't opened a west elm email in a while. This one hit my inbox this morning, and the Subject Line inspired an open. The phrase "west elm is..." invokes a certain sense of curiosity. What's the big news?

I wonder whether this email was sent to west elm's entire audience, simply as a brand differentiation reminder, or whether it was sent specifically to me, "the unengaged," as a reminder as to why I might want to re-think my relationship with west elm. Following on from the smart subject line, we read the clever headline, "what makes us we?", which is part literal (the "w" and "e" in "we" being west elm's initials) and part philosophical koan, reaching into west elm's asian style influence.

I have but one hang-up, and it has to do with parts of speech:
west elm is STYLISH. Check.
west elm is MODERN. Check.
west elm is SIMPLE. Check.
west elm is... VALUE? The switch from adjective to noun here is tough for me. I understand, though, that value messaging is very important "in these degenerate times", and I honestly can't think of an adjective substitute that would fit this situation.

Any suggestions? I think we could all use some help with innovative new ways to deliver the value message.

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March 24, 2010 11:52 AM

Pretty in Pink

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Serena & Lily
Subject Line: Our Top Picks for Girls
Date: Monday, March 23, 2010

I'm a new subscriber to the Serena & Lily email program (thanks to senior writer Darrah MacLean for the tip-off) and I'm excited about their awesome copy. The product grid is nice but quite simple, so it's really the color block with the strong headline that ties the message together. The headline is concise, clear and fun, and I love the body copy.

While clicking the color block takes you to a girl-stuff landing page, I do still wish they'd added a strong primary CTA button or an arrow icon, just to make it a bit clearer. The landing page also has a cute blue CTA in the corner that calls you to "See the Boys," which might have been a nice addition to the email, giving the parents of boys a place to click through, too.

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March 23, 2010 3:28 PM

And the Oscar Goes to...

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Fandango
Subject Line: Oscar winners and losers
Date: Monday, March 8 2010

I received this message the day after the Oscars, so if you haven't heard anything yet about the winners, losers or the actress with the worst dress (what was she thinking?!), no worries - Fandango has all the Oscar buzz you need to know.

The Oscars are long over but this email still sticks out for me. I think the best feature in this message is the hero with the sealed envelope. I really like that Fandango has taken on the Oscar tradition of announcing the winners in this way, there are no spoiler alerts or in-your-face photographs with the happy winners. It doesn't feel like a tabloid and it carries on the elegance of everything "Oscar." If you haven't heard anything about who won, you can simply click, let the anticipation build and see the results.

My only disappointment is the subject line. I think it's pretty boring, even though all of the information I need to know about this email is right there. I would've been even more excited to open this email if the subject line was as intriguing as the headline.

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March 23, 2010 8:59 AM

A Fresh Take on Email Design

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: Rooms with a view
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010

Leave it to Anthropologie to come up with this quirky, fresh and unexpected design. It's like a breath of fresh spring air delivered directly to my inbox. I absolutely LOVE how the products pop off the cardboard backgrounds in the hero. That said, there are a few tweaky things that stick out to me. The shop links are perfectly placed albeit they're not the strongest calls-to-action. IMHO, clear and direct would have been a better way to go. The soft language and style of the links make them appear as part of the editorial copy vs. shop now entry points.

I'm a fan of the "papered planes" secondary message because it's really clean and a nice complement to the busy hero. (Notice the clear and direct CTA: Shop Wallpaper. That's what I think would have worked better in the hero). But the layer-cake effect with the bottom messages feels disconnected from the hero, even though the headline is "Home in 4 Levels".

The landing page goes for a "shop this room" approach that groups bedding, furniture, lighting and curtains together so you can literally select all the items in that room that you like. I guess it would have been cool to see that approach translated into email somehow vs. going with the looooong scrolling design.

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March 18, 2010 10:36 AM

Next Up: Virgin America

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Virgin America
Subject Line: Next up: Orlando
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010

There are so many things I love about this email. Let's start with the subject line, Next up: Orlando. In just three words, Virgin America has told me that they've added a new route as well as what the new destination city is. Brilliant. Next let's talk about the clean and simple email design. The use of white makes it easy on the eyes. It's not cluttered. And everything is organized in a way that's easy to scan. Dreamy. Now onto the words. The copy is succinct and informative. Nothing is screaming at me (notice the lack of exclamation points!!!). And best of all, rather than take the boring route with a button that says "book a flight" they had some fun. "Grab a Seat" is the perfect example of how buttons can have some personality AND be directive at the same time. Another noteworthy addition is the juicy "Tweet This" button sitting front and center above the fold. I haven't seen anybody else do it quite like that. Clicking on the "Tweet this" button landed me right in my Twitter account with my tweet already populated for me. And it went a little something like this: @virginamerica Next Up: Orlando. Starting August 19, fly from San Francisco or Los Angeles. http://www.virginamerica.com/flights/orlando

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March 15, 2010 2:10 PM

Right on Time

Posted by Alex Madison

From: CB2
Subject Line: Spring ahead of the times with CB2
Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2010

I love how CB2 takes advantage of daylight savings to market their clocks. Not only are the clocks fun, but CB2's use of books to provide the background color is both visually appealing and appropriate for the product.

The simple copy makes the message seem almost like a public service announcement (which I like - it's so timely...). All the elements come together for a unified, relevant message.

Even with this email, however, I totally forgot about daylight savings until 11, which turned out to be noon. Oh well. They tried.

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March 15, 2010 11:01 AM

Editors Are Our Friends

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: The Company Store
Subject Line: Last Day- Up to 75% Off Discontinued Colors
Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010

This Company Store email is an excellent example of how easily best practices can be undermined by a little bit of careless copy. There are a lot of good elements included here: the preheader, the nav bar, and the nice, big logo treatment are all great. However, I can't take this email seriously because it seems as though no one bothered to read it over before launching it. "You snooze, you loose?" Come on, folks. Editing saves lives! Well, maybe not. But it does save reputations.

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February 25, 2010 9:04 AM

"Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know"

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: The Zoe Report
Subject Line: TZR: Best Overall
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Don't tell me that because your technology is limited or your staff is small that you can't achieve relevance. This Zoe Report email is a miracle of relevance, sans stated or inferred preferences.

It's true: the looks of the nineties are coming back. To get myself ready to re-embrace the era, I downloaded Season 1 of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, which I happily watch while I work out on the elliptical each morning. Anyway, this morning, circa 5am, Luke Perry made his first appearance as Dylan McKay, "Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know," wearing (what!?) OVERALLS. Yes, overalls, with just one strap buckled. I almost fell off the elliptical.

So what appears in my inbox circa 7:47am? Yes, overalls, courtesy of Gaultier via Rachael Zoe. Despite her - er - debated flaws, Zoe knows what her market is obsessing about, and cover(all)s it.

Yes, advanced technologies and robust support teams are important parts of building an exceptional marketing program. But so is simply thinking about your subscribers and creating content that strikes a cord with them. I know that's something all of us can do, with just one strap buckled ;).

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February 10, 2010 12:31 PM

Happy Valentine's Day?

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Kate Spade
Subject Line: our favorite gifts, for the guy(s) on your list
Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

After receiving so many fun emails from Kate Spade in my inbox, I find this Valentine's Day message for the "guy(s)" perplexing for one main reason: What is the copy on the gift-wrap supposed to be saying? "I love you, I'm sorry?" Sorry for what? This almost feels like Valentine's Day break-up gift-wrap paper. "I love you but it's not working, I'm sorry. Here's a wallet to commemorate our time together." Personally, I wouldn't buy something for my husband wrapped in paper that says both "I love you" and "I'm sorry." I think he'd have some questions! This would be my excuse,"I love you and I'm sorry I spent so much money."

I think the cleanliness of the design is recognizably "Kate" but I appreciate how it's a little different since we're also being introduced to Jack. When I click on each featured product I'm taken to a landing page with other gifts in that monetary category. It'd be nice if product names were listed in the email so I could learn more about these gifts without having to search for more information. By the way, what's wrong with buying a gift under $100 for the one you love?

Overall, I guess I just like-like this email. I think I'd love it more if I could make a more positive connection between what it means to buy a gift for someone you like, like-like or love while also saying you're sorry.

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February 8, 2010 10:53 AM

No Buttons for You

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: MobileMe
Subject Line: MobileMe account notice: update your credit card
Date: Monday, February 8, 2010

Technology is not my friend today. It all started at 6:30 a.m. with this email from Apple MobileMe. Apparently, my credit card on file had expired, so they needed me to update it on my account. Okay, no problem. But, um, how about a link to my Mobile Me log-in page? No? Too much to ask? Just a button? An underlined word? Heck, I'd even settle for a clickable logo. I found some small links at the bottom, but none of them specifically said 'GO HERE TO UPDATE ACCOUNT'. Making your subscribers do the work is not the way to get them to spend more money with you. Especially with a service-oriented feature like Mobile Me, which is supposed to make my life on the go easier. Sorry, Apple. This one was a major miss for me. On a positive note, I love the headline and the body copy. It's short, sweet and friendly.

Follow-Up Note: Stefan Pollard, our resident strategy genius, offered some interesting insight that I think is important to share. (See below) One thing that's interesting is that AT & T includes a button in their "your bill is ready" emails, so I guess it really is about the individual company and what they're comfortable with.

"Some financial institutions will provide links to "sign in", others are afraid to do so. What often makes the difference is the brand and the likeliness of being attached by phishing and fraud. The bigger the brand, the more likely they become a target and many FI's will include language that says they will never ask you for information or to log in directly, but rather simply remind you to visit their home page. This works well if you provide a URL that isn't tracked by your provider so it is fully branded. Consumers have learned to mouse over images and links to make sure the destination matches the target for protection."

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January 22, 2010 3:38 PM

Taking Copy on a Road Trip

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Lucky Brand
Subject Line: Switch Gears with Our Newest Vintage Moto Tees
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010

As the red and pink haze of Valentine's Day messaging starts wafting into our inboxes (I can almost smell chocolate), I find Lucky Brand's denim-inspired email refreshing and cool. I'm usually not that impressed with their email program but the copy in this email brought me to a screeching halt. It took all but a nano-second to open the email after reading their clever subject line, "Switch Gears." Yes! Please!

On first glance I don't find the featured t-shirts to be particularly interesting. However, after reading the copy my feelings have changed. These aren't just t-shirts anymore, they're vintage t-shirts. The copy has me picturing James Dean filling up at a local gas station after a long ride on his bike - a rugged romanticism that Lucky has captured nicely.

Besides the copy, I think the design needs a tune up. I appreciate the simplicity and straightforward CTAs, but something is missing. It would've been nice to see these t-shirts displayed in a less static design and instead have it look vintage. Also, I think it would've been helpful if the product names were displayed somewhere to let customers know what to search for if they're browsing the Lucky Brand website.

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January 18, 2010 10:17 AM

Email Poetry, Part Deux

Posted by Lisa Harmon

In October, I wrote about the genius EEC Marketing Haiku Slam. Since then (at random moments on the elliptical or on an airplane), when inspiration strikes I jot one down. My most recent favorite is below. I'd love to hear yours!

A/B Test
Ideally I'd split
My existence and test B
Against the control

Deep thoughts on a Monday morning... :). Have a great week!

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January 14, 2010 11:13 AM

Know Your Demographic

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Bluefly
Subject Line: Winter Trend Watch + SHOE SALE!
Date: Monday, December 28, 2009

I am usually less than impressed by Bluefly's emails: their recent habit of using "OMG!" as the headline of nearly every email leaves me unenthused. But let's give credit where credit is due: I love the clever copy going on in this email. Specifically, the bit where they call out the subscriber habit of reading fashion emails at work: "Go 'head & press play, the office is a ghost town!" Cheeky! It's my job to read emails, so I don't feel so rebellious for opening this, but I do appreciate a little wink-wink attitude on the part of Bluefly. To me, it shows that they really know their audience and are willing to go the extra mile to connect with their customers.

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January 4, 2010 1:26 PM

Putting Tweets in Emails

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Zappos
Subject Line: Toast The New Year With A New You! Plus, Get Free Shipping
Date: Monday, January 4, 2009

Thanks to the social revolution of 2009, Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube buttons have become fixtures in the footer or top nav of just about every email in the inbox. While some companies do indeed put together a social strategy, too many companies add the social factor simply because everyone else is doing it. They don't actually invest time, talent and money into creating a true social experience. What I L-O-V-E about Zappos emails is that they raise the bar by including a recent tweet from Tony their CEO. Now that's what I call delivering on the experience. Rather than simply throw in a "Follow Us on Twitter", Zappos creates content around the social experience by including a sample tweet. Very clever. Just wish it wasn't so buried at the bottom of the email.

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December 29, 2009 1:53 PM

Nice Emails Finish First

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

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!

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December 15, 2009 9:19 AM

'Tis the Season for a Site Launch?

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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December 9, 2009 9:41 AM

When is a rewards account not a rewards account?

Posted by Jon Stanesby

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.

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December 8, 2009 4:40 PM

Tweet Your Sins

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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November 25, 2009 1:59 PM

Tropical Getaway, Anyone?

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Teva
Subject Line: Mush-The Perfect Stocking Stuffer
Date: Monday, November 23, 2009

I am a big fan of Teva shoes; they're comfortable and very durable. Their email, however, leaves me a little confused. After reading the subject line, I agree, Mush sandals are a great idea for a stocking stuffer. However, after opening the email, I'm not reminded of the holidays - I'm whisked away to a tropical vacation. I like the email copy and design, but I find the subject line and primary message disconnected. I think the timing of this email would have made more sense to me if there were some copy about tossing them into my suitcase for a holiday beach getaway. Without it, I feel stranded.

This email would've made more sense to me if I read something like this -

If a tropical paradise is calling your name this holiday, pack a pair of Mush sandals. See new colors and styles of Mush at Teva.com.

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November 19, 2009 1:59 PM

Simplicity Makes Its Mark

Posted by Andrea Taylor

From: Calvin Klein
Subject Line: 30% off all Leather Jackets - Limited Time
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Simple. Classic. Clean. These are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about Calvin Klein. I am new to their email list, so I was curious to see what this iconic - and sometimes controversial - brand would deliver to my inbox. I am happy to see that clean lines not only define Calvin Klein apparel, but also their email. No pants dropping here.

Even though I appreciate the presence of Calvin Klein style in my inbox, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. While I think the overall look of the email is on-target, I find the copy uninspiring and maybe even a little demanding. It doesn't make me think about Calvin Klein beyond the sale. I would have liked to see copy about how owning a leather jacket means having a timeless piece of American style, or something to make me think about why Calvin Klein jackets are special. In the end, I feel the lack of copy makes this email boring and too simple. (The photos are not much to speak of either.)

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November 3, 2009 9:50 AM

Go Quirky or Go Home

Posted by Raleigh Briggs

From: Etsy
Subject Line: Etsy Finds: Trick or Treat
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Etsy.com is a bastion of offbeat, cool-girl style, so it's no wonder they put the "personal picks" trend to such good use. In this email, part of the Etsy Finds series, Christine, an Etsy seller and blogger, handpicks her faves for Halloween.

What makes this email stand out from others like it is the way Christine's personality is emphasized: she's perfectly Etsy-esque, but she's real--she likes pranks, she has a weird mom, and she's discovering new things on Etsy every day, just like the rest of us.

Everyone seems to agree that putting a human face to your brand is a smart idea, and it's one we've written about several times on this blog. Etsy puts a twist on this concept by using the perspective of a seller, rather than a more formal spokesperson, which ultimately synthesizes two lovely trends in one EDM--personal picks and reader reviews. The result is a friendly, intimate conversation with Christine, and it makes me want to find out what other Etsy treasures she might uncover.

My lone complaint about this email is that I received it much too late. I received this Halloween-themed newsletter on Halloween--why would I order any of this stuff now? The sloppy timing of this mars what is otherwise a very charming email.

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October 9, 2009 7:34 AM

Aaaah. Anthropologie.

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: It must be October.
Date: October 1

It must be October. What a clever subject line. It's so simple, so relevant, and so unique. I've been meaning to blog about this email for a week now! I know I sing Anthropologie's praises on a regular basis, but I just can't help myself. I'm addicted and I'm not the only one. Just this week I got a text from a friend that said: "Someone needs to do an intervention. At Anthropologie!! Help!"

The simplicity of this email's design and copy draws me in. Starting with the image, it supports the catalog creative brilliantly (check out above). And the copy: "Thirty-one days of craving, the cozy, the rugged, the refined" supports the subject line perfectly and creates a true story. Their call-to-actions are equally as beautiful, and the addition of the "Browse our October catalog" CTA presents a fantastic opportunity to engage their subscribers in an interactive way. Many online catalogs are clunky experiences, but their landing page is seamless.

What I was REALLY surprised to discover is that when I typed "boots" into the search box at the bottom, I was taken to a landing page with... boots! Instead of landing me on the homepage where I could retype my search word, they actually delivered on the promise. How novel.

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October 6, 2009 2:37 PM

What not to do...

Posted by Amy Hamilton

From: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Magazine
Subject Line: AMY, welcome to our EXCLUSIVE subscriber program!!
Date: Monday, October 5, 2009

This email failed on many levels. Overlooking the lack of design, the first thing I noticed was the single graphic: a Rush Hour 3 movie poster. Immediately I was confused why I was being emailed about a movie that was released over two years ago. When I read the copy it went on to mention even more movies that were long passed. The idea was to get me to register for an Advance Screening Program and was using these, out of date movies, as examples of the types of movies I could be seeing with this program.

Relevancy is VERY important in email to pull in subscribers. Would it really take that much time to update one image and one line of copy to make this offer more current? Sadly, this wasn't the end of my disappointment... as a fan of movies, this is an offer I potentially might be interested in, however, they failed to provide any type of link to actually register which was the entire point of the email.

If I had to think of something nice to say about this email, at least they took the time to include my name in the subject line and email. Although their subject line does "welcome" me to the program which sounds more like I'm already enrolled rather than an offer to sign up.

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October 2, 2009 11:36 AM

The Story behind the Store

Posted by Alex Madison

From: The Container Store
Subject Line: Could the store you love get any better?
Date: September 28, 2009

The Container Store recently sent out this email giving some insight into their company's "Foundation Principles" and inviting subscribers to learn more on a new special section of their website. The copy may be a tad bit on the long side, but it's sincere and inviting, and I love that there's nothing directly promotional in the hero. It really focuses on making subscribers feel good about the values they support when shopping at The Container Store. The design is clean and simple, and the images bring employees into the email to further put a face (well, faces) on the company. My only complaint is that nothing on the bottom half of the hero is clickable, which is a missed opportunity (I may be one of few subscribers who read through the whole thing, but there was nowhere for me to go without returning to the top of the message).

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October 1, 2009 4:56 PM

An Email That's Sheer Bliss

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Bliss
Subject Line: a gift from the 'youth' fairy
Date: September 30

In recent months, I hadn't been in love with Bliss marketing stuff like I used to be. Until, I got this email. My love affair is rekindled. Eternally on-brand with their messaging and imagery, the subject line pulled me in and the creative delivered. It's a little too cutesy for some people, but I do love the copy: Feeling cynical? Check out the clinicals! Including customer survey results when they're as impressive as these numbers are is a smart way to backup your story. The secondary messages also fit nicely into the overall design package, making this email one of my top five faves for the month of September. Now, if they would only tap into their preheader potential.

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September 30, 2009 4:09 PM

Enter to Win... Psyche!

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: JCrew
Subject Line: Want to win an NYC trip for two?
Date: September 29

Want to win an NYC trip for two? Heck, yeah! I was pretty stoked to see that subject line waiting for me in my inbox yesterday, excited enough to click-through and TRY to enter. TRY is the keyword here. After five attempts where I kept getting an error saying I needed to enter my email address... which was already entered... I gave up. Looks like they've fixed the snafu as I was able to enter today, but how many other people tried to enter yesterday, only to get totally frustrated and shut-out?

Another odd factor is that the copy talks about a daily trivia contest. And that if I guess right I'll be entered to win the grand prize. Hmmm. All I was asked to do was give my contact info. I didn't see a quiz and I certainly don't see how to play everyday. Something's not jiving here. Plus on the site, the promo calls this a "guys" weekend in Manhattan. Hmmmm again. So no girls allowed? Then why did I get this email? Why are they taunting me as though I might be able to win this trip? I'm just confused. Last but not least, I would also think this would be the PERFECT email candidate for a sweet forward to a friend promo.

To end on a positive note, that subject line was a winner in my inbox.

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September 30, 2009 10:33 AM

Most Likely to... Open Email

Posted by Lyla Reinero

From: katespade.com
Subject Line: most likely to...
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009

Much as I love email, there are times when the sorting through the ridiculously full in-box can feel just a tad like a chore. With that said, I just about always look forward to what the Kate Spade emails have in store.

Funnily enough, this is probably the least visually exciting email I've gotten from Kate Spade, but I just loved the impossible to resist subject line. The body copy was just as clever too... How could I not click through to see which winners were most likely to "stay out all night?". ;)

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September 29, 2009 1:58 PM

Glamour is Contagious. Share with Friends.

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: The Zoe Report
Subject Line: Ain't No Jeans Wide Enough
Date: September 28

I am an admitted Rachel Zoe Project addict. I can't get enough of the fashion antics and celeb appearances. If you haven't seen this decadent indulgence, check it out on Bravo. In the meantime, let's talk about Rachel's daily emails. As far as blog-type newsletters go, hers just rock. IMHO.

Glamour shot aside, what I love about the emails is that they truly read the way Rachel talks, complete with her fave fashionisms and all. Why is this such an important thing to note? Because it feels like a conversation. As an occasional ghostwriter myself, it's also worth noting that there is a chance that Rachel is not always writing these on her own, and understandably so. She's a busy gal with a lot on her plate. So the coup d'etat here is that if a copywriter is penning these precious gems, she (or he) is a writer who truly understands voice and how to carry it through. Love that.

I'm also drooling over the clever FTAF language: Glamour is contagious. Share with friends. See, SWYN doesn't have to be boring.

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September 28, 2009 9:57 AM

She's Got Designer Eyes

Posted by Darrah MacLean

I've always been blown away by the way designers bring copy to life. The way they think is completely different than how I think. I think in black-and-white word docs; they think in color, color, color. Bringing these two ways of thinking together is what creates the perfect email.

Coach put a fresh step in my inbox with this newsletter. At first glance, I loved the way they gave the product silos in the hero some breathing space by not confining them to a box. That said, it also felt like too many tricks in one bag. To get the real scoop from a designer's POV, I enlisted Amy Hamilton, SH designer extraordinaire, to help me out with the 360-degree look at the creative.

Here's what she said:

My first thought when seeing this email was, WOW COOL, this is different! I immediately noticed the overlapping text, colors and imagery. Coach is definitely creating a style here.

However, after the initial WOW factor wore off, my eye wasn't sure where to go. The hero copy and right rail copy seemed to fight each other, and the lower half of the email felt a bit cluttered. The call to actions also fell pretty far below the fold. While this email has some nice and inventive approaches, I think it could use a little more focus. I would suggest:

Move a call-to-action above the fold
Create a primary message focus by expanding the hero image through to the left rail, or by bringing down the font size in the left rail so it's more obvious that it's a secondary message
Use a unified headline and copy treatment (as well as HTML text for body copy)
Clean up a bit of the cluttered imagery at the bottom

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September 25, 2009 8:34 AM

An Email Fashioned to Perfection

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Saks Fifth Avenue
Subject Line: Harper's Bazaar picks Spring's best only at Saks
Date: September 23

On the heels of Fashion Week, this email couldn't be more perfectly timed or perfectly designed. I love that they avoided the boxy grid and messed things up a little. It has a fluidity to it that feels fresh. The copy is short and compelling, the call-to-action is clear, and the way they handled the partnership aspect of this email is really classy. Love how the Harper's Bazaar logo looks like it's actually part of the headline vs. being tacked on in an empty space. The secondary bonus message works really well in this email, too. Rather than go with a traditional boxed-in promo, they added some grit with a torn piece of paper.

Best of all, the landing page didn't disappoint. It was clean and compelling, highlighting the top five trends and giving me Glenda's take on each. And even though we're headed into fall, I could still shop each spring trend if I was so inclined.

Overall, Saks has definitely stepped up their email game by mixing product-focused messages with dedicated emails featuring editorial content, as you can see here and here. As a copywriter who believes there is always a story to tell beyond Free Shipping and SALE, I love it.

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September 23, 2009 12:01 PM

These Boots are Made for Walking

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Saks Fifth Avenue Subject Line: Boots, Boots, and more Boots Date: September 19	From: Piperlime Subject Line: The season's "it" boot + the top 10 fall trends Date: September 15	From: Nordstrom Subject Line: Hot Boots Under $100 \| Last Chance for Triple Rewards Points (Details Inside) Date: September 19

The Saks subject line pretty much sums it up: Boots, Boots, and more Boots. About this time every year, my inbox is inundated with the must-have boots of the season. Just check out these three emails I received in the last week. Hands down, my favorite is the Saks email. It's the only one that gives me a full-on view of the breadth of their boot collection. And I really like the fact that they kept it pure, without a secondary message for this one. Piperlime always has great copy and photography, so I kinda wish they'd shown more of an assortment for this email. Instead, they focused on the IT style of the season: the over-the-knee boot. I'm sure they'll showcase more boots in the weeks to come, but it'd be a shopper's dream come true to see all those pretty boots in one email. The secondary message is good in theory, but the execution is a little confusing. The landing page is really cool, so I wish they'd turned this message into a dedicated email and done it a bit more justice. I rarely get excited about Nordstrom emails, and this one is no exception. It doesn't feel fresh and exciting to me. It feels like a department store email. And that's a bummer. The boots themselves are cool, but they feel like the product shot feels dark and dreary. Maybe it's rich in print, but not so much here. The secondary stories are buzz-worthy, but again, they fall flat in execution. They don't inspire me to click through. I want them to inspire me. But they just don't. So, who wins the battle of the boots this year? For me, it's all about Piperlime. I have 5 pairs waiting in my shopping cart. Time to check out, folks.

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September 22, 2009 8:17 AM

Battle of the Super Model(quins)

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Fall Forecast: New Fashions Starting at $15, Plus Save 20%
Date: September 13

From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: New! The Ruched Convertible Dress, 10+ Ways to Wear It. Plus $15 Off $100+.
Date: September 17

Amazingly, Old Navy's Super Modelquin campaign is still going strong. Is it just me or are those mannequins kinda creepy? Beyond my personal feelings for the campaign, what I don't get is who the target market is here? And more importantly, does that target market actually find the Super Modelquins inspiring? Do people see these emails or commercials and think, I have to have that outfit?

Even though the Victoria's Secret models are a bit intimidating with their flowing hair and knockout figures, they at least show me how the clothes move on a real person. Side by side, these emails are set up pretty much the same and structurally they're both sound, but IMHO the VS email is much more compelling.

That said, the VS email does fall short for me in one area: the 70+ character subject line. The preheader is great, but they tried to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the SL. On my iPhone, I only see the first 33 characters, so why the extra 40? A shorter SL plus the preheader would sell the story perfectly.

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September 21, 2009 8:00 AM

How to Organize Your Studs?

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: The Container Store
Subject Line: How to organize what's HOT now!
Date: September 16

As much as I love the clean design of this email, I'm pretty confused by the copy and the imagery. The Container Store sells containers, right? So why are they telling me that studs are all the rage this fall? Are they branching into accessories? Can I get this studly stuff they're showing at The Container Store? I don't get it. Do you? In the hopes of trying to make sense of this, I thought, well, maybe they're selling the tool that lets you put studs on your stuff? Like the Bedazzler. But no dice. Clicking through just landed me on a page with a bunch of containers. If they'd shown these so-called "trends" organized in containers, now that would have made sense. But they didn't, so now I'm confused.

On the up side, the design of the email is definitely engaging. The call to action is clear, the SWYN is handled nicely, the store pickup is a bonus, and the imagery pops, even if it is random. Last comment of the day on this one: The subject line doesn't deliver on the how-to promise.

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September 14, 2009 12:55 PM

Desperately Seeking a Break

Posted by Stefanie Lince

From: Bluefly
Subject Lines: Several
Date: Monday, September 14, 2009

I love Bluefly, but check out the frequency of their emails.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - Coats To FALL For!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - Happy Feet! SHOE SALE - Extra 10% off

Thursday, August 27, 2009 - Step On It! SHOE SALE - Now Up To 70% Off
Thursday, August 27, 2009 - Go Glam! NEW Evening Dresses by Vera Wang & Badgley Mischka

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - Exclusive Preview: Be the First to Shop our New Fall 2009 Collection...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - We've Got Leggings (And Killer Heels) + Preview Our NEW Fall Collection!

Well, you start to get the idea and it didn't let up. On September 12th the frequency went to one a day. I have been a Bluefly subscriber since 2003 and I remember getting about two emails a week. Notice the subject lines getting longer as well, with one up to 72 characters. Two emails a day and even one a day is too much based on best practices. I'm exhausted, are you?

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September 14, 2009 9:40 AM

Product Reviews Take Center Stage

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Free People
Subject Line: Meet Our Top Reviewers
Date: September 13, 2009

Breaking out of the corporate speak and moving towards a casual conversation with your subscribers is definitely the wave of the future. We're seeing a lot of product reviews, blog posts, and testimonials featured in emails these days. Why the added exposure to what everyday people think? Word on the street is that consumers want to know what other folks think about your products before they pull out their credit cards.

The fact that Free People dedicated an entire email to their top reviewers is pretty cool, even if there are some quirks about the experience. As much as I love Free People's creative, I couldn't tell which photo was of the product and which one was of the reviewer in this particular email. I think using product silo shots with the reviewer photo would have been a better way to go.

Clicking on the photos of each reviewer, I was taken to a landing page where I had to click on the person again to see their actual profile. Seemed like one too many clicks. Also, once you navigate away from the landing page within the site, there is apparently no way to get back to it, other than hitting your back button. Shouldn't there be a nav item? Kind of a bummer. Plus, I get the impression that there are all kinds of account profiles to review, but where can I find them? Also, can I create a profile for myself? How do I do that? The email messaging falls short here as it should have also encouraged subscribers to start writing their own reviews.

When I clicked on the Shop Customer Favorites button in the email, I was taken to a landing page of cool stuff, but I have to say that I was hoping to see the actual ratings below the thumbnail copy.

Overall, the idea here is fantastic, and it's an important trend to watch. Just think it's also important to make the experience engaging and enticing so that your subscribers want to shell out two cents of their own.

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September 11, 2009 3:26 PM

What Were You Born to Do?

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: The Gap
Subject Line: Get Up to $15 Off Cords
Date: September 10, 2009

Really, really bright yellow type aside (you may want to get out your sunglasses), this email feels so clean and directed. They kept the fluff at a minimum and focused on the offers, keeping them front and center with clear shopping CTAs. The only thing I'm confused about is the subject line. Wondering if this should actually be a "Save" vs. a "Get" story. To me, "Get" implies that I have to do something, like use a coupon code. That's not the case in this situation as the cords are already on sale. Hmmm. I'm sure someone could argue the other side of it, but if it were me, I'd go with Save.

I also like the way they've added some movement to the SWYN banner at the bottom. It's hard to tell from a jpeg, and I didn't catch the right phase here, but they used a rotating copy story to draw your eye. The full sequence starts with "What were you born to do?" (this jpeg shows it mid-sequence) and the social buttons say "Tell Us on FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter." What a clever way to get the conversation going. A lot of folks simply say "Follow Us", which feels very one-sided. Keep it on the down-low, but I'm going to have to borrow this idea. It's a goodie. To see the animation, click here.

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September 10, 2009 12:54 PM

L.A. Times Goes Horizontal

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Latimes.com
Subject Line: The new Latimes.com

With a little help, I finally got my hands on the L.A. Times website redesign email mentioned in a comment about my August 24th post about Hollister. I have to say... I love the originality of this email. It feels totally out of the boxy grid, which is fantastic. It's brilliantly simple and provocative. Since they don't TELL you how it's different with a bunch of copy, they create a bit of mystery. They want to SHOW you the difference.

Some cool stuff to mention:

I love the headline and the "Scroll Right". Giving direction is key.
I also love the big ink spot. It's got this free-form, Jackson Pollack feeling to it. Dig it.
The "Take Our Tour" call to action totally delivers on the "Scroll Right"

On the downside, I think it's a big bummer that they're not doing anything more with this template. While on the hunt for this particular email, I signed up for every email subscription I could on the L.A. Times site. After sorting through the 15 or so emails each day for a week, I gave up. They were all the typical vertical email format you see with other news organizations. Wish they'd done a multi-email campaign about the redesign, highlighting a different part of the site with each email.

As for a best practices miss, they didn't use a preheader. Plus, they don't give me a link to update my preferences or my account, which I think they should. As much as I love the focused message of the email and the lack of clutter, I do think they could layer in a few understated links to drive people to do stuff on the site, without taking away from the sleek creative. Anyone else have thoughts about this one?

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September 10, 2009 12:29 PM

Deja Vu Hollister

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Hollister
Subject Line: Woke up in shreds.
Date: September 10, 2009

A few weeks ago (August 24th, to be exact) I blogged about a Hollister horizontal email for shredded jeans. While I liked the creative overall, apparently Hollister REALLY liked it. In fact, they liked it so much they decided to send me the exact same email again today, right down to the subject line. Oh wait, I take that back. They did change up the image a bit by zooming in on the fabric instead of showing the whole jean, but not sure that qualifies as new email creative. Since they decided to make me relive this one again, I'll take a minute to highlight a comment that Amy Hamilton made about a previous Hollister horizontal email. She pointed out that they're making the emails too tall, so subscribers actually have to scroll vertically and horizontally. Smart gal, that Amy.

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September 3, 2009 1:41 PM

An Intelligent Transaction

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Twitter
Subject Line: Reset your Twitter password
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009

It's super-easy to overlook or "dial in" your transactional messaging. Twitter does it smarter with their "password reset" email message:

"Can't remember your password, huh? It happens to the best of us... login and change it to something you'll remember."

The copy is straightforward, cute, "human." Very Twitter.

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September 3, 2009 1:04 PM

Krispy Kreme Needs a New (Email) Recipe

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Krispy Kreme
Subject Line: Raising Funds with Krispy Kreme!
Date: September 1, 2009

Having grown up in Michigan, I'm a die-hard Dunkin' Donuts fan, but a former coworker of mine LOVED Krispy Kreme, which is how I started subscribing to their emails. I dig the huge image. I can just taste that sugar glaze, can't you? But, the letter format just isn't working for me here. There's too much copy, there's no clear call to action, there's no top nav, and there's no preheader. I'd think that the fan base for Krispy Kreme has to be huge, so the fact that they don't have a SWYN element is also a big miss. On a really basic level, there isn't even a store locator to help me get my Krispy Kreme fix stat. Add in the fact that they don't even link directly to the fundraising landing page that's live on the site, and the misses just keep stacking up.

It's also interesting because their website maximizes content buckets, but their emails don't. IMHO, they need a complete email overhaul that brings their retro-feeling brand to life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a donut sitting next to me that needs some attention. Don't tell Dunkin'.

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August 31, 2009 5:29 PM

Another Way to Say TGIF

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Tobi
Subject Line: 20% Off, Happy Friday!
Date: Friday, August 28, 2009

Just when you thought you were out of clever ideas for how to spin a sale...check out Tobi. They're TGIF approach is refreshingly simple and cleverly executed, not to mention that it's 20% off regular-priced merchandise...not sale and clearance! While most retailers are waiting to use the Labor Day handle for their big fall savings push, Tobi's smart approach makes sure all their loyal fans spend their hard-earned cash on their site first. Nice thinking. Still wishing they had a preheader and FTAF in their emails, but they do have the SWYN icons at the bottom, so that's a step in the right direction. And let's not overlook the straightforward subject line that tells the entire story in only four words and still has personality. Well done.

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August 28, 2009 1:11 PM

The Artist's Touch

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Meet Our New Designer + Shop Our New Perfect Pieces.
Date: August 24, 2009

I love the way that Ann Taylor unveils a new designer in this special email. This approach aligns perfectly with the current trend of putting real faces on big companies and of forging more of individual connections with customers and email subscribers. Not only do we get a literal face to associate with Ann Taylor designs, but the entire email creative represents the artistic process behind all Ann Taylor clothing. The swatches and sketch allows subscribers to envision the creativity and thought invested in clothing by real people, allowing shoppers to feel like they are purchasing something special and unique.

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August 27, 2009 9:26 AM

Working it Out with Lululemon

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: lululemon athletica
Subject Line: Welcome to online shopping at lululemon
Date: August 20, 2009

From: lululemon athletica
Subject Line: The new items you've been waiting for are here!
Date: August 26, 2009

I am in the middle of a huge love affair with lululemon. There is something irresistibly cool and hip about their workout stuff, and I am definitely not the only girl out there who's figured that out. If you haven't visited their site, do it now. I am all over the amazing texture in the navigation and the simplicity of the graphics.

Their welcome email was really fresh and unbelievably simple. It didn't fall back on the same ole copy that everybody uses. (i.e. "You're on the inside track! Now you'll be the first to know about special sales and events." Sound familiar?) Instead, they went for an inspirational shot with a simple "Thanks for registering!" headline and a clear shop-now CTA.

The second email I got from them hit the mark for me as well. I love how they picked up the navigation treatment from the site and the message felt timely and focused. They're showcasing all their new stuff in a simple, clean, and compelling way. No fuss, no muss.

Plus, the fact that they're saying this is what's new THIS WEEK, makes me wonder if they'll send an email each week with new stuff. It'll be fun to see how the emails evolve. Potentially a "shop all new items CTA" at the bottom would have been a good addition, but the top nav does give people a way to engage with the site as a whole. And who can resist the way they dropped some logic at the end... "Love Your Failures". Ain't that the truth.

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August 24, 2009 9:08 AM

Taking the horizontal route

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Hollister
Subject Line: Woke up in shreds
Date: August 23, 2009

First things first. Love this subject line. Love it. I had 30+ emails waiting in my strictly retail email inbox this morning and this is the first one I opened. What I also love is that the subject of the email delivers on the promise of the subject line. It's all about torn-up jeans.

Two big misses for me: 1) At first, second, and third glance, I didn't realize this was a horizontal email. I love that they're exploring a new perspective, but they need to offer some copy to help their email subscribers along. This is a shift in the norm, so a little help would be good. A cool "Keep scrolling" would've helped me figure it out, at least. 2) An even bigger issue for me is that there's no CTA. A simple "Get shredded" would do the trick.

But, even without the CTA, I clicked on the image anyways and was taken to a fantastic landing page within the chick portion of the site. What I can't figure out is how Hollister knew I was a Betty and not a Dude. They never asked when I signed up for email, so I'm thinking they just guessed. Rather than taking a 50/50 shot, my suggestion would be to just add a question to the sign-up a process: Are you a Betty or a Dude? Or better yet, add two CTAs to the email, Betty Shop and Dude Shop.

At any rate, the subject line rocks and so did the landing experience. Now, to try and fit into those skinny-leg shredded jeans... but that's another story for another blog.

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August 20, 2009 12:40 PM

Back to School Deals... for Teachers!

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: The Container Store
Subject Line: Know a teacher? Don't miss this offer!
Date: August 20, 2009

How refreshing to see a back-to-school email that's all about teachers! Since I live in a state where they've slashed, yet again, the funding for schools, I would imagine that a lot of teachers are having to dig into their own wallets to buy the "extras" they want for their classroom. Bravo to The Container Store for giving these hard-working superstars a special savings discount of their own.

Fantastic offer aside, there are a few things from an execution standpoint that I think they could have done better. Let's start with the copy. It's written as though I'm not a teacher, which is fine because I'm not. But what if I were? Also, it doesn't tell me whether I can shop online and in-store. The landing page did go into more detail, but I think telling people WHERE they can shop is a pretty important fact to get across up front. The fulfillment part of this is also interesting because they will email you a discount code once you've registered. I don't know about you, but I'm thinking a simple 1-2-3 approach to the copy would have educated the subscriber quickly on the logistics of the program and made them feel like this is super-easy to do and not a time suck. Plus, at first scroll, I missed the fact the teacher needs to register for the discount... so maybe that call to action should have been above the fold. And lastly, the subject line might have been a little more powerful if the percentage was included: Back to School Special: 15% Off for Teachers!

On the design front, I think it would have been great to show some products to inspire teachers to consider The Container Store as a resource center. Plus, for those of us who aren't teachers, we might get excited about some really cool storage ideas that could corral the clutter and make our lives just that much more organized. Because, you know, piles only work for so long. Eventually, you really do have to file.

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August 18, 2009 7:17 AM

Daily Candy for Wine Lovers

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: The Daily Sip
Subject Line: Daily Sip: Frick-in' Dry Creek
Date: August 17, 2009

Taking a cue from Daily Candy's playbook, The Daily Sip by bottlenotes focuses on one big feature per email. Short on the sass that Daily Candy is known for, but long on copy just the same, the emails combine a swirl of education with a splash of salesmanship. They bottle each one as a "daily dose of wine knowledge" and they've created a pretty tight editorial calendar around that direction, with five main content types per week: Tips & Tools, Featured Winemaker, Chef Notes, Wine of the Week, and Regional Spotlight.

Overall, I'm really digging these emails and read at least three out of the five I get each week. The tone is friendly and casual, not corporate, which is a definite bonus. That said, I think there are also some things they could do to help their subscribers interact more with the bottlenotes site, which appears to be big on community. (Their tagline is Good People. Great Wine.)

A top nav would be a great start. My suggestion: Wines, People, Notes, Clubs...at the minimum.
Including a few secondary messages that drive people to the site would be key, i.e. a small promo similar to what's on their homepage to entice people to write notes about the wines they're drinking now. It's a no-brainer; the promo is already built!
From an inbox perspective, I'd also change the "from" field to bottlenotes vs. The Daily Sip. They have "Daily Sip" in the subject line itself, so use the opportunity to promote the name bottlenotes in addition to The Daily Sip.

Lastly, I'm the first to admit that I'm not a designer, but I find the right rail ads to be disjointed from the rest of the creative. If it's a bottlenotes promotion, then the design seems to work, but when it's an ad for grass-fed beef...well...it just doesn't, IMHO. If they turned the ad into editorial content, then they could have more control of the creative. They could also connect the ad to the feature story. So if it's about a killer red wine, then reference that the grass-fed beef would be the perfect food pairing. Otherwise, I'm not sure I get why it's there. Any other design suggestions here?

I lied. One last thing. I was a bit bummed by the experience of clicking on the "past sips" button. I was hoping to land in a newsletter archive, but instead ended up on a subscribe to The Daily Sip landing page. Since I already subscribe, this seemed like a miss.

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August 13, 2009 11:51 AM

Candidate for Best Subject Line EVER!!!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: YogaBlaze
Subject Line: Bourgeois Sufferings & The Practice of Staying
Date: Monday, August 3, 2009

The newsletter itself is (visually) a dog's breakfast, but how's this for a compelling subject line :)!?!?
Bourgeois Sufferings & The Practice of Staying

How could you not open that? It's an awesome argument for going off-formula and putting some creative thought into those good old SLs. Yay, YogaBlaze!

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July 27, 2009 1:31 PM

A&F Goes Horizontal

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Abercrombie & Fitch
Subject Line: A&F Premium Jeans
Date: July 23, 2009
Subject Line: The best plaid to party in
Date: July 26, 2009

I've given Abercrombie & Fitch some flack for their emails in past entries, so I'm excited to see some cool stuff coming from them lately. The horizontal scroll is fun and still a fresh sight in the inbox, and the copy is fun and on-brand, too. The copy on the jeans email especially optimizes opportunities to play with the pants theme, mentioning...erm..."assets," and telling subscribers to get their "butt in stores" to check out the jeans.

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July 21, 2009 10:53 AM

Hang Out in the Hollister Lounge

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Hollister
Subject Line: Have you heard our new tracks?
Date: July 21, 2009

Super-cool idea. Not-so-super-cool execution. The concept of creating a "lounge" on the Hollister site where Dudes and Bettys can listen to tunes is fantastic. Unfortunately, there are some glitches in the experience.

Glitch #1: When I clicked from the email, it took me to the homepage, rather than landing me in the lounge. Glitch #2: A streaming video with sound that has absolutely nothing to do with the music automatically starts playing and continues to play even when I click on one of the bands. It's chaotic. Glitch #3: I wish the album cover would pop up in the HUGE video space available on the page, rather than this dinky little pop-up window. It'd also be cool if they had a bunch of info about the band and their music influences.

On the plus side, I got to hear the entire song vs. just a snippet and they do have links to the band sites. All in all, I wish they'd dialed this experience in like they did for www.hcoridethewave.com.

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July 16, 2009 8:29 AM

Creating Brand Personalities

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Serena & Lily
Subject Line: See what Serena hearts...
Date: July 8, 2009

From: Serena & Lily
Subject Line: See what Lily loves...
Date: July 14, 2009

In keeping with the J.Crew email I blogged about a few weeks ago, I'm totally into this idea of hearing what the minds behind the designs are loving about their own collections. For me, it turns these emails from Serena & Lily into a mini magazine spread, like something I'd see in Cookie. They're colorful, beautiful, and short on copy. Very compelling. The Serena & Lily customer is definitely high-end and they do count a few celebrities as their biggest fans, so offering up a special deal or free shipping would feel off-brand with such an editorial-themed email, IMHO. They know who they are and they deliver that brand beautifully. I'm wondering if there aren't more brands out there that could identify a visionary in their own ranks and create a content strategy around him or her? For example, I'd love to hear from Anthropologie's creative director. I'd love to have her email me with her (or his) inspirations. What brands would you want the insider's POV on?

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June 30, 2009 8:42 AM

The Secret is Out

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: Thank you for your recent purchase
Date: June 20, 2009

Isn't it fun when you rediscover a brand? Take Victoria's Secret, for instance. Lately, my gal pals and I can't get enough of this iconic brand. And it has nothing to do with sexy little underthings, either. (Sorry guys.) We're all about the dresses, tanks, tshirts and swimsuits featured in the summer catalog. One of my girlfriends went so far as to say that the only promotional emails she opens anymore are the ones from Victoria's Secret!

I'm not sure if they revamped their email marketing and merchandise, or what. But, whatever they're doing, it's working. What sealed the deal for me was this simple "thank you for your purchase" email. Instead of combining it with my order confirmation, they sent a separate email to just say...thanks. I loved it. Plus they gave me free shipping on my next order of $100 or more. I already have three dresses picked out.

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June 25, 2009 1:43 PM

Can we buy the girl, too?

Posted by Alex Madison

From: CompUSA.com
Subject Line: Just In: Acer 3gb Laptop $299...15.4" Screen, DVD Burner,
160gb HD...Hurry
Date:Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I understand that a tech store probably views men as their target audience, and we all know that photos of women tend to "sell" better than photos of men. Still, this (quite lovely!) girl on the laptop steals the show in this email. It's hard to look at anything else, including the screaming deal. The bold and the busy copy end up looking like a frame for this girl's face, or like a wild haircut.

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June 18, 2009 8:34 AM

Highly Unannoying

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Get the newsletter people describe as "highly unannoying"!
Subject Line: someecards
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009

I got a hilarious card from a co-worker from someecards.com recently. I then used the service to send one myself, and received an email prompting me to sign up for their newsletter shortly thereafter. This is no doubt the most entertaining - and compelling - acquisition email copy I've ever read.

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June 12, 2009 7:12 AM

Go Phish

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: PayPal
Subject Line: RE: FW: Account Validation Required
Date: June 10, 2009

For over a week I received an email a day supposedly from PayPal with the subject line Account Validation Required. They all landed in my Junk folder, which was good, but when I started receiving two a day, I decided enough with the phishing.

Of course, I knew that the fact it was from a .uk address was phishy, and I knew enough not to click on anything or give them any info. But I couldn't help but think about all the thousands of people who probably don't know it's a scam. Scary. I forwarded the email to the address that the REAL PayPal site provides in the event that you think an email is a phishing scam: spoof@paypal.com.

Within an hour, I received this email back (check it out to the left). I really applaud PayPal for their follow-through, and I really like the tone of the copy. The good news: No more emails from the phony-baloney PayPal site with the .uk address. Now if we can just get rid of phishing scams all together, we'll be golden.

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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."

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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!

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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.

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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...

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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.

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April 24, 2009 8:09 AM

I Love a Good Mystery

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Southwest Airlines
Subject Line: 50% off a Mystery City Each Day
Date: April 24, 2009

I love the way Southwest took a 50% off sale and made it a game. Sticking out in the inbox these days is a challenge, and this is the perfect example of how simple clever can be. Best of all, I love how they do not include the city in the subject line. It forces me to open the email. Very smart. While I'm not in the market to fly to Philly today, I can tell you this: I'm hooked. I'm already guessing about what tomorrow's city will be.

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April 10, 2009 10:46 AM

Emails Focused on Economic Times

Posted by Amy Hamilton

From: JCPenny
Subject Line: A Special Message to You from the CEO of JCPenney
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009

From: The Limited
Subject Line: Affordably Chic. Get The Fashion You Love For Less!
Date: Monday, March 23, 2009

Relevancy is an important part of email. Relate to your audience, anticipate their needs, and you will find astonishing results. In tough economic times such as these, why not emphasize what you can do to help your subscribers? Like JC Penny & The Limited: sending out a friendly reminder that you can still get quality products without emptying your wallet.

There are many more emails out there similar to these examples. This type of messaging could also be a good opportunity to provide a discount.

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April 8, 2009 3:49 PM

healthy. happy. email.

Posted by Alex Madison

I love this giggle email. The body copy and the "let's get rolling" CTA are great, and the numbers illustrate how many kids can fit in the stroller in a simple, clear way. By putting their "giggle criteria" in a module underneath the hero, they manage to pack in a lot of detailed info while maintaining a clean design. Since the hero is so simple, the busy-ness of the submessages doesn't bother me - it makes it fun.

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March 31, 2009 6:59 AM

Aaaaaah. The Simple Life.

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: One Day Only! 20% Off Your Order of $50+
Date: March 31, 2009

From the subject line to the preheader to the focused design and copy, I just love this email. Maybe it's because my apartment is cluttered with moving boxes that I am craving the clean and simple, but right now, I'm really appreciating the retailers who are sticking to a main story and doing it right. Thanks for the email, VS. I'll be shopping.

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March 17, 2009 11:55 AM

Good for Me!

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Good for You!
Date: Friday, March 13, 2009

I recently started a new email account, and this Barneys New York email is my favorite welcome message so far. The copy congratulates me on signing up and thereby joining the "email cognoscenti," the message is branded to set expectations for future Barneys emails, and the messaging is simple, direct and draws me back into shopping. My favorite part is their humorous approach - their fashionable but still roller-wearing model looks both sassy and beautiful. The playful copy beneath the CTA "Leave your rollers in - we don't care!" ties it all together: the funny photo and the benefits of being part of the email program (high-fashion shopping prior to primping :)

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March 16, 2009 6:21 AM

Recession Marketing

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Sephora
Subject Line: Do It Yourself - and save!
Date: March 3, 2009

Just like a lot of folks out there, I'm making calculated choices about where I spend my cash these days. So how can marketers reach a gal like me who's holding tight to her credit card? Give me a reason to spend money so that I save money. Case in point, this super fun email from Sephora. I scrolled the whole way down and purchased a couple of things off this DIY list. They even highlight the salon price for each service and compare it to the Sephora DIY price. Very clever, very timely, very creative. IMHO, this is the perfect example of how marketing to the masses via recession-minded tactics can come off smart, not sneaky.

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March 10, 2009 12:07 PM

This Spring: Eyes on the Price

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Nordstrom
Subject Line: 9-to-5 Looks at Nice Prices
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2009

From: Nordstrom
Subject Line: Just In: Fresh, Affordable Dresses
Date: Friday, March 6, 2009

With the economic downturn raising stress levels throughout society, it's interesting to see how retailers are marketing to a belt-tightening subscriber base. The last couple emails I've received from Nordstrom have come with subject lines touting affordable prices.

Nordstrom is traditionally a high-end brand, selling sophisticated fashion to the consumers that can afford it. While they're famous for stellar sales, their regular messaging is not about price--it's about high-end style.

With the landscape changing for marketers, I wonder if the introduction of "affordability" messaging in Nordstrom's full-price email campaigns signifies an attempt to shift their brand perception slightly, to be thought of not only as the place to find the best service and best fashion pieces available, but also a destination for high style with low prices. I also wonder whether their price tags will be able to match their messaging, especially as subscribers change their ideas of what "affordable" means.

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January 6, 2009 11:15 AM

Get the scoop on 2008 Retail Email Trends

Posted by Darrah MacLean

From: Smith-Harmon
Subject Line: Retail Email Year-End Trends for 2008
Date: January 6, 2009

If you're in the midst of planning your 2009 email marketing strategy, this free reportlet from Chad White, Smith-Harmon's research director, is a definite must-read. It's packed with stats, trends and charts about the overall retail email volume, frequency and timing among the top online retailers in 2008. Want to know which days of the week were most popular to send retail emails? Interested in the top 20 retail email days of the year? Ready to learn what the SECOND biggest retail email season was, behind Christmas? Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a few surprises.

Download the free reportlet now to get the panoramic view of what happened in the world of retail email in 2008.

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January 5, 2009 9:45 AM

Fashionably Late? Or Just Late?

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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December 11, 2008 2:26 PM

I'm a Loser

Posted by Alex Madison

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.

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December 10, 2008 8:27 AM

Trigger Happy

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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December 5, 2008 9:54 AM

Read the Cyber Monday Tell-All

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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November 26, 2008 8:35 AM

Love always,

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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November 21, 2008 6:32 PM

Mistletoe Makeover

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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November 21, 2008 2:50 PM

Blithesome Holiday

Posted by Alex Madison

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.

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November 6, 2008 3:30 PM

Isn't it ironic? Or not.

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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?

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October 23, 2008 6:02 PM

Think Pink

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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October 14, 2008 2:57 PM

Find a Store Near You

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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October 7, 2008 8:35 AM

Old Dog? Time for a New Trick.

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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!

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September 30, 2008 9:18 AM

Battle of the Boots

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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September 29, 2008 12:33 PM

The Standout Subject Line

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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September 15, 2008 2:48 PM

This Email is Not the Funnest

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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August 26, 2008 2:46 PM

You Had Me at the Subject Line

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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August 22, 2008 8:52 AM

What's Your Preference?

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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August 18, 2008 1:05 PM

Sometimes Sorry Does Cut It

Posted by Darrah MacLean

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.

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July 8, 2008 11:53 AM

Ephemeral Benefits

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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February 6, 2008 12:23 PM

Go Ask Alex

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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January 25, 2008 11:48 AM

Want to receive fewer Horchow e-mails?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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 :)!

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December 12, 2007 11:09 AM

Nice and Concise

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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December 7, 2007 8:34 AM

Idle Day Diary

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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...

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November 8, 2007 9:10 PM

Talking to Your Audience as They Are

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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October 28, 2007 8:42 PM

Heads up!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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..."

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October 9, 2007 7:47 PM

I'll Stand, Thanks

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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April 20, 2007 2:04 PM

Creating a Good First Impression

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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...

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April 17, 2007 7:35 AM

Mum Says: "Two Thumbs Up!"

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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!

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April 3, 2007 7:15 AM

Fork and Knife

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.)

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March 29, 2007 7:07 PM

A Green Light

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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March 19, 2007 4:40 PM

How to say goodbye?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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March 5, 2007 9:23 PM

The Many Personalities...

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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?)

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February 2, 2007 1:04 PM

Too Strong a CTA?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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 and action-oriented, but won't drive away folks who aren't ready to "Buy" quite yet.

"More" is also a safe bet; we always want "more", right?

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January 16, 2007 9:13 PM

Shoes.

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Built by Wendy
Subject Line: Built by Wendy Shoes
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Well that's straightforward isn't it? I think someone forgot to put their clever cap on over at Built by Wendy...All the same, it's a cute little brand - check them out if you haven't already.

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January 2, 2007 11:09 PM

Fred Flare Shows Some Love

Posted by Lisa Harmon

I've appreciated the humor sprinkled throughout Urban Outfitters' email campaigns, but even more I appreciate the LOVE I get each week from fredflare.com. On December 18, they told me "WE LOVE YOU / THX FOR BEING OUR BESTIE:)" which is just about the cutest thing I've ever read in an email. On December 22, they assured me that they're "HERE FOR [ME]!", all smiley with hearts, and on the 29th they thanked me for "an amazing year."

I just think it's so nice and sweet that Fred Flare is mailin' out some love each week. I always open their campaigns - they bring a smile to my face. (I'm sure they must be getting some love back in return from their customers!) This seems like such a nice way to drive sales. Maybe we could all try to inject some love into our campaigns this year. Thanks Fred Flare!

From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's $9.95 3-DAY ENDS TODAY!!!!!!
Date: Monday, December 18, 2006

From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com is HERE FOR YA!
Date: Friday, December 22, 2006

From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's FREE SHIPPING ENDS SUN:)
Date: Friday, December 29, 2006

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January 1, 2007 10:54 PM

Thank you!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Fabulous stationery + test your thank-you writing know-how
Date: Monday, January 1, 2007

I really like this message from Neiman Marcus. It's timely: we all have thank-you notes to write, don't we? It's engaging: we all want to know the "right" time to send those notes, don't we? It's brief: I think they featured the right amount of content. This isn't a hugely long email newsletter about thank-you note writing that we don't have time to read. It's an easy-to-digest quiz question that clearly prompts us to click through for satisfaction. (I did!)

One recommendation for improvement: use a clearer headline. "In a word" is cute, but basically meaningless and easy to gloss over. Instead, feature "How soon should you send a thank-you note?" in the large pink type. I guarantee it will improve click-through.

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December 14, 2006 10:35 PM

Gifted

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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December 4, 2006 8:47 PM

You're Not My Friend

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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.

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November 22, 2006 8:24 PM

The Email within the Email

Posted by Lisa Harmon

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!

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November 17, 2006 9:01 AM

Um, Hello

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
Date: Friday, November 17, 2006

I have no idea what's going on here, but it's hillarious and awesome!

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November 9, 2006 3:34 PM

Are you tawkina me!?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

Maybe it's just because they've got me personally figured out, but I find J.Crew's EDM copy absolutely convincing. Their sale messaging always conveys a sense of urgency, and even their September 26th Fall Collection message - which reminds customers to shop now before full-priced items sell out - drove me to click-through and purchase. Either they've got a great copywriting strategy, or I'm justa sucka. Maybe it's a bit of both. Whatever the case, this type of copy-reliant message has obviously been successful for them: they keep doing it, and I keep clicking...

From: J.Crew
Subject Line: New items added to our Final Sale
Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2006

From: jcrew@ click.jcrew.com
Subject Line: A little reminder from J.Crew
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

From: J.Crew
Subject Line: An exclusive invite to a special sale
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Run, don't walk...it's our fall sale
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2006

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July 10, 2006 8:03 PM

A Sterile Welcome

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: info@mercedes-benz.com
Subject Line: Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006

First impressions are critical. The content and quality of your welcome message will influence a subscriber's behavior forever, determining whether or not he or she will continue to open - or even subscribe to - your campaigns.

I was disappointed by the Mercedes-Benz Brand World welcome message, which was not only dry but also, for reasons I cannot pinpoint exactly, feels very "English as a Second Language." Even the subject line - "Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration" - is flat, sounding more like a rote operational message than a gracious welcome.

This message does nothing to service the website behind it, which is actually quite lovely. Click here to check it out.

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June 22, 2006 5:38 AM

Consoling the Kittens

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Take an Extra 25% off. This time, we mean it.
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006

This is awesome. Apparently there was a problem with Urban Outfitters' June 19th Sale campaign, and the message pictured here is a little apology for the flub. Being someone involved with and serious about EDM campaigns, seeing something as ridiculous as this - something flush with the humor of a human being, something admittedly imperfect - is so totally refreshing. It feels so authentic and vulnerable. I want to buy something, if not only to console the kittens.

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June 19, 2006 6:31 PM

A Question of Perspective

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Introducing Furniture Color Previews
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006

The dynamic color swap is a great innovation in ecommerce, and I applaud Land of Nod for implementing a Furniture Preview Tool. Also, although it's a little jerky, they make great use of the rotating GIF here to illustrate this new functionality. However, this email suffers from a Land-of-Nod-centric perspective. Rather than touting their own amazing functionality, the copy should focus on how this functionality serves the customer. The text should highlight how easy and fun the customer's furniture shopping experience will be, not how impressed they'll be with the Land of Nod. Remember who you're selling to!

To view the animation, click here.

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April 28, 2006 10:13 AM

A Call for Clear Copy

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Fresh Basics for the Summer Bed
Date: Friday, April 28, 2006

This is a well-merchandized, well-laid out campaign. The number and quality of products shown appeal to a broad audience looking to stock up on basic bedding. Rather than clarifying this message, however, the copy confuses it. What is a "SUMMER BED"? And while the allusion to a "balanced breakfast" is cute, do we really "start every day" with bedding, or do we actually "end every day" with it?

Unless you've got a creative hook that makes really sense and adds to the overall message, it's best to stick with straightforward copy: a clear, direct message and call-to-action. In this case, I believe a general "stock up on our favorite basics, plus add personalization" direction would be more relevant, and would engage more shoppers.

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April 18, 2006 6:58 AM

English as a Second Language?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: PUMA
Subject Line: Grow into something new
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

On the web, the focus on design often eclipses the importance of copy. Here, we see what happens when copy is not treated with the respect it deserves. The subject line, subhead and call-to-action - all of it - sounds "off", doesn't it? Like it was written by someone with a limited understanding of the English language? "Click here to discover what is budding." Heh.

Because we need to be concise with our online copy, the few words that we do present become all the more critical. I highly recommend the book "Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy" by Nick Usborne for online copywriters, creative directors and ecommerce managers - anyone directly or indirectly involved with internet copy. The book not only provides useful suggestions for writing effective copy for the web, but also shows us why copy for web is important so that we don't shortchange this critical piece of the whole.

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April 17, 2006 6:41 AM

Engaging Shoppers

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: The newest additions to our Chesapeake Collection are here.
Date: Monday, April 17, 2006

Here, Pottery Barn does a really nice job of addressing and engaging a specific audience: active shoppers. Building upon the introductory Outdoor Furniture message they sent on April 3, they speak directly to customers who already own a piece, offering new styles and colors. Showing the cushion swatches is particularly effective: it engages the customer in a design consideration, taking them one step closer to product purchase.

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March 18, 2006 8:26 AM

The $69 Sofa

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Ship unlimited furniture from just $69
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Love the clean, straightforward creative execution here, however, the copy could be somewhat misleading: "starting at just $69" refers only to the shipping price, not the actual product price. While the number 69 might compel click-through, I wouldn't be surprised if this campaign sparked very few conversions with actual pricetags over $1,000.

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March 8, 2006 10:03 AM

To Indulge or Not to Indulge?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Shop our final sale
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2006

Love the color and the simple execution. Not sure about the word choice. According to Merriam-Webster, INDULGE implies "excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires," as well as "inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect." Does that sound like a good thing to you? Hmm...

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March 8, 2006 9:39 AM

Nice Rugs, Plus a Note Concerning Tuesdays

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Calling all piggy toes. Calling all piggy toes.
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006

This email was brought to my attention by a colleague. Thank you!

The Land of Nod always seems to walk the razor's edge as far as copy goes. While employing the current energy crisis to drive rug sales is brilliant, "piggy toes" is just annoying. I agree with my colleague concerning the rug photography here. Notably difficult to depict online, The Land of Nod has done a wonderful job here showcasing their rugs. Nice work.

On another note, I'd like to make a general observation concerning Tuesdays: I'm not sure they're the best day to launch email campaigns anymore. While I received only 3 EDMs on Monday, I received 13 Tuesday, and, even as a self-described EDM Freak, did not get through all of them. How much more would this be true for the average consumer? Hmm... are Wednesdays the new Tuesday? Let me know what you think.

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February 21, 2006 8:25 AM

Novel Pricing Device

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: CB2
Subject Line: Now serving great prices on cool barware.
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Here, CB2 uses a novel dot-whack device to list product prices. It's cute; it works with their logo and their modern aesthetic.

Speaking of modern, a question about the copy: "bottoms up to affordable modern" what? Modern what!?

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February 20, 2006 7:38 AM

Bathing Boo Boo

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: dELiA*s
Subject Line: Save $10! Swim Sale online only
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2006

From: gap.com
Subject Line: Find Your Perfect Swimsuit
Date: Monday, February 20, 2006

We've got yet another campaign "double" today - dELiA*s and gap.com sent out strikingly similar swimwear messages. Check out that photography! Those layouts! Kind of creepy.

The obvious opening comment is "ouch!" - gap.com's HTML broke in my email browser, thereby breaking the illusion of their overall message. This is the worst browser break I've seen in a long time. How embarassing!

If we can "see beyond the break", however, gap.com's execution is more successful because the message is deeper and more focused. It's all about the swimfinder and it's many uses; just by reading the links we start to think about finding our suit and are compelled to click through. In the case dELiA*s, even though we've got a sale and a free shipping offer, the triple-combo of sale, free ship and mix & match swimwear dilutes any one message and does not pull us into the process the same way gap.com does. Plus, after all, "buy 2, save $10!" isn't really that great of a deal.

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February 17, 2006 9:35 AM

Shoe-In

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: Our favorite espadrille has arrived
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006

From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Editor's pick: the Fulham shoe
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Both J.Crew and Banana Republic presented single-shoe-family messages yesterday, which makes for a great side-by-side comparison.

Banana Republic has been going a little overboard with multi-messages, submessages and "Free Shipping" promos lately, so it's refreshing to see them doing something simple; something closer to J.Crew's usual MO, actually. While the executions are somewhat different, these messages are comprised of remarkably similar components: a "collection" hero image, a basic romance copy block, and a direct call-to-action. So which wins my click-through? While I personally find espadrilles remarkably ugly, the Banana Republic message convinces us with smart copy that "If you only allow yourself one shoe this season, make it this espadrille," positioning it as a "must-have" rather than a nice-to-have "editor's pick" like the J.Crew Fulham shoe. So I guess we'd purchase the Fulham only if we were buying two pairs of shoes this season.

On an unrelated note: the espadrille hero image is several pixels thinner than the copy block above it and the menu bar below it, making an otherwise clean email look sloppy. Count those pixels, kids!

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February 10, 2006 6:28 PM

Smirky Two-Timer

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Bliss Beaut-e-mail
Subject Line: winning news from bliss
Date: Friday, February 10, 2006

While I love Bliss products, I sometimes don't love their brand tone. "I-can-have-it-all" sassiness can look too much like "I-can-have-it-all" bitchiness, as is the case with this smirky gal "who's been two-timing." To send something like this so close to Valentine's Day comes off as, well, bitchy.

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February 4, 2006 4:56 PM

Love it!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Love it!
Date: Friday, February 3, 2006

Barney's put together a fun, simple suite of EDMs for Valentine's Day; they've used this same format for a series of messages featuring this season's gift picks. The creative is pretty cute, although it doesn't include a single call-to-action... but I just love the concept of "Love it!" as a Subject Line and Headline because we're always saying "Love it!" around here, about everything. It's sunny out. "Love it!" It's lunchtime. "Love it!" It's a $1,200 Mini Croisiere handbag. "Love it!"

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January 31, 2006 7:23 AM

$5 a Day

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: The most amazing little cappuccino maker
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

This is just the smartest little EDM! For those of us who "run on" caffeine, "Pays for itself in just 18 cappuccinos" makes an extremely convincing argument! Way to rock the "buy to save" argument, CB. Now I only wonder how they taste...

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January 27, 2006 11:03 AM

Love is in the ear.

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Apple
Subject Line: Great gift ideas to surprise your valentine.
Date: Friday, January 27, 2006

This EDM came to my attention via a colleague - thanks! The heart-shaped ear buds, the affectionate shot within the iPod Photo, and the "Love is in the ear" copy are all spot-on, coming together to form a really strong seasonal message. Nice work, Apple!

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January 24, 2006 5:21 PM

CB2: a not-so-new destination

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: CB2
Subject Line: The Very First CB2 Catalog is in the Mail
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Here, CB2 did a great job showing a whole lot of product while avoiding the dreaded "garage sale" look. (You can't see it in my screenshot, but the polka-dots actually rotate between product images and product info.) If only I could CLICK on each image to find the product for purchase on the website! The images all link to an "order a catalog page", which I would imagine will result in a lot of lost revenue for this message.
A note about copy: CB2 is no longer a "new" destination from Crate and Barrel - I've been getting their EDMs for over a year now. Time for a new tagline!

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December 14, 2005 9:04 PM

Click Quick!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Click quick: Last 3 days of FREE SHIPPING
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2005

"Click Quick", both in the subject line and copy, is such a cute concept! Too bad the creative is so weird. Are those Christmas balls or bubbling lava?
Question to Nieman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman: Do you HAVE to send the EDMs EVERY DAY!? I only have so much room in my inbox. Every other day is fine. Let me miss you a little.

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November 8, 2005 6:00 PM

I Know All, Darling

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: katespade.com
Subject Line: kate's favorites | november
Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2005

The monthly "kate's favorites" messages are great in that they're just as much fashion editorial as they are direct marketing. Kate Spade's got this no-nonsense, "I know all, darling" voice that comes as a fun change amidst the less-personal corporate voices we're used to hearing.

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October 28, 2005 8:33 PM

Secret Sale

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Shhh! Secret Sale!
Date: Friday, October 28, 2005

Land of Nod's copy can sometimes be cute and quirky, an other times a little TOO quirky. But this is them on a cute and quirky day. I'm always a fan of the "secret sale" concept, and they've used the subject line and copy to make it really fun. Not sure what I think of that little "Holy Moly!" guy in the corner, though.

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October 27, 2005 10:53 AM

Picture Perfect

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Snap Up Our Picture-Perfect Looks: Sweaters Start at $19.50
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005

Here, Old Navy does a nice job employing the "polariod" look which is suddenly showing up everywhere in online retail. Everyone's putting product shots into polariod frames for a more "authentic" look, and it's cute, but here it makes SENSE thanks to the "Picture-Perfect and "It's a Snap" copy.

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August 15, 2005 1:51 PM

Must-Have

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: J. Crew
Subject Line: Editor's Favorite and Free Shipping
Date: Monday, August 15, 2005

This is one of the single MOST compelling one-product promo EDMs I've seen all year. The copy, combined with the multiple detail shots, really makes us feel like these are "the most incredible jeans." And with just a few hundred pairs available, how could we not buy them immediately? Way to amp up the urgency.

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