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March 9, 2011 7:58 AM

Next Generation Integration with Adobe Omniture Helps Responsys Customers More Easily Bridge Web Analytics Data and Marketing Campaigns

Posted by Scott Olrich

Today I am at the Adobe Omniture Summit in Salt Lake City to announce some very exciting new enhancements to our existing integration with the Adobe Online Marketing Suite, powered by Omniture. Responsys has been very busy creating this integration aimed at accelerating time-to-market and reducing the complexity of cross-channel marketing campaigns, and I believe our customers will be impressed with the results. 

The improvement to the Responsys integration gives marketers a new level of power and ease of use by automatically summarizing web analytics data that is captured by Adobe SiteCatalyst, powered by Omniture, into pre-defined audience segments within the Responsys Interact user interface.  Without any manual work or technical resources required, Responsys Interact users can instantly target campaigns based on who has recently browsed, purchased, or abandoned a shopping cart on their website.  This better equips our customers to take advantage of today's technology to translate their data into smart business decisions.

Responsys and Adobe already work together with hundreds of  global brands such as Avery®, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Freshpair.com, Intrawest, Onlineshoes.com, and Thomson Reuters to power their data-driven marketing campaigns to increase ROI and make smarter business decisions.  If you are interested in learning more about our offering, you can visit http://www.responsys.com/suite/index.php

 For those of you who are attending the Adobe Omniture Summit, I hope to see you at my keynote presentation , "Welcome to the New School of Marketing" on Thursday, March 10 at 9:10 a.m.

 

Best,

Scott Olrich, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Responsys

February 10, 2011 1:58 PM

Dropbox in my Laptop?

Posted by Lisa Harmon

20110210_DropBox.jpg


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.

January 18, 2011 8:49 AM

Content was, is and will forever be king

Posted by Rafael Hernandez
From: Co.Design DailyCoDesign_Daily_Email.jpg
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.
December 22, 2009 3:33 PM

The Secret to Success

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

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

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

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.
February 1, 2008 11:16 AM

Early Adapter

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: FreePeople.com
Subject Line: Short Pants Romance
Date: Friday, February 1, 2008

Email + Social Networking = so hot right now! Yet despite all the talk, I haven't seen many retailers integrate email messaging with MySpace sites. Enter the notably-early-adapting Free People! (They've been blogging and RSSing forever.) Check out the hotlink to add them as a MySpace friend at the upper-right of this email. Kudos to Free People for sticking their toe into the Email + Social Networking pool! Although I'm not sure I'd recommend becoming an early adapter on the "Short Pants" trend. With construction boots? Yikes! Not hot.


January 22, 2007 8:37 PM

HTML Text

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Eddie Bauer
Subject Line: Shop New For Spring | Spring Outerwear is here.
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2007

From: Eddie Bauer
Subject Line: One Week Only: Extra 30% Off Sale Outerwear.
Date: Monday, January 22, 2007

Eddie Bauer appears to be taking the dual "supressed images/preview pane" threat seriously: these recent campaigns use HTML for almost all text - including nav items. And you know what? I think they look pretty darn good. A lot of us have been skittish to follow the best practice - use as much HTML text as possible - because we lose a degree of creative control over how text renders. But (depending upon your brand and your audience) it might be better to have slightly-less-beautiful text read than no text at all. And with the introduction of IE7, which renders HTML text in a more appealing (read: aliased) way than it's predecessors, combined with the upsurge in Mac use, HTML text is looking better and better. Plus, as more and more B2B and B2C marketers make the switch, our eyes will adjust, and what once looked ugly might look just lovely.


December 9, 2006 7:29 PM

Look mommy what I did!

Posted by Lisa Harmon
I am all for innovation, but this is ridiculous. To start, Neiman Marcus appears to be exceedingly proud of the "unfolding magic" which is possibly the crappiest video ever made. Come on! What the heck is that!?

And then there's Crate & Barrel. They're so excited about their first TV commercial that they sent an ad about an ad. Wow! A TV ad? Amazing!

Finally, we've got Bergdorf Goodman selling CDs. Maybe I just don't grasp their greater "live-in-our-brand-bubble" vision, but how does a Bergdorf Goodman CD collection make any sense? And who buys CDs anymore anyway?


From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: The Christmas Book is here!
Date: Tuesday, October 3, 2006

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Preview our new TV ad
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2006

From: Bergdorf Goodman
Subject Line: Volume: Preview & own the music of Bergdorf Goodman
Date: Friday, October 27, 2006


August 7, 2006 6:31 AM

Free People Picture Show

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: FreePeople.com
Subject Line: Free People Picture Show
Date: Friday, August 4, 2006

After testing the RSS waters, I applaud Free People for jumping into yet another "hot" technology: video. While the Free People Picture Show video itself is basically totally boring, featuring some video footage from what appears to be their catalog shoot, as well as still photographs made to look like video by applying noise and shaky movement, I appreciate the effort and bravery involved in trying something new.
July 24, 2006 6:15 PM

The Hollister "Imaginaire"

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Hollister
Subject Line: Take a Trip with Hollister - Downtown to Surftown
Date: Thursday, July 20 2006

Regardless of my feelings about Hollister and parent brand Abercrombie & Fitch - namely that they use sex inappropropriately to market to children - I have to applaud their brilliant branding efforts. I do not frequent their website much less their stores, but even through my limited contact with the brand - via email - I have developed a very strong sense of the Hollister "imaginaire." Hollister is not just a clothing retailer. It's a place, a texture, a way of life, a state of mind - an imaginary west coast refuge of laid-back beauty. It's in the words, the font faces, the imagery. It's an incredibly well-constructed illusion that promises teen paradise is as close as slipping on a "Mountain Road Beach Henley".

As the subject line reads: "Take a Trip with Hollister - Downtown to Surftown". Click here to see a technically impressive execution of this seductive imaginary world.
July 11, 2006 8:45 PM

Nodcasting

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Free Justin Roberts Music!
Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2006

There is much ado in the marketing world as advertisers navigate the dizzying maze of new media channels. Here, The Land of Nod experiments with Podcasting, which, like Free People's RSS Feed, is a novel foray into these unchartered lands. While I fail to draw a clear connection between furniture and music, I applaud Land of Nod's effort and bravery. Keep innovating!


June 23, 2006 6:09 AM

Plugging In

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: FreePeople.com
Subject Line: Get the RSS on What's New with Free People
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006

Free People is the first specialty retailer I've seen leverage RSS. While I know approximately nothing about the efficacy of this technology, I'm interested in how it may or may not change online retailing. The traditional website has totally changed the way we shop, delivering product into our homes and sparing us a trip to an actual retail location. With the RSS Feed, we don't even have to visit a website anymore! Product is offered at a personal virtual location even more convenient to us.

I'm a sort of creeped out by the "Minority Report-ness" of it all, but am curious to see if it catches on, and what that means for traditional websites and email marketing. RSS experts, please, offer us your wisdom and post a comment!


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