Season Finale: Halloween 2006
A look back on seasonal trends, email activity and standout B2C marketing:
Start to finish: The first reference to Halloween was from Lillian Vernon on July 30. The last reference was from Kmart on Oct. 31.
The count: The 89 major retailers that we tracked during this period sent out 97 emails about their Halloween sales and products. That’s an average of 1.09 Halloween emails per retailer.
The distribution curve: Unlike email patterns leading up to Labor Day, the emails leading up to Halloween built up but then plateaued for most of the month of October.
Most interesting emails: We thought the most interesting emails this past Halloween season were from Williams-Sonoma, mainly because they focused on merchandise other than costumes. In a Sept. 18 email (Personalized Halloween Totes from Williams-Sonoma), they focused on several products that could be personalized, including trick-or-treat totes, cookies, party invitations and ribbon. And in an Oct. 5 email (Halloween Baking Ideas from Williams-Sonoma), Williams-Sonoma highlighted its baking ideas, primarily how to make pumpkin-shaped cakes. We thought their emails were fun, concise and different.
Blair also sent out an eye-catching email on Oct. 17 (Prices so low they're eerie - as low as $5.99) that included some cute animation in it of a bat flying across the email and startling a ghost.
Standout subject lines:
RedEnvelope, 10/3 — Vhat vould Dracula vear?
Harry & David, 10/21 — It's the Witching Hour – but it's not too late!
Surprises: Unlike Labor Day and Columbus Day, you just can’t have a sale for the sake of having a sale when it comes to Halloween. You have to have a Halloween hook. In an Oct. 26 email (3-Day Sale: Save up to 25%, ends Saturday!), Circuit City announced a Halloween sale that had nothing to do with the holiday. The next day, Dell sent out an email (Picture this - Halloween savings on Dell Photography solutions) that pulled off the Halloween hook perfectly, connecting its computers and electronics to the capturing of Halloween moments.
Another surprise was that Lillian Vernon and KB Toys were the only retailers we tracked that told their subscribers when the standard and express shipping deadlines were for delivery by Halloween.
Previous emails about Halloween:
11/4 — Week-End Trends: Santa dances on Halloween’s grave
10/30 — AM Inbox: Stealing home
10/21 — Week-End Trends: Halloween plateaus
10/20 — AM Inbox: November nightmares
9/18 — AM Inbox: Happy Halloween, ______!
7/31 — AM Inbox: First Halloween reference
Start to finish: The first reference to Halloween was from Lillian Vernon on July 30. The last reference was from Kmart on Oct. 31.
The count: The 89 major retailers that we tracked during this period sent out 97 emails about their Halloween sales and products. That’s an average of 1.09 Halloween emails per retailer.
The distribution curve: Unlike email patterns leading up to Labor Day, the emails leading up to Halloween built up but then plateaued for most of the month of October.
Most interesting emails: We thought the most interesting emails this past Halloween season were from Williams-Sonoma, mainly because they focused on merchandise other than costumes. In a Sept. 18 email (Personalized Halloween Totes from Williams-Sonoma), they focused on several products that could be personalized, including trick-or-treat totes, cookies, party invitations and ribbon. And in an Oct. 5 email (Halloween Baking Ideas from Williams-Sonoma), Williams-Sonoma highlighted its baking ideas, primarily how to make pumpkin-shaped cakes. We thought their emails were fun, concise and different.
Blair also sent out an eye-catching email on Oct. 17 (Prices so low they're eerie - as low as $5.99) that included some cute animation in it of a bat flying across the email and startling a ghost.
Standout subject lines:
RedEnvelope, 10/3 — Vhat vould Dracula vear?
Harry & David, 10/21 — It's the Witching Hour – but it's not too late!
Surprises: Unlike Labor Day and Columbus Day, you just can’t have a sale for the sake of having a sale when it comes to Halloween. You have to have a Halloween hook. In an Oct. 26 email (3-Day Sale: Save up to 25%, ends Saturday!), Circuit City announced a Halloween sale that had nothing to do with the holiday. The next day, Dell sent out an email (Picture this - Halloween savings on Dell Photography solutions) that pulled off the Halloween hook perfectly, connecting its computers and electronics to the capturing of Halloween moments.
Another surprise was that Lillian Vernon and KB Toys were the only retailers we tracked that told their subscribers when the standard and express shipping deadlines were for delivery by Halloween.
Previous emails about Halloween:
11/4 — Week-End Trends: Santa dances on Halloween’s grave
10/30 — AM Inbox: Stealing home
10/21 — Week-End Trends: Halloween plateaus
10/20 — AM Inbox: November nightmares
9/18 — AM Inbox: Happy Halloween, ______!
7/31 — AM Inbox: First Halloween reference
Labels: Blair, Circuit City, Dell, Halloween, Season Finale, Williams-Sonoma
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posted at 10:03 AM by Chad White
I love Smith-Harmon's enthusiasm. It's so great to have a connection with people who really "get" and get excited by email marketing. (Truly, there are not that many of us out there!) I count myself very lucky to have found such accomplished enthusiasts to collaborate with on the REI program. They are helping to bring amazing opportunities to fruition with panache.
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