AM Inbox: Overstock's progressive couponing scheme
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The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:
Overstock, 3/16 — LUCKY 7% OFF COUPON
For their St. Patrick’s Day promotion, Overstock uses a unique, one-use coupon that when used earn the subscriber another coupon that gives them a bigger discount. When that coupon is used, the subscriber earns another even larger discount. I don’t know when the last time was that I saw such an elaborate progressive couponing program to encourage incremental sales. Very innovative. I also like how they stress that this coupon is a subscriber exclusive. Subscribers should definitely be treated to special discounts, items, etc. not available to website visitors.
After quietly adding social elements to the bottom of their emails (see March 16 AM Inbox), Overstock makes a bigger deal of them at the bottom of this email. In addition to increasing the size of the buttons, they make it the subject of their CEO’s column.
Old Navy, 3/16 — California-Cool Looks for Guys, Starting at $15
Old Navy updates their email design with their new logo, but in doing so opens up opportunities to optimize their design for preview panes and snippets. The new design opens up a lot of white space to the right of the logo that would be ideal for the preheader text (or at least something else). Here’s the new design:
And here’s what their email could look like if the preheader text was moved into that white space. Notice that more information makes it into the first 300 pixels, which is what I’m showing in both cases. But inverting the order of the preheader message and “Click to view online” link, they get the preheader message into the snippet text in Outlook and Gmail. Since their logo is alt tagged with “Old Navy,” that text would appear ahead of the preheader message, which is fine because it adds extra branding. However, because of that I’d add a period and space at the end of that alt text so it doesn’t run into the preheader message in the snippet text.
Here’s the old design from a March 6 email:
SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Hallmark, 3/16 — Send paper cards online + NEW! St. Pat's Day E-Cards
Cooking.com, 3/16 — Lucky Comfort: Recipes for One-Dish Potatoes, Irish Beef and Tea Cakes
Walgreens, 3/16 — No Blarney: 17% Off Store + Contact Orders
Spiegel, 3/16 — NEW! What To Wear To Spring’s Special Events!
Orvis, 3/16 — Gear up for summer travel. Preview our new catalog - 70+ new items.
Diamond.com, 3/16 — Fresh Spring Styles - Save an Extra 20% Plus Free Shipping
Saks Fifth Avenue, 3/16 — Rag & Bone: A Must-See Video
Norm Thompson, 3/16 — Never before: $10 off all Dream Jeans! 3 days only.
_____________________
SEARCH... By Post Category / By Selling Season / By Retailer / By Topic / Monthly Archive
The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:
Overstock, 3/16 — LUCKY 7% OFF COUPON
For their St. Patrick’s Day promotion, Overstock uses a unique, one-use coupon that when used earn the subscriber another coupon that gives them a bigger discount. When that coupon is used, the subscriber earns another even larger discount. I don’t know when the last time was that I saw such an elaborate progressive couponing program to encourage incremental sales. Very innovative. I also like how they stress that this coupon is a subscriber exclusive. Subscribers should definitely be treated to special discounts, items, etc. not available to website visitors.
After quietly adding social elements to the bottom of their emails (see March 16 AM Inbox), Overstock makes a bigger deal of them at the bottom of this email. In addition to increasing the size of the buttons, they make it the subject of their CEO’s column.
Old Navy, 3/16 — California-Cool Looks for Guys, Starting at $15
Old Navy updates their email design with their new logo, but in doing so opens up opportunities to optimize their design for preview panes and snippets. The new design opens up a lot of white space to the right of the logo that would be ideal for the preheader text (or at least something else). Here’s the new design:
And here’s what their email could look like if the preheader text was moved into that white space. Notice that more information makes it into the first 300 pixels, which is what I’m showing in both cases. But inverting the order of the preheader message and “Click to view online” link, they get the preheader message into the snippet text in Outlook and Gmail. Since their logo is alt tagged with “Old Navy,” that text would appear ahead of the preheader message, which is fine because it adds extra branding. However, because of that I’d add a period and space at the end of that alt text so it doesn’t run into the preheader message in the snippet text.
Here’s the old design from a March 6 email:
SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Hallmark, 3/16 — Send paper cards online + NEW! St. Pat's Day E-Cards
Cooking.com, 3/16 — Lucky Comfort: Recipes for One-Dish Potatoes, Irish Beef and Tea Cakes
Walgreens, 3/16 — No Blarney: 17% Off Store + Contact Orders
Spiegel, 3/16 — NEW! What To Wear To Spring’s Special Events!
Orvis, 3/16 — Gear up for summer travel. Preview our new catalog - 70+ new items.
Diamond.com, 3/16 — Fresh Spring Styles - Save an Extra 20% Plus Free Shipping
Saks Fifth Avenue, 3/16 — Rag & Bone: A Must-See Video
Norm Thompson, 3/16 — Never before: $10 off all Dream Jeans! 3 days only.
_____________________
SEARCH... By Post Category / By Selling Season / By Retailer / By Topic / Monthly Archive
Labels: AM Inbox, Branding, Email Redesigns, Old Navy, Overstock, Preview Panes, Snippets, Social Networks, St. Patrick's Day, Twitter
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posted at 11:32 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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