AM Inbox: Petco and Banana Republic email redesigns

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Petco, 2/27 — Celebrate the NEW PETCO.com! Up to 40% in Savings + FREE Shipping!
Petco has redesigned their email template, making a number of substantial changes. They (1) changed their navigation bar, making the links bold and black so they really pop, but continue to use HTML text for those links; (2) moved their FTAF link to the top of the email and added SWYN links; (3) changed the styling of their community links and added a big store locator and coupon call-to-action; (4) left-justified their footer text, making it easier to read and opening up space for a bottom-of-the-email image (which would also be used for another call-to-action); and (5) increased the width of their template from 580 to 660, which still keeps them in the ballpark of our recommended email width of 640 pixels.

Here’s the new design (left) and the previous design from a Feb. 22 email:



Banana Republic, 2/25 — Envelope please! Up to 40% off + FREE Shipping Every Day‏
Banana Republic has also redesigned their email template, making minor cosmetic changes. They (1) replace their brand name with just their logo in the header, (2) changed a few of their navigation bar links, and (3) added more air around their social links at the bottom of the email, along with adding a “share this email” link. The width of the email is unchanged at 700 pixels. Here’s the new design (left) and the previous design from a Jan. 22 email:



Avon, 2/27 — Red Carpet Report - What the Stars are Wearing‏
Conceptually, this was my favorite retail email that leveraged the Oscars. Avon channeled the red carpet walk where everyone talks about which designers they’re wearing. It felt very topical and relevant. The design, however, wasn’t easy on the eyes. The type was small—as it often is in Avon’s designs—plus the rundown of products that each actress was wearing would have been much easier to scan in a bulleted list rather than in a paragraph. That arrangement would have also freed them up to add prices to the products.



JCPenney, 2/25 — It's BIG! Shop The Big One Day Sale TODAY‏
JCPenney uses some animation to bring attention to their new logo. Unfortunately, instead of using their new logo as the first frame, which is the best practices because of concerns around animation blocking, they used a transitional frame that has both the old and new logos superimposed over each other.



And here’s the animated portion of the email:



Oriental Trading, 2/27 — Make parties easier! FREE Party Planner + FREE Shipping‏
Oriental Trading is the latest retailer to add an unsubscribe link to the top of their emails. Other retailers that do this include 1-800-Flowers.com, Abercrombie & Fitch (see Feb. 8 AM Inbox), Norm Thompson and PC Connection.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Bluefly, 2/27 — We'd Like To Thank The Academy...With EXTRA 15% OFF All Evening Dresses!‏
Dell, 2/26 — Bring the cinema home- up to 40% off select home entertainment items‏
Oriental Trading, 2/25 — St. Pat's Savings! Ship ANY order for only $2.99‏
Urban Outfitters, 2/25 — Spring Break Essentials‏
Coldwater Creek, 2/25 — $30 off...Color makes a beautiful comeback‏
Lane Bryant, 2/25 — $1.99 Shipping This Weekend + New Color, New Fashion‏
Kmart, 2/25 — Save on swimwear, outdoor playsets and ALL patio furniture‏
Spiegel, 2/25 — NEW Swimwear is HERE! Create Your Look with Mix & Match Collections!
Macy’s, 2/27 — Swim is here: Free Shipping on the latest looks‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Week-End Trends: Late Easter creating email lull

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 2.9 promotional emails on average during the week ending Feb. 25, 2011. That’s down 1% week-over-week, down 1% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 16% year-over-year.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Thursday was the most popular day to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: Last week we got our first reference to Easter. Easter is not a huge retail selling occasion and messaging doesn’t become really significant until the three weeks prior. With Easter falling on Apr. 24 this year, we shouldn’t see Easter messaging break the 5% mark for the week until early April. Seasonal messaging will be quiet this week, with St. Patrick’s Day messaging picking up next week.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
St. Patrick’s Day (3/17): 2010 Season Finale
Easter (4/24): 2010 Season Finale
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Ping Time: Tracking acquisition source, sign-up form A/B test, etc.

My latest spin around the mediasphere turned up the following nuggets:

>>Tweet of the Week: @scottcohen13: Am I the only one that finds it ironic that an order confirmation from Microsoft would come up as "suspicious" in Hotmail?

>>Jeanne Jennings explains why it’s vital that you track email performance by acquisition source. >>Follow the ping

>>WhichTestWon shares an email sign-up form A/B test. >>Follow ping A or Follow ping B

>>Loren McDonald of Silverpop puts out a call-to-action to become a better email marketer and an active member of the email marketing community. >>Follow the ping

>>In Responsys’ latest Email Insider column, Alex Madison and Lisa Harmon give advice on how to make your emails mobile-friendly. >>Follow the ping
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: A progressive profiling opportunity missed

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Diamond.com, 2/23 — Just in! Discover Our New Diamond Chinese Zodiac Collection‏
The Chinese New Year was earlier this month and the Greek zodiac has been in the news lately with its controversial 13th sign, so this Diamond.com email seemed really topical. The “Discover your Zodiac Sign” call-to-action appealed to subscribers’ curiosity and desire for knowledge rather than making the usual “Buy Now” appeal. However, when you click through to the landing page, it doesn’t have any information that helps people find out what their sign is. This was a wonderful progressive profiling opportunity lost. If the landing page had asked email visitors their birthday (or the birthday of the gift recipient), then that information could have appended to their profile and later used to trigger a birthday email or for birthstone-related segmentation or triggered promotions. That’s, of course, on top of using that information to direct subscribers to the right zodiac charm, rather than forcing them to search for their sign, giving search marketers a crack at them in the process. So there was a landing page optimization opportunity here as well.



NikeStore, 2/24 — When Things Heat Up, Stay Hypercool‏
NikeStore has redesigned their email template, making some evolutionary changes. Those changes include lightening up their color palette, shrinking the primary message block, and enlarging the secondary message block. Here’s the new design (left) and the previous design from a Feb. 10 email:



Crutchfield, 2/23 — Factory VS Aftermarket. A small investment can yield big improvements.
In yesterday’s AM Inbox, I cited Neiman Marcus as an example of a retailer that has really grasped taking an editorial approach to their email marketing. Crutchfield is another retailer that’s at the forefront of this shift, with this email being a great example of using educational material to nurture leads and promote products.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Sephora, 2/23 — Color pop + spring sale‏
Ann Taylor, 2/23 — Spring For New Shoes: $50 Off Any Full-Price Shoe Purchase + Free Shipping!
J. Crew, 2/24 — Brighten up: NEW SPRING ARRIVALS & FREE SHIPPING‏
J. Jill, 2/23 — Introducing our new spring collection. Now, with 15% off select styles.
Nordstrom, 2/24 — Spring Dresses Save the Day‏
Norm Thompson, 2/23 — New Spring Collection flatters all. Misses & Plus. $1 shipping.‏
Victoria’s Secret, 2/24 — What's Sexy Now? Spring Fever.
Spiegel, 2/23 — Just In! Our Biggest Swim and Travel Issue Ever!‏
Lane Bryant, 2/23 — Up To 80% Off Clearance + New Spring Colors In Bras And Panties‏
Ross-Simons, 2/24 — Trend NEWS: Bold. Long and Juicy. Plus Save 25% Off Sitewide‏
Barnes & Noble, 2/23 — Saturday Only! Try Our Award-Winning NOOK Color and Get a Free Cup of Coffee‏
Walgreens, 2/23 — Newer. Easier. Walgreens Mobile App‏
Dell, 2/23 — Introducing the new XPS 17 with 3D panel‏
Apple, 2/23 — The new MacBook Pro has arrived.
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: First reference to Easter

I’m back from Responsys Interact 2011 and will be bringing us up-to-date over the next few days. For insights from the show, check out Takeaways from Responsys Interact 2011.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Williams-Sonoma, 2/20 — Our Easter Assortment Has Arrived- Shop Online‏
Williams-Sonoma gives us our first reference to Easter, which is on Apr. 24 this year, nearly three weeks later than it was last year. For insights and inspiration for your Easter campaigns, check out the Easter 2010 Season Finale.



Neiman Marcus, 2/19 — Our stylists + 4 versatile pieces = Unlimited WAYS TO WEAR‏
At Responsys Interact 2011, I sat on a panel about email innovation and trends. One of the trends that I talked about was the editorial style that’s being adopted by email marketers, where products are promoted through educational content, such as “how to” info and trendspotting. I namechecked Neiman Marcus as a great practitioner of this approach and this email is a good example of what they routinely do. Here’s the landing page for the email.



Here’s the animated portion of this email:



In this email, Neiman Marcus also changes their preheader content, replacing their share links with a Facebook community link. [Update: This community link is apparently a new offering from CheetahMail that enables subscribers to “like” a brand with one click in the email, rather than linking them to the brand’s Facebook page where they have to click the “like”button again.] Here’s the previous preheader design from a Feb. 18 email:



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Oriental Trading, 2/22 — Easter Sneak Peep! Over 170 NEW items + free shipping‏
Staples, 2/22 — There's still time to put some presidents back in your pocket!
Toys “R” Us, 2/21 — Presidents’ Day Cyber Sale! Save up to 20% on Hundreds of Toys PLUS Free Shipping‏
Office Depot, 2/22 — Celebrate President's Day All Week Long!
Williams-Sonoma, 2/19 — Save an Extra 25% Off All Sale Items – Presidents’ Day Sale Ends Monday!‏
RitzCamera, 2/19 — President's Day Savings Plus The Latest Digital Releases‏
Linens ’n Things, 2/20 — Last Chance to Celebrate Presidential Savings!‏
Lillian Vernon, 2/20 — Celebrate President's Day - Receive Double Offer - Hurry 48 Hours Only‏
Dell, 2/21 — Presidents' Day Sale - Today Only! Save up to 45% off select systems‏
Urban Outfitters, 2/21 — Win Free Shoes For A Year!
Kohl’s, 2/22 — We're Giving Away $10,000 Scholarships!
Drs. Foster & Smith, 2/19 — Parents and Kids - Read "A Home for Porchie" at Our NEW Kid's Learning Center!
Linens ’n Things, 2/22 — Spring is just Around the Corner!
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: GameStop email gets thumbs up

I’m back from Responsys Interact 2011 and will be bringing us up-to-date over the next few days. For insights from the show, check out Takeaways from Responsys Interact 2011.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

GameStop, 2/18 — Weekly ad 2.18.11‏
Last summer I wrote Standing Out Among All the National Pecan Pie Day Messaging about the advantage of tapping into minor holidays. This GameStop email, which lauds Thumb Appreciation Day, is a fantastic example of finding the right niche holiday that’s right for your brand.



L.L. Bean, 2/17 — 15% Off for Email Subscribers Only‏
First, very few retailers include bar codes in their emails. But secondly, L.L. Bean is the first retailer that I’ve noticed that invites subscribers to present the barcode to store associates on a “phone display.” This is the next evolution of making in-store coupons easy to redeem and easy to track back to the email channel.



Sephora, 2/17 — Instant glow‏
Sephora consistently does a great job of being creative with their product grids. The angled and uneven product grid in this email is open on the sides has a lot of energy, with the diagonal lines pulling you down through the design. For another product grid example from Sephora, check out the Apr. 5 AM Inbox.



REI, 2/17 — REI News: Rock Climbing + The REI Winter Clearance‏
I missed this when they introduced it, but starting with a Dec. 10 email REI added a “Get REI Apps” to their preheader text next to their “View Mobile/Text Version” and “View with Images” links. I haven’t seen anyone else place it there.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Gap, 2/18 — 44 Presidents / 44 Styles / 44% Off + FREE Shipping Every Day‏
HP, 2/17 — HP Presidential Sale Starts Now - Up to 50% Off‏
Cooking.com, 2/18 — Save up to 80% - Presidents' Day Weekend Clearance‏
Ross-Simons, 2/17 — Presidents' Day Clearance Sale - Up to 83% Off!
eBags, 2/17 — Presidents' Day Double Deal - $25 Off Your Order & Free Shipping‏
Coldwater Creek, 2/17 — President's Day 5-day weekend SALE starts now!‏
Office Depot, 2/18 — Monumental Savings You’ve Got To See!
Staples, 2/18 — Presidential savings inside! Sneak peek our 2/20 Weekly Ad.
Montgomery Ward, 2/17 — Make it quick: 4 updates for a new look at home‏
Kohl’s, 2/17 — 25% off Swimwear. Find a Fit to Flatter Your Figure.‏
Spiegel, 2/18 — Celebrities Who Love Spiegel! Giuliana Rancic of E! News!
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Takeaways from Responsys Interact 2011

Last week the Responsys Interact 2011 conference took place in San Francisco. Here are just a few of the great insights and learnings from the event:

Cross-Channel Marketing:
>>“The mantra ‘Location. Location. Location.’ is still true. But the location has changed,” said Scott Olrich, Responsys’ chief marketing and sales officer.
>>70% of marketers are growing their online budget at the expense of their traditional media budget, according to Shar VanBoskirk, VP and principal analyst at Forrester.
>>Preference centers need to evolve to include other channels beyond email, said Heather Blank, Responsys’ VP of strategic services.

Triggered Emails:
>>Blindsgalore created a 90-day lead nurture program of 10 emails that starts with the ordering of sample fabric swatch. The educational program, which included no discount messaging, increased revenue per email by 843% and lowered the time to order by 17%.
>>Epson’s “Happy Birthday” email generates revenue per email that’s 840% greater than the overall email program.

Segmentation & Dynamic Content:
>>One client’s loyalty program emails have 8,000 permutations due to personalization. Retail Email Takeaway: This level of personalization—really individualization at that level—is truly admirable, but you can move the performance needle with just a few segments or dynamic content modules, so starting small is totally fine.
>>Brooks Brother improved their email performance metrics by up to 90% by doing gender segmentation.
>>Burton segmented by gender and included dynamic content based on product affinity and increased their average order value by 31%.
>>“A modular email template allows you to make dynamic content a part of your daily life,” said Mary Kathleen Sullivan, senior strategy consultant at Responsys.

Email Design:
>>“I have some clients where 9% of clicks come from their preheader text,” said Lisa Harmon, VP of creative services at Responsys.
>>The sweet spot for email width is 640 pixels because the iPhone displays 320 pixels, so the creative would be scaled down by a nice round 50%, said Harmon.
>>“Different emails can have different navigation bars,” said Kristine Zimmerman of Under Armour. Retail Email Takeaway: Your email nav bars don’t need to match your website nav bars, and probably shouldn’t. Look for ways to match up nav bar links with content or purpose of an email.
>>Under Armour tested using an animated gif to flip between a men’s and women’s coat in the primary message. Although the open and click rates of the animated and non-animated control email were the same, the animated version saw an 18% increase in conversions. Retail Email Takeaway: Over the past several months, about 10% of the promotional emails sent by the top online retailers included an animated gif.

Mobile:
>>24% of subscribers view Under Armour’s emails on a mobile device.
>>PacSun is putting Wi-Fi in all of their stores and is in the process of launching in-store email sign-up via QR codes. Every day 1,000 people sign up for PacSun’s mobile messaging, making it their fastest growing channel, although email is still their largest by far.
>>We have to get out of the mindset of shrinking down the PC experience for mobile, said Julie Ask, VP, principal analyst at Forrester. These will be “new new” experiences, she said.
>>Due to greater information available about mobile users, in the future the timing and content of emails will be influenced by who the user is, their location (i.e., at home, in your store, in competitor’s store), the time (i.e., days before cruise), their speed (i.e., standing still, driving), and their altitude (i.e., on flight), said Ask.

Deliverability:
>>You need to average less than a 0.3% compliant rate and 5% bounce rate over a 30-day period to avoid being blocked, said Heather Goff, Responsys’ senior deliverability consultant. Also, “if more than half your list hasn’t opened or clicked an email in a year, you’re probably in trouble,” she said.

Inactive Subscribers:
>>When sending sale reminder emails, Philosophy suppressed inactives, which they defined as 12-month non-responders. They saw lower list churn as a result of sending fewer emails to those unengaged subscribers.
>>Brooks Brothers defines inactives as subscribers with no opens, no clicks and no purchases in any channel in 24+ months.
>>During the second half of 2009, 90% of Epson’s email list was inactive, which they defined as no opens, clicks or purchases in 12+ months. They included 30% to 40% of their email list in a re-premissioning program. Of those that received the re-permission emails, 28% opted to stay in the program. Dropping the remaining 72% of non-responders from the active email list didn’t hurt the email program’s revenue generation.

List Growth:
>>To grow the list for their “Click ’n Save” emails, Southwest Airlines uses posters at gates; messages on their peanut bags, menus and napkins; ads in their Spirit Magazine; and announcements by flight attendants after announcing that it was safe to use mobile devices. Most of these acquisition messages didn’t cost additional money. Southwest has SMS email sign-up capabilities to make sign-up easier and to reduce errors.
>>To grow their list, Whole Foods educated store reps on their email program and incented in-store sign-up capture with a 2-month contest. They saw 180% list growth over that period, with store reps using posters, chalkboards, bag-stuffers, etc. to promote sign-ups. Retail Email Takeaway: Just like you need to be careful when offering generous consumer sign-up rewards, be careful when incenting store associates to collect email addresses. This tactic has been known to generate low-quality list growth, sometimes resulting in significant deliverability issues.
>>Track subscriber performance by acquisition source so you know which sources of growth to focus on, said Sullivan.

For more insights, impressions and happenings from the conference, check out my Twitter stream or see what all Twitterers were saying by looking at the #responsys or #interact2011 hashtags.
_____________________
SEARCH... Recent Posts / By Selling Season / By Topic / By Retailer / Monthly Archive

AM Inbox: This post is endorsed by every former president

I’m back from Responsys Interact 2011 and will be bringing us up-to-date over the next few days.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Barnes & Noble, 2/15 — 30% Off the Best New Reads. Big Savings on Former Bestsellers.‏
In one of my earliest Email Insider columns, Read Me, I’m Irish, I asserted that if you’re going to do a promotion around a minor holiday, give it a little thought and bring some fun or logical connection to it. I still cringe when I see Martin Luther King, Jr. Day sales and that have no tie in whatsoever. So I really appreciate how Barnes & Noble promoted a selection of books about past presidents as part of their Presidents’ Day promotion. If you can’t come up with some kind of logical connection to a minor holiday—even it’s just having a little fun with April Fools’, for example—then you should probably be exploring other avenues that are more unique and better in-line with your brand.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Musician’s Friend, 2/16 — Musician's Friend: The Presidents' Weekend Sale Is On! Save 15% + Free Shipping‏
Macy’s, 2/16 — Extra 15% Off + Free Shipping at the Presidents Day Sale!
Norm Thompson, 2/16 — It's a 20% OFF celebration! Presidents' Day Sale‏
JCPenney, 2/16 — Economic Stimulus! Presidents' Day Super Hot Buys & More‏
Drs. Foster & Smith, 2/15 — Save During National Pet Dental Care Month‏
Spiegel, 2/16 — Chic Military Looks for Spring! European Designs From APART!‏
Nordstrom, 2/16 — The Drapey Blouse: Spring's Loveliest Layer‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: More mobile-friendliness needed

I’m back from Responsys Interact 2011 and will be bringing us up-to-date over the next few days.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

REI, 2/11 — REI Winter Clearance on Now‏
I see a lot of inefficient landing pages, so really like how REI tries to save subscribers a click by providing “shortcuts” to product category sales pages. Plus, I love how those links are large, mobile-friendly buttons. While speaking at Responsys Interact 2011 last week, my biggest prediction was that we’d be seeing brands making their email templates much more mobile-friendly, with narrower designs (we recommend 640 pixels max), larger font sizes and more space around links. This REI email is a big step in that direction.



Cooking.com, 2/11 — Forward this email and hope that he takes the hint‏
I like how this Cooking.com email contains a message meant for men and the subject line encourages female subscribers to forward it along to the guy in their life. Simple but different than I’ve seen before.



Orvis, 2/12 — An urgent appeal from Orvis - Save Bristol Bay today.‏
What does your company stand for? What are your values? Now, how do you communicate that in your emails? Orvis is active in the conservation effort and includes a banner at the bottom of every email about it. But occasionally Orvis dedicates an entire email to their conversation efforts, like they do in this email. When we talk about breaking up your promotional email stream with non-sales messaging, this is one of the kinds of messaging that fits the bill.



Neiman Marcus, 2/12 — Going to extremes never looked more chic‏
After transitioning InSite from a blog to more of an interactive magazine, Neiman Marcus has launched a more traditional blog called NM Daily.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
TigerDirect, 2/12 — Your W2 is Ready...Here's your tax software...
NFLshop, 2/13 — Feeling Lucky? Gear Up With New York Giants St. Patrick's Day Gear‏
Dell, 2/11 — Don't wait until President's day - Great deals start now‏
Orvis, 2/14 — Save an EXTRA 20% at our Presidents' Day Sale.
JC Whitney, 2/11 — Get A Gift For Your One True Love - Your Ride!‏
Newegg.com, 2/11 — Show Your PC Some Lovin'! $39.99 AMD 880G Motherboard, $59.99 Seagate 1.5TB HDD...‏
Sports Authority, 2/14 — Love Is Forever, But Our Offer Ends Today – Get [$10 Off] or [$25 Off] Your Purchase‏
Bluefly, 2/14 — Happy Valentine's Day! Extra 10% Off EVERYTHING (love means never having to pay full price...)
eBags, 2/14 — Dear eBags Insider, a 25% Off coupon for you. XOXO, eBags‏
Norm Thompson, 2/14 — Cupid made us do it - 14% OFF EVERYTHING! Just today.
Urban Outfitters, 2/14 — We Love You (Find out how much...!)‏
Victoria’s Secret, 2/14 — Just One Little Question...
Ann Taylor, 2/12 — Shop Our Spring Lookbook + Free Shipping!‏
Coldwater Creek, 2/11 — New Spring Arrivals, just in! Plus $30 off and FREE Shipping‏
Bass Pro Shops, 2/11 — Spring is here - New Spring Angler Catalog‏
Macy’s, 2/11 — Swim 2011: Free Shipping + shop the latest looks‏
B&H, 2/13 — The Android App is here - Download today free of charge‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Season Finale: Thanksgiving 2010

A look back on seasonal trends, email activity and standout B2C marketing:

Start to finish: The first reference to Thanksgiving was on Oct. 3. The final reference was on Dec. 2.

The biggest day for Thanksgiving emails was Thanksgiving Day itself, Nov. 25, followed by Wednesday, Nov. 24. Retailers sent the majority of their Thanksgiving-themed emails after Nov. 9.



Most interesting email: This past Thanksgiving season was pretty dry, but on Nov. 15 Cooking.com sent an email promoting their Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt that was interesting. The design looked eerily similar to the campaign Petco ran last summer (see Aug. 16 AM Inbox), which itself was surely inspired by Buy.com Tweet n Seek game (see June 25, 2009 AM Inbox). I’ve been openly skeptical of big, involved social media campaigns like this during the holiday season when consumers are so time-pressed, but perhaps this campaign got in just under the wire before the real crush of holiday shopping descended on everyone.



Noteworthy trend: It was interesting that there weren’t any Thanksgiving email series. There was nothing more cohesive than a couple of countdowns to Thanksgiving. For a great example of a Thanksgiving email series, check out Crate & Barrel’s from a couple of years ago (see the Thanksgiving 2008 Season Finale for the last email in the series and the Oct. 31, 2008 AM Inbox for the first email of the series).

Standout subject lines:
Cooking.com, 11/24 — You Voted: Top 5 YUMMIEST Thanksgiving Sides‏
Brookstone, 11/15 — Save $160: "This won't hurt a bit, Turkey!"
Omaha Steaks, 11/18 — As seen on Good Morning America - Thanksgiving Dinners starting at just...
Williams-Sonoma, 11/10 — Under $20: Easy, Impressive Thanksgiving Pies‏
Bed Bath & Beyond, 11/19 — Entertaining ideas from Real Simple and Bed Bath & Beyond‏
Williams-Sonoma, 11/18 — Shop Thanksgiving Time Savers: Turkey Gravy Base, Pumpkin Butter and More‏

Read previous Thanksgiving Season Finales: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

Explore Thanksgiving tag.
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Week-End Trends: Volume up strong ahead of Valentine's Day

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.2 promotional emails on average during the week ending Feb. 11, 2011. That’s up 12% week-over-week, up 13% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 19% year-over-year.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Friday was the most popular day to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: Valentine’s Day messaging peaked last week. Last week we also had our first reference to graduation season, which came much earlier than last year.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
St. Patrick’s Day (3/17): 2010 Season Finale
Easter (4/24): 2010 Season Finale
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Ping Time: 'Too many' and 'irrelevant' messages remain No. 1 cause of opt-outs, etc.

My latest spin around the mediasphere turned up the following nuggets:

>>Mashable reports on an ExactTarget study that showed that “too many messages” and “irrelevant messages” continue to be the top reasons that people opt-out of email, as well as unlike and unfollow brands on Facebook and Twitter. >>Follow the ping

>>Sherry Chiger of Chief Marketer shares tips from Matthew Caldwell of Yesmail on designing emails for mobile devices. >>Follow the ping

>>Kelly Lorenz of Bronto Software gives us four steps for reactivating inactive subscribers. >>Follow the ping if you wish to stay subscribed

>>Ros Hodgekiss of Campaign Monitor provides a nice explanation of why you shouldn’t collect email addresses via Facebook Login. >>Follow the ping
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: First reference to graduation

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Ann Taylor, 2/10 — LIMITED TIME: Enjoy 30% Off Your Purchase Of A Full-Price Jacket & Matching Bottom!
Although we don’t typically see graduation messaging until late April, with the earliest messaging generally arriving in March, it’s hard not to see this Ann Taylor email as the first graduation messaging of the year. It’s very similar to the messaging that they used last year (see Graduation 2010 Season Finale).



The messaging on the landing page (below) has a new angle that justifies the earlier send date. They’re targeting apparel purchases for first job interviews, which usually happen well in advance of graduation.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Ross-Simons, 2/10 — Guaranteed Valentine's Day Delivery Ends TODAY at 3pm ET - 30% Off‏
Barnes & Noble, 2/10 — ENDS TODAY! Free Expedited Shipping on NOOKcolor for Valentine's Day‏
Blue Nile, 2/10 — 20% Off Diamond Earrings + Free Overnight Shipping Upgrade‏
NikeStore, 2/10 — The Wait is Over. Introducing the Nike Air Max+ 2011‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: Another image file update idea

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

eBags, 2/9 — Save Up to 70% - Inventory Sale & Clearance‏
Earlier this week I shared examples of retailers updating image files to make their emails more relevant (see Home Depot example in the Feb. 8 AM Inbox and Chadwicks example in the Feb. 7 AM Inbox). This email from eBags got me thinking about another opportunity to put this tactic to work—updating the qualities remaining on limited-quantity sales. With the previous examples from Home Depot and Chadwicks, the expiration of the sale and selling out were the triggers for the image file updates, respectively. With this eBags email, provided that they didn’t sell out of anything, they should consider updating the file images after 12-24 hours. The logic behind that recommendation is that on average half of your subscribers will open your email during the first 24 hours after you send it, so refreshing the content around that time makes it more up-to-date for the other half that will be opening it.



J. Jill, 2/9 — Please disregard previous J.Jill credit card email.‏
In yesterday’s AM Inbox, I shared an oopsy from J. Jill, which sent non-cardholders an email about changes to their credit card program. Yesterday J. Jill responded by sending this apology email, which was absolutely warranted and necessary. It was about 18 hours before I received this email clearing things up. On the upside, this time the emails were personalized with the recipient’s first name.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Barnes & Noble, 2/9 — Oscar(r) Nominees on DVD - Watch Them Before They Win‏
Apple, 2/9 — iPhone 4 on Verizon is now available.
Sears, 2/9 — Save on digital cameras and fine jewelry. 2 ways to capture your Valentine!
Sports Authority, 2/9 — Can You Feel The Love? Take [25% Off] Any Single Item‏
Brookstone, 2/9 — A little something for your red hot lover…
Saks Fifth Avenue, 2/9 — Valentine's Day Gifts from under $50 to over-the-top‏
Ross-Simons, 2/9 — Save on Gifts for Your Valentine + FREE Express Delivery Upgrade‏
Victoria’s Secret, 2/9 — What's Even Better Than Valentine's Candy? (Hint: It's Sexier, Too.)
Sephora, 2/9 — Ready for spring?
Lane Bryant, 2/9 — New Swimwear To Put You In A Summer Mood + BOGO 50% Jeans‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Bird Watching: QR codes in emails?

If you’re not on Twitter yet, here are the kinds of conversations that you’re missing:

@RetailEmailBlog: Just read: http://bit.ly/ewezsd Sadly, barcodes are rare in retail emails and I've never seen a QR code in one.

@timbay: @retailemailblog Is it because a link or an image with a link would work just as well if the objective is to get someone to a URL?

@stylecampaign: @RetailEmailBlog Check out this retail email with a QR code http://twitpic.com/31x913

@RetailEmailBlog: Interesting but I don't see advantage RT @stylecampaign: @RetailEmailBlog Check out this retail email with QR code http://twitpic.com/31x913

@kristengreg: @RetailEmailBlog @stylecampaign Yes, I would rather click a link in a message...Not sure anyone would have that printed out for any reason.

@KNLorenz: @stylecampaign Hmm. I'm not sure about QR codes in email. Extra step, no? What do you think? cc @retailemail blog

@kristengreg: @RetailEmailBlog @stylecampaign I guess idea is if you want to visit new mobile site right now on your phone while looking on a desktop.

@KNLorenz: *@retailemailblog Stinkin' space bar. Just saw that you stole the words out of my mouth re: QR codes

@EmailGirl: @RetailEmailBlog we embed unique barcodes for tracking offline sales. It's key to justifying email channel to in-store stakeholders.

@RetailEmailBlog: @EmailGirl Barcodes are definitely great way to attribute in-store sales to email. But using QR code as gateway to mobile site seems odd.

@RetailEmailBlog: @kristengreg Why not pull up the email on your mobile device and click through to mobile site via a link? QR code seems to solve non-problem

@EmailGirl: @RetailEmailBlog I agree. QR code in email doesn't make sense. If they open an email they are already engaged online. QR belongs in print

@kristengreg: @RetailEmailBlog You're right. I think this is a great example of good intentions to be cutting edge gone pointless. E for effort? :)

@andrewrobinson: @RetailEmailBlog QR codes are only good at taking offline to online, little real world application in emails!

@stylecampaign: Can't see huge QR benefit. @justinpremick & I admitted we check email on mobile while on desktop @kristengreg @KNLorenz @RetailEmailBlog

@Lukes_Tweets: Looks like an opportunity there to stand out! RT @retailemailblog: Just read: http://bit.ly/ewezsd Sadly...I've never seen a QR code in one

@timbay: @knlorenz @retailemailblog I'm confused. Why would u take a picture of QR code in an email vs. clicking a link (esp. if email is on phone)?

@RetailEmailBlog: @timbay The consensus seems to be that there's really no advantage to using a QR code in an email.

@timbay: @retailemailblog Gotcha - thanks. Maybe we'll still give it a try with one of our clients to see if we get any results.

@KNLorenz: @timbay Doesn't make sense to me either. I love QR codes, but not appropriate in email IMO

@remybergsma: @stylecampaign @justinpremick @kristengreg @KNLorenz @RetailEmailBlog I actually see big QR benefit in offline media - mags, papers etc.

@justinpremick: .@remybergsma Agreed re: offline. But putting QR in an email is pointless IMO. cc: @stylecampaign @kristengreg @KNLorenz @RetailEmailBlog

@iamelliot: @justinpremick @remybergsma @stylecampaign @kristengreg @knlorenz @retailemailblog had same discussion offline today, agree mostly not4email

@iamelliot: @justinpremick @remybergsma @stylecampaign @kristengreg @knlorenz @retailemailblog QR is good for app download emails tho http://j.mp/fTSmBP

@remybergsma: @iamelliot that is one of the exceptions indeed :)

@remybergsma: @kristengreg well, the trouble with email is: you can click links and images. QR only uses up valuable space. Apps = nice tho re: @iamelliot

@iamelliot: @remybergsma @kristengreg I think it works to bridge the desktop/print to mobile gap, but anything else there's a better solution

@remybergsma: @iamelliot one place digital I could see QR get big is lcd displays in stores with themes: scan QR, get X $$ off this / that product

@KNLorenz: @remybergsma I don't agree! No QR code for app download - just send me to the download via a link or button

@remybergsma: @KNLorenz but how do you click download if you're browsing on your computer, but want app on mobile? ;) QR helps there methinks.

@remybergsma: @KNLorenz Well, I must admit: I've downloaded 3 apps and 1 update on my Android phone in last 4 weeks w/ QR code scan.. so :)

@KNLorenz: @remybergsma If it's an iPhone (don't have droid or other Smart phone), you can download to computer then phone seamlessly

@remybergsma: @KNLorenz ahh, the iTunes stuff. Sorry but I've had very bad iTunes experiences with iPod Touch and iPhone :)

@remybergsma: @iamelliot one place digital I could see QR get big is lcd displays in stores with themes: scan QR, get X $$ off this / that product

@KNLorenz: @iamelliot Do you really need a QR code to download app? Again, it's adding unnecessary extra steps when could just be click to download

@iamelliot: @remybergsma @kristengreg I think it works to bridge the desktop/print to mobile gap, but anything else there's a better solution

@iamelliot: @KNLorenz if the email is on a desktop then it helps pass the info to mobile, otherwise agree, link is better

@KNLorenz: @iamelliot I'm not sold, but would be willing to test it re: QR codes in email for apps cc @remybergsma

@remybergsma: @KNLorenz I think (but that's an imho of course) that you'd find the experience quite effective and a nice cross integration of tech :)

@iamelliot: @remybergsma agree, but there needs to be more mainstream take-up and it's in competition with geolocation

@TimRoman: @RetailEmailBlog You can see my reaction as the first comment on the article about the QR codes.

@SitaP1: @RetailEmailBlog @stylecampaign also Net-a-Porter.com & TheOutnet.com ran campaigns with QR codes

@SitaP1: @RetailEmailBlog http://yfrog.com/h3ah3iwj

@SitaP1: @RetailEmailBlog CTA was beautifully presented in the middle of the email. Much better explanation of the uses (cont) http://tl.gd/8nfskt

@SitaP1: @retailemailblog I preferred this to ASOS's use of the QR code. Do love the Net-a-Porter email campaigns

@satonaka_tw: @RetailEmailBlog @EmailGirl compared to other countries, here in Japan QR code is much popular but I've never seen QR code on e-mail.

@satonaka_tw: @RetailEmailBlog @SitaP1 you'll see QR everywhere in Japan even on the rap of hamburger you guys feel it's weird? http://bit.ly/fdlLma

Want to join the conversation? Just reply to @RetailEmailBlog to chime in.
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: Credit cardholder email misfire

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

J. Jill, 2/8 — Important changes to your J. Jill credit card account.‏
Probably exciting subscribers’ fears that they were being phished, J. Jill erroneously sent this email about credit card changes to some non-cardholders, like me. Email misfires like this certainly raise questions about how well customer and subscriber information is being handled and erode trust.

Beyond those critical issues, this email does a poor job of establishing its credentials. This email cries out for personalization to demonstrate that the email is indeed from J. Jill. A personalized greeting, instead of the generic “J. Jill Credit Card Holder,” is a good first step. Including the last four digits of the account number is also a common piece of information to include in such communications.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Bass Pro Shops, 2/8 — Save up to 50% off during the Presidents' Day Sale‏
Oriental Trading, 2/8 — Save more for Mardi Gras! $10 off + free shipping‏
Costco, 2/8 — Last Day to Order Your Valentine's Day Flowers!
Harry & David, 2/8 — LIMITED TIME - Free delivery in time for Valentine's Day‏
Dell, 2/8 — It's not too late – two day sale on Valentine gifts‏
Sony, 2/8 — SAVE BIG with Valentine's Day Deals This Week Only‏
Orvis, 2/8 — Top-rated styles for spring - chosen by Orvis customers.‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: Boosting relevancy by updating image files

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Home Depot, 2/7 — Today Only Shop Our One Day Savings Event + Exclusive Email Offers‏
In yesterday’s AM Inbox, I shared an example of a Chadwicks email where they updated an image file to show subscribers that the product had sold out. In this Home Depot, they used the same tactic to show that the one-day sale had expired and to point subscribers to other deals. As with the Chadwicks example, this tactic reduces frustration of subscribers clicking through only to find out then that the sale had expired. The bonus with this Home Depot example is that they were able to creative an alternative call-to-action. About half of subscribers takes more than 24 hours to open an email, which means that a lot of daily deals and one-day sales have expired by the time they open it. That content is essentially irrelevant at that point. Updating the image file like Home Depot has done here increases the relevancy of this old message.



Abercrombie & Fitch, 2/7 — Make a Valentine's date with the Push 'Em Up you're sure to fall for!‏
Abercrombie is the latest major retailer to add an unsubscribe link to the preheader section of their emails. With Abercrombie, about 4% of top retailers do this. I like the sentiment of showing subscribers that they’re in control by not burying the unsubscribe link in the footer of the email, but this tactic is perhaps most successful in reducing spam complaints when used in emails sent to inactives and to subscribers who signed on through poor quality acquisition sources like sweepstakes.



Alibris, 2/7 — Loyalty has its perks--here's a $10 coupon just for you!
And speaking of preheader text, Alibris has great language for their “view with images” link in this email. “Can’t see your $10 off coupon?” gives subscribers a reason to enable images.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Brookstone, 2/7 — Wrap your sweetie in this on Valentine’s Day…
Harry & David, 2/7 — LAST DAY to order for Valentines with FREE standard delivery.‏
Williams-Sonoma, 2/7 — "The Best Brownie Mix Ever!" - Great for Valentine's Day‏
Hallmark, 2/7 — Take a peek at our red-hot Valentine's Day offers‏
Blue Nile, 2/7 — Exclusive Savings: Over 25% Off or $100 Off for Valentine’s Day Gifts‏
Barnes & Noble, 2/7 — NOOKcolor. The Gift They'll Fall in Love With‏
Lands’ End, 2/7 — Enjoy $20 off $75 + New Quick-drying Water Shoes for the entire family‏
Neiman Marcus, 2/7 — The NEW shoulder: The bag that's got us buzzing‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: Winner of Super Inbox XLV

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

NFLshop, 2/6 — Green Bay Packers Are The Super Bowl Champions - Get Your Official Championship Gear Now!
Every Super Bowl Sunday I like to see who was the first to my inbox with news of the new champ. For me, NFLshop was first followed by Sports Authority and Kohl’s before midnight. Being quick to the inbox gives you a chance to capitalize on post-game excitement and to catch fans in their inboxes as they email friends and family about the game.



Chadwicks, 2/4 — 20% off! Don't be caught without these!
Although it’s very muted, I like the “sold out” label that Chadwicks puts on the product image in this email by updating the hosted image. A tactic that TigerDirect uses often, this (1) creates urgency to open by training subscribers that products do sell out and (2) performs a customer service by notifying subscribers that a product is no longer available.



Apple, 2/4 — iPod touch. The perfect Valentine's Day gift.
I really appreciate the simply, dynamism and product-focused approach that Apple takes with this email creative.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Sports Authority, 2/4 — Congratulations Green Bay On Your 2010 Championship Win! - Championship Gear Now Available‏
Kohl’s, 2/4 — Hey, football fans! We have your team gear!‏
Newegg, 2/4 — GAME WEEKEND DEALS - 10% Off All Canon Cameras! Plus, Valentine's Specials...
TigerDirect, 2/4 — Super Showdown: Sony 3D LED ($900 Off) vs. Samsung 3D LED ($1300 Off), plus FREE SHIPPING on select orders‏
Dell, 2/4 — Save up to 50% - Don't miss touchdown deals on select electronics and accessories!
Spiegel, 2/6 — You're Invited: Our Private Super Bowl SALE! 1 Day ONLY!
JCPenney, 2/4 — Don't Be A Stupid Cupid!
Tiffany & Co., 2/5 — What the Heart Wants
Lane Bryant, 2/4 — Lingerie To Surprise Your Sweetheart + Sparkle And Shine Tees‏
Barnes & Noble, 2/4 — NOOK -- The Perfect Gift for Your Book-Loving Valentine‏
Victoria’s Secret, 2/4 — A Valentine For You, From You!‏
Linens ’n Things, 2/6 — Last Chance for Valentine's Shipping!‏
Sony, 2/6 — Give Sony this Valentine's Day New Deals Just in‏
Kmart, 2/4 — Save big on jewelry: Valentine's Day is a heartbeat away! + Save on Shoes‏
Coldwater Creek, 2/4 — Attention Jewelry Lovers: 25% OFF Jewelry + $30 OFF & Free Shipping‏
J. Crew, 2/4 — spring break's coming soon (plus extra 30% off sale items & free shipping)
Kohl’s, 2/4 — $10,000 Scholarships for Young Volunteers. Nominate now!
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Week-End Trends: Valentine's Day messaging at peak

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 2.9 promotional emails on average during the week ending Feb. 4, 2011. That’s down 4% week-over-week, up 7% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 15% year-over-year.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Friday was the most popular day to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: Last week gave us our first reference to Presidents’ Day and to St. Patrick’s Day. Any day now we should also see the first reference to Easter. “Big game” messaging peaked last week and Valentine’s Day messaging will likely plateau or dip a little this week.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Valentine’s Day (2/14): 2010 Season Finale
St. Patrick’s Day (3/17): 2010 Season Finale
Easter (4/24): 2010 Season Finale
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

Ping Time: The value of permission, multichannel unsub retention, etc.

My latest spin around the mediasphere turned up the following nuggets:

>>Tweet of the Week: @kristinhersant: Hotmail defines unengagement as someone who hasn't opened or clicked on an email in 6 months. #eec11

>>Kelly Lorenz of Bronto Software shares a client story that demonstrates the value of permission and the value-destroying consequences of doing e-appends and otherwise disrespecting permission. >>Follow the ping

>>Kara Trivunovic of StrongMail explains how Avis is using direct mail postcards to follow-up with customers to update their email address on file. >>Follow the ping

>>Liz Lynch of e-Dialog talks about how Gary Vaynerchuk hired staff to call people that unsubscribe to see if they could do anything differently, retaining 40% of unsubscribers in the process. >>Follow the ping

>>CNET reports on Hotmail’s new service offering that provides users with temporary email addresses that can all be managed in their primary inbox.
>>Follow the ping

>>Remy Bergsma shares takeaways from the Email Evolution Conference. >>Follow the ping

>>Ros Hodgekiss of Campaign Monitor shares their favorite emails from the holiday season. >>Follow the ping

>>In my latest Email Insider column, I asks what initiatives you would launch if you ran an email marketing trade group and share a few ideas I’ve been mulling over recently. >>Follow the ping
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: First reference to Presidents' Day

>>Oopsy Hall of Fame: Check out 2010’s inductees.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Furniture.com, 2/3 — Save Big on Living Room Furniture During Our Presidents' Day Sale!
Furniture.com gives us our first reference to Presidents’ Day, which is on Feb. 21 this year. Over the next couple of weeks, about 10% to 20% of retail emails will reference Presidents’ Day.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Tiffany & Co., 2/3 — Celebrate the Chinese New Year
Overstock.com, 2/3 — Valentine's Deal of the Day - Jewelry - Ends Tonight‏
Spiegel, 2/3 — Need a Look for Valentine's Day? Styles From ONLY $24!
Art.com, 2/3 — 40% Off Photos to Art - Create Art that touches the Heart!‏
Ross-Simons, 2/3 — Find the Perfect Valentine's Gift + Free Shipping‏
Buy.com, 2/3 — Valentine's Jewelry & Watch Specials‏
Barnes & Noble, 2/3 — Nothing Says "LOVE" Like 10% Off‏
Cooking.com, 2/3 — Football Sunday! Top 10 Bean Dip Recipes for Game Day‏
Lands’ End, 2/3 — Winter blues? Shop Spring Must-Haves with Free Shipping‏
Bluefly, 2/3 — Exclusive Spring Dress Preview: Pretty Pinks, Soft Florals, Flowing Maxis...
Crutchfield, 2/3 — Introducing Crutchfield Rewards‏
Sports Authority, 2/3 — Pass The Good. Donate And Receive A [$10 Cash Card]‏
HP, 2/3 — Here's what you had to say - Your top 5 favorites‏
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked

AM Inbox: Trio of groundhogs

>>Oopsy Hall of Fame: Check out 2010’s inductees.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Blair, 2/2 — Groundhog Day Special: 20% off everything!‏
While the copy says, “Shadow or no shadow,” the image and animation in this email is decidedly optimistic—snow-free ground, sunny sky, yellow type for the offer message, and no shadow to be seen. You can’t go wrong with a “no shadow” prediction. And Blair is the king of cute animated creatures.



Here’s the animated portion of the email:



Kmart, 2/2 — Today Only! Groundhog Day Sale - Get an extra 5-10% off online only + Free Shipping‏
Shockingly, Kmart has Mr. Bluelight in the role of groundhog and SEEING HIS SHADOW. I suppose it’s possible that he’s marveling at the sale offer, but he definitely appears to be gleefully looking down at his shadow. Et tu, Kmart? You want more snow?!



ShopNBC, 2/2 — Today only win $50‏
ShopNBC goes in a completely different direction, doing a browse-based game where folks have to find Gertie the Groundhog by browsing ShopNBC.com. The game then has a Facebook tie-in. The game is similar to the Easter egg hunt games run by Blair and PC Connection in the past (see Easter 2009 Season Finale).



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Williams-Sonoma, 2/2 — Exclusive Valentine Treats: Cupcakes, S’Mores – and More!
JCPenney, 2/2 — Pucker Up! Give Gifts That Get You Hugs & Kisses‏
Sony, 2/2 — SAVE UP TO $150 on Digital Cameras + More Valentine's Day Deals‏
Spiegel, 2/2 — Announcing: New European Designs, SAVE 30%! APART Spring '11‏
J. Jill, 2/2 — Wishing for spring? Shop our new arrivals. Plus, $10 off jeans.‏
Eddie Bauer, 2/2 — Bring On The Rain! Our Best-Selling Christine Trench, Now In 3 Styles.
_____________________
BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked