Week-End Trends: Holiday season messaging back on track

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.1 promotional emails on average during the week ending July 29, 2011. That’s down 2% week-over-week, up 1% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 13% year-over-year.



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



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: In last week’s Week-End Trends post I said it looked like retailers were off to a slow start in launching their holiday campaigns and also in terms of emails referencing the holidays. Well, this past week they made up lost ground on both fronts. Now 11% of the top online retailers have begun their holiday email campaigns—exactly on par with last year at this time.

Strangely, last week saw a decrease in the number of retail emails mentioning back-to-school. At this time last year, references were pretty much flat week-over-week, so I wouldn’t read too much into this decline. This week I expect back-to-school references in more than 20% of retail emails.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Back to School (June-Sept.): 2010 Season Finale
Labor Day (Sept. 5): 2010 Season Finale
Christmas (Dec. 25): 2010 Season Finale and Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011
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Ping Time: Gmail field guide, Contrast Rebellion, etc.

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

>>Tweet of the Week: @alexcwilliams: Love this prominent unsub button from Woot's Daily Digest. Reverse psychology? http://trndl.in/nyBF8f

>>Melinda Plemel of Return Path provides a field guide to Gmail inboxes. >>Follow the ping

>>Join the Contrast Rebellion, which is fighting low-contrast fonts and unreadable text. >>Follow this high-contrast ping

>>Tim Watson of Emailvision gives us guidance on how large you’re A/B test cells need to be to result in results that are statistically significant. >>Follow the ping

>>Kevin Hillstrom of MineThatData explains how to determine how much of your search traffic is influenced by email marketing and other channels. >>Follow the ping

>>Elisa Kleniewski of e-Dialog discusses using your other channels to grow your email list. >>Follow the ping

>>Joel Book reminds us that “A company’s customer base should be managed like an investment portfolio.” >>Follow the ping

>>Loren McDonald of Silverpop addresses the issue of inactive subscribers. >>Follow the ping

>>Lynn Baus of Responsys talks about an Old Navy email that scales down well for smartphones. >>Follow the ping
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Season Finale: Father's Day 2011

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

Start to finish: The first reference to Father’s Day was on Mar. 24. The final reference was on June 23.

The biggest day for Father’s Day emails was Friday, June 10. Retailers sent the majority of their Father’s Day-themed emails after June 7.



Most interesting emails: In a June 8 email with the subject line “Dads: This Email is Not For You, Please Forward It To Your Family.” Foot Locker is trying to reach the family members of the dads on their email list. The forwarding request is right up there in the subject line, which really stood out. Of course, the other thing going for this subject line is that when people tell you not to do something, your first impulse is to do just that, so dads should be more likely to open this email.



In a June 5 email, NFLshop used two calls-to-actions right next to each other that linked to the same landing page. The first is your standard “Shop Now” CTA, whereas the second “Be the First to Own It” CTA conveys urgency and exclusivity. On one hand, it’s like they’re A/B testing the two CTAs in the same email; but on the other, they might want to keep both because they appeal to different kinds of subscribers. It’s a novel tactic.



In a June 3 email with the subject line “What happens in your cave, stays in your cave,” Dell puts a twist on the traditional “Get what you really wanted” messaging that arrives after holidays like Christmas. This “Get what you want” email says why wait till June 19 when you can have it now.



Standout subject lines:
Bed Bath & Beyond, 6/2 — Anti-necktie Father's Day gifts PLUS $15 off $75 or more online coupon!‏
Brookstone, 6/2 — Boost your father’s cool factor….
Williams-Sonoma, 6/6 — Top 5 Gifts Selected by the Dads of Williams-Sonoma‏
JCPenney, 6/7 — Your Top Pop Shop!
Foot Locker, 6/8 — Dads: This Email is Not For You, Please Forward It To Your Family.
Lands’ End, 6/9 — Hurry & we won't tell dad you saved 30% + Free Shipping‏
Hallmark, 6/9 — Have you found the perfect card for Dad?
Barnes & Noble, 6/10 — The Most Acclaimed eReader for the Most Acclaimed Dad. Yours.
Barnes & Noble, 6/17 — Father's Day is Sunday -- Get NOOK Wrapped FREE in Store!‏

Subject lines that stand out for the wrong reasons:
Staples, 6/13 — Found: the perfect gifts for dads and grads.
It reads a bit too much like a “found dog” leaflet.

Read previous Father’s Day Season Finales: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007

Explore Father’s Day tag.
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AM Inbox: Another social threshold experiment

>>Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011: Download the 51-page report for free now.

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

Buy.com, 7/27 — Samsung 46" 3D LED HDTV $1,149.99 AR, American Idol Headphones $9.99, Timberland Backpack $24.99,...
Another major retailer is experimenting with social thresholds. Last month, SmartBargains (see June 23 AM Inbox) ran a campaign that rewarded subscribers if they were able to help the retailer gain 3,000 new subscribers in a day. In this email, Buy.com offers to trigger a great deal on a Sony Dash if 500 people “like” it on the product page. It’s a fairly straightforward trigger. There’s just one problem…



…as the product page shows below (taken at 10:30 last night), Buy.com didn’t reach 500 “likes” yesterday and yet the deal was still triggered. They weren’t much closer to the 500-mark this morning either. Perhaps Buy.com realized that they were simply asking too much and that the social threshold standing in the way of a great promotion. As you can see, the Sony Dash became the No. 1 product on Buy.com yesterday. I suppose the lesson here is not to set the bar too high for your customers. But that said, it’s hard to know what’s too high without some trial and error.



Ann Taylor, 7/27 — A Workday Surprise: 40% OFF EVERYTHING! Only Today. Only Online.
In preparation for this one-day, 40%-off sale, Ann Taylor sent an email on the 26th telling subscribers to look out for a “special workday surprise” (see below). It’s a rarely used tactic that’s mainly seen around big shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a recognition f the fact that about half of your subscribers generally don’t read your email until 24 hours after they’ve received it. So Ann Taylor was hoping to increase the open rate of this email by drumming up interest among openers the day before.



And here’s the email that Ann Taylor sent the day before…

Ann Taylor, 7/26 — Check Your Inbox Wednesday For A Special Workday Surprise!



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Lowe’s, 7/27 — Learn About 5-Minute Fans in Under 5 Seconds -- Look Inside and Save 10%
Norm Thompson, 7/27 — "Best roll-aboard ever." Your words, not ours.‏
Neiman Marcus, 7/27 — Our Accessory Editor's favorite color from the runway?
L.L. Bean, 7/27 — Carefree Tees for $15.95, Shipped Free + Free $10 Gift Card
Drs. Foster & Smith, 7/27 — Preventing Heat Stroke in Dogs
Yoox, 7/27 — What to Pack?
Target, 7/27 — Saving 101: Sale on college kitchen picks.
Costco, 7/27 — Back to School Offers on Hot Handsets - Valid Through August 2, 2011.
J. Crew, 7/27 — Fall's finest: shop the latest in stores & online (plus, FREE SHIPPING)
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 7/27 — Our most alluring bra has arrived. Shop the NEW Fall collection with free shipping.
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AM Inbox: Are 'Christmas in July' emails really holiday emails?

>>Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011: Download the 51-page report for free now.

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

Sierra Trading Post, 7/26 — EXTRA 20% OFF & FREE SHIPPING + EXTRA 20-25% OFF Christmas in July!
Yesterday one of my readers commented, questioning whether “Christmas in July” emails were truly a part of a brand’s holiday campaign. It’s a valid question. It’s one that I struggled with years back and it’s one that I had to argue with one of my colleagues at Responsys while finalizing this year’s Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season.

What I decided long ago was that I would count every holiday reference and not judge them on quality. I figure if I’m consistent in my measurements then you can draw the line where you want. Otherwise there are just too many possible judgment calls. For instance, should I ignore all July holiday references? Or just ones—like this Sierra Trading Post email—that don’t promote any seasonal products? What if they don’t mention seasonal merchandise in the email but have some on the landing page? What about holiday references in August? September?

To help you decide for yourself, we publish the Holiday Season; I tweet the percentage of retailers who have made at least one reference to the holidays; and I blog the percentage of emails that referenced the holidays during the past week in every Week-End Trend post and compiled those references for the Christmas 2010 Season Finale. I hope that helps you make your own determination and informs your own decision as to when to start your own holiday campaigns.



Dick’s Sporting Goods, 7/26 — Take $20 Off - Today Only!
This is the third email in recent weeks to promote a live Facebook chat. Bed Bath & Beyond promoted one last week (see July 22 AM Inbox) and Coldwater Creek promoted one in a June 26 email.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Dell, 7/26 — Back to School Sale - Free XBOX with select laptop purchases
Oriental Trading, 7/26 — Add up your back to school savings! Shipping is free
Backcountry.com, 7/26 — Chill Apparel & Accessories | Back to School Finds
OfficeMax, 7/26 — 100% Back in MaxPerks Bonus Rewards on Backpacks
Linens ’n Things, 7/26 — 60% Off Twin XL Dorm Bedding & More
eBags, 7/26 — Ends Tomorrow! Laptop Totes, Backpacks and more from $19.99
Lane Bryant, 7/26 — What A Sale! Buy One Get One 50% Off Jeans Starts Online Today
Ann Taylor, 7/26 — Our Fall Weddings & Events Collection Has Arrived!
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AM Inbox: Email dedicated to promoting iPad app

>>Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011: Download the 51-page report for free now.

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

Sephora, 7/25 — New! Sephora for iPad.
While more than a few retailers have now dedicated a whole email to promoting their iPhone apps, this Sephora email is the first that I’ve seen dedicated entirely to promoting an iPad app. Like Sephora’s previous iPhone app email (see Oct. 25, 2010 AM Inbox), this one does a great job of highlighting content options. Plus, Sephora incentivizes the app download with an online promo code for a free product.



NFLshop, 7/25 — Back To Football! Free Shipping On Orders Over $75 + Check Out The New Site!
NFLshop has relaunched their website, notifying subscribers of it in this email. The pun on “back to school” was eye-catching, but the above-the-fold portion of the email falls a bit flat. It’s not immediately clear from the hero image what’s new. You have to scroll down past that to learn that there are “bigger product images,” “bigger descriptions,” etc. A better approach would have been to list out the improvements beside the hero image as a lead-in for the boxes further down. But best approach may have been to mimic Staples’ website relaunch email (see Dec. 15, 2010 AM Inbox). Since all the listed improvements have to do with product pages, why not show a product page and circle or box improvements?



J. Jill, 7/25 — Save up to 65%--over 375 styles.
Retailers throwing tons of product images into a grid to demonstrate variety is nothing new in email design. But J. Jill freshens up the execution with animation that playfully highlights a few of the products in the giant grid. There are lots of design memes like this that are crying out for a new twist.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Barnes & Noble, 7/25 — Christmas in July! 15% Off Coupon Ends Today - Save on Great Gifts
TigerDirect, 7/25 — Christmas in July Sale: $5 Samsung Bluetooth...$249 New 500GB PC...$329 New Dual-Core Laptop...$49 New TomTom GPS...$79 New 19" LCD
Toys “R” Us, 7/25 — One Day Cyber Sale! Up to 20% Off LEGO, Step2 & More, Mon., July 25!
Eddie Bauer, 7/25 — Standout Tops + Campus Essentials.
Buy.com, 7/25 — Adobe DISCOUNTS just in time for Back to School
Foot Locker, 7/25 — Last Chance to Save 20% Online on Your Back-to-School Needs!
Kmart, 7/25 — Find savings on denim + school uniforms 20% off
Bloomingdale’s, 7/25 — New Jeans for Him & Her
Bass Pro Shops, 7/25 — Bass Pro Shops 48 Can Wheeled Cooler only $14.97!
Coldwater Creek, 7/25 — Keep cool...Take 40% off!
Art.com, 7/25 — 25% Off Entire Site - In honor of notable Artists Birthdays!
SmartBargains, 7/25 — Open: Big message inside this email…
Staples, 7/25 — Open now and choose your coupon!
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Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011: Executive Summary

Email marketing is becoming increasingly vital to holiday success. Last year, the top online retailers boosted their year-over-year email volume 21% in November and December, with spikes coinciding with several record-breaking ecommerce days, including Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving Day.

Because of email’s ability to engage customers with relevant messaging at the right time, our retail client data shows that open rates and clickthrough rates hold steady during the holidays, despite the added volume, and that click-to-conversion rates increase significantly. There are positive signs that the 2011 holiday season will be another banner year for email marketing.

“Our retail client data shows that 2011 open rates are up 23% over last year and click-to-open rates are up 11%,” says Ed Henrich, Senior Vice President of Professional Services at Responsys. “This is a good sign that the 2011 holiday season could be very strong.”

However, challenges and opportunities have arisen that will require marketers to adjust their holiday email strategies. The emergence of “Black November,” the continued growth in mobile email readership, and increasing cross-channel sophistication will all have a major effect on campaigns this holiday season, when email volume is on track to reach new all-time highs.

To help retailers and other B2C companies navigate these changes, we have produced this roadmap to the holiday season. Based on the holiday email activity of the more than 100 top U.S. online retailers tracked by the Retail Email Blog and on the insights of Responsys’ Strategic Services group, this guide includes benchmarks and advice regarding the timing of holiday campaigns, how much to increase email volume, which days to send on, how to stand out in the inbox, and which messaging tactics to use throughout the holiday season.

We also cover the following points:

● Retailers are trying to attract shoppers earlier in the holiday season by promoting “Black Friday” deals and pricing as early as Nov. 1, a trend we refer to as “Black November.” As a result, last year the number of references to Black Friday between Nov. 1 and Black Friday increased 68% from 2009.

● Cyber Monday is living up to its hype as the “the biggest online shopping day of the year,” with online sales breaking the $1 billion mark for the first time that day last year. Email marketing is a prime contributor to that success, with 77% of major online retailers sending at least one promotional email to their subscribers on Cyber Monday, up from 71% in 2009. It was the fourth consecutive year that Cyber Monday was the most popular day of the year to send retail emails.

● Black Friday check-in campaigns and last-minute gifts delivered via Facebook were both nascent trends last year that we expect to grow this year.

● This guide also identifies and provides examples of the “22 Phases of Holiday Messaging,” a variety of tactics that retailers have at their disposal at various points during the holiday season. Those tactics include “12 Days of Christmas” campaigns, season’s greetings, and urging gift card redemptions.

Get the Full Report
>>Download the 51-page “Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2011” from Responsys’ Downloads page for free.

Other reports available from Responsys:
Email Design Look Book 2011
Email Design & Coding Recommendations
Retail Email Year-End Trends for 2010
Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2010
SWYN, FTAF & Community Links
…and you can find even more reports on Responsys’s Downloads page.
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AM Inbox: Retailers ride heat wave

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&R, 7/22 — Heat Wave Weekend Sale. . . Cool Deals on ACs and More!
Lands’ End, 7/22 — Beat the heat with very cool prices: up to 70% off
Lane Bryant, 7/22 — It's Too Hot - The Weather And These Savings
REI, 7/22 — Save Your Skin + Clothing and Sandals under $50 at REI-OUTLET.com
Coldwater Creek, 7/23 — Forecast: COOL with 40% OFF!
Coldwater Creek, 7/24 — A Cooling Trend is Here!‏
Big retailers typically aren’t nimble enough to react to weather events like blizzards (see Dec. 21, 2010 AM Inbox), but quite a few were able to react to the heat wave that hit most of the country late last week. J&R promoted some ACs, Coldwater Creek promoted clothes designed to keep you cool, while others just tried to catch subscribers who were avoiding the heat by staying inside.

Hallmark, 7/24 — Top reasons to order now (Hint: one is SAVING 50%!)
In addition to Buy.com redesign, which included the addition of a list of reasons subscribers should shop with them (see July 1 AM Inbox), a few other retailers have also been putting forward similar lists, including Hallmark in this email. These kinds of lists can be great educational pieces and can reiterate improvements or new offering that were introduced in recent months but may have been missed by subscribers. Saks Fifth Avenue (see Jan. 12, 2009 AM Inbox) and Macy’s (see Oct. 20, 2009 AM Inbox) have run similar lists in the past.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Dell, 7/22 — Back to School Sale
Overstock.com, 7/22 — BACK-TO-SCHOOL SAVINGS
Foot Locker, 7/22 — Our Kind of Math - Save 20% Online on All Your Back-to-School Needs!
Office Depot, 7/22 — A Coupon + 1cent & 25cent Deals = Awesome Back To School Savings
eBags, 7/24 — Your Back to School Headquarters - Huge Savings on the Biggest Brands
crewcuts, 7/23 — new arrivals for back-to-school (plus, free shipping)
Crate & Barrel, 7/24 — Shop Back to School online exclusives starting at just $7.95.
OfficeMax, 7/22 — Preview Our 7/24 Weekly Ad + 100% Back in Bonus Rewards on Backpacks
Sam’s Club, 7/23 — Dell Notebooks from $399! Shop today - limited quantities available.
Linens ’n Things, 7/24 — Christmas in July! Up to 60% Off
Sears, 7/14— Attention humans: Save up to 15% thru tomorrow. Last chance till November.‏ [promoting Cyber Monday holiday deals]
Nordstrom, 7/22 — Anniversary Sale! Real Deals on Fall Accessories
Ann Taylor, 7/22 — Limited Time! Shop Our Pre-Fall Event & Enjoy 30% Off Your Full-Price Purchase
Ralph Lauren, 7/22 — Take An Extra 25% Off Sale + First Look At Fall
Williams-Sonoma, 7/22 — Simplify Cooking with All-Clad Multipot + Save Up to $85
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Week-End Trends: Retailers feeling less pressure to kick off holiday campaigns

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.1 promotional emails on average during the week ending July 22, 2011. That’s up 4% week-over-week, up 5% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 12% year-over-year.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Tuesday and Friday were the most popular days to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: The holiday season is off to a slow start. Not only have fewer retailers begun their holiday messaging, but last week less than 2% of retail emails referenced Christmas. During the corresponding week last year, more than 5% of emails referenced the holidays. It’s still early, but it appears that retailers have soured on “Christmas in July” campaigns this year and are overall perhaps feeling less pressure to begin their holiday messaging. If the trend holds up, it will speak to retailers being more optimistic about holiday sales and the economy in general.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Back to School (June-Sept.): 2010 Season Finale
Labor Day (Sept. 5): 2010 Season Finale
Christmas (Dec. 25): 2010 Season Finale
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Ping Time: HTML5 video in Hotmail, hashtag subject line, etc.

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

>>Tweets of the Week: @AnnaMariaVirzi: Quote of the day - @avinash 'Email = totally worth dating, engaging, marrying and having babies with' http://bit.ly/p9pOY2

@JayEhret: Google+ reached 10m users in 16 days! About half of all social media consultants are now users. :) http://ow.ly/5KVqk

>>Ros Hodgekiss of Campaign Monitor examines Hotmail newly launched ability to play HTML5 video. >>Follow the ping

>>Lynn Baus of Responsys shares a lululemon email that uses a Twitter hashtag as its subject line. >>Follow the ping

>>Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports shares 14 tips for removing the attention barriers from your email program. >>Follow the ping

>>Thad Rueter of Internet Retailer reports that back-to-school online sales are looking very promising, according to the NRF. >>Follow the ping

>>Hotmail is doing their part to reduce password hacking by banning common passwords like “password” and “qwerty” and requiring users to enter strong passwords. >>Follow the :P!n6

>>In my latest Email Insider column, I provide a list of 12 questions to help you do a post-mortem on the 2010 holiday email season to prepare for this year. >>Follow the ping
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AM Inbox: Lessons in back-to-school email design

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

Bed Bath & Beyond, 7/21 — Everything they need but won’t buy for themselves. PLUS Don't forget your $15 off $75 or more online coupon!‏
While the design and color scheme are a bit busy, there are lots of good things going on in this Bed Bath back-to-school email—starting with the great subject line. The first half of the subject line is compelling and fresh. I would have A/B tested leaving off the second half of the subject line or at least shortening that element. Within the body of the email, they customize their navigation bar, highlighting a “Shop for College” tab and three sub-tabs. This is a design tactic that they use routinely. Bed Bath draws extra attention to that college tab by giving it a green background that ties it to the headline and other messages further down. The hero image is a large animated gif (see below), which is backed up by images of the six product categories in case the animation is blocked. The promotional content is supported by a Facebook Q&A and “College Insider” content, the former of which is teased up beside the headline.



Here’s the animated portion of the email:



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Linens ’n Things, 7/21 — Cool Down With Up To 50% Savings on Outdoor Items
JC Whitney, 7/21 — Keep Your Ride Clutter-Free | Great Shipping Offer Extended!
J. Crew, 7/21 — Fall's first look: NEW ARRIVALS (plus, FREE SHIPPING on any order)
NikeStore, 7/21 — Get the Essentials. Ditch the Excuses.
Williams-Sonoma, 7/21 — Go Behind the Scenes in America’s Top Restaurants!‏
Backcountry.com, 7/21 — We Love Floaters – Save $100
Apple, 7/21 — OS X Lion. MacBook Air. Mac mini. All new.
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AM Inbox: Best use of your assets

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

Lands’ End, 7/20 — We put a lot into our backpacks, then took 20% off
Sometimes I’m initially quite impressed with an email until I click through to the landing page to discover that there was much more that could have been done. That was my experience with this Lands’ End email. Despite the fact that you can’t even see the backpacks on two of the four kids, I like the straightforward headline and deck copy, how the product copy explains the differences in sizes, and how the kids give you a nice visual benchmark. But the hero image on the landing page reveals that they could have easily used a cool animated gif for each of the kids that would have allowed you to better gauge the size of the backpacks. This would have been a great opportunity to A/B test a static image vs. an animated one.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Coldwater Creek, 7/20 — Those 2 words you love: Free Shipping!
Blair, 7/20 — A Christmas in July gift: free shipping.‏
The Company Store, 7/20 — Ultimate Comfort for your Dorm Room!
Abercrombie & Fitch, 7/20 — All new collegiate style is in the Elements of Ivy Collection!
SmartBargains, 7/20 — Always Wear SPF. Fashion from $15 + $35 Sheets [note: SPF = “Smartly Priced Fashion”]
J. Jill, 7/20 — White now!
Bloomingdale’s, 7/20 — Transition from Summer to Fall with Theory
Nordstrom, 7/20 — Anniversary Sale: Coats, Capes & More
Cabela’s, 7/20 — Fall Preview. Get the newest gear for the season.
Crutchfield, 7/20 — Play music in any room wirelessly
Urban Outfitters, 7/20 — Introducing: Levi's 513
Tiffany & Co., 7/20 — The Inspiration for Elsa Peretti's Bottle
Staples, 7/20 — First time ever: 25% back in Rewards, storewide!
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AM Inbox: Spurring scrolling with your preheader message

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

Office Depot, 7/19 — FREE Digital Camera w/ HP Toner Purchase + Clearance Blowout Sale
Don’t get locked into thinking that the preheader message always has to promote your email’s primary message. While that’s certainly the most common approach, retailers routinely tout secondary messages in their preheader messages as well. In this Office Depot email, the “Shop 25¢ School Deals” portion of the preheader message refers to the banner at the very bottom of the email. The arrangement may encourage subscribers to scroll as they go looking for that back-to-school link. It’s worth testing.



Hallmark, 7/19 — Win $5000 in our {Blank} Is a Special Occasion contest
I initially thought that the subject line of this email contained a botched first name merge, but the “{Blank}” is part of the name of the contest. The brackets likely caught subscribers’ attention as well. The gift retailing business revolves around holidays and special occasions, so I really like the idea of working with customers to acknowledge quieter moments. And the timing of the campaign is really smart since there are no holidays between Independence Day and Labor Day. Here’s the landing page on Facebook for the campaign.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Cooking.com, 7/19 — Today Only - Free Shipping on the Coolest Summer Treat Makers [celebrating National Ice Cream Day]
Bed Bath & Beyond, 7/19 — Going to college? Let's go shopping! PLUS Don't forget your $15 off $75 or more online coupon!‏
TigerDirect, 7/19 — Top 20 Dorm Room Tech Deals + More Price Drops from the Back-To-School Tech Authority
Backcountry.com, 7/19 — You’re Going Back To School
Saks Fifth Avenue, 7/19 — Prada Fall 2011 Collection for him
Neiman Marcus, 7/19 — MICHAEL KORS: A trend-infused Fall
Bluefly, 7/19 — Dresses to Fall for: BCBGMAXAZRIA, Halston Heritage, Diane von Furstenberg...
Abercrombie & Fitch, 7/19 — We're so excited about our new jeans, you could win an Apple MacBook Air, we're giving away 252!
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AM Inbox: Bass Pro latest to update email images post-send

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

Bass Pro Shops, 7/18 — Moultrie Game Spy D-50 Digital Game Camera only $50!
Bass Pro Shops is the latest top retailer to experiment with updating the images in an email after it has been sent. They updated this email with a “sold out” message—as TigerDirect (see Mar. 4, 2009 AM Inbox) and Chadwicks (see Feb. 7 AM Inbox) have done—and use it to build urgency for their next “Catch of the Week” deal. Home Depot has also used this tactic before (see May 24 AM Inbox).



Tiffany & Co., 7/18 — Make Your Great Escape
In the 2011 Email Design Look Book we highlight a Minted.com email that uses textural elements to give the email a more organic, three-dimensional feel. This Tiffany email is another solid example of creating texture in an email. In it, they use (1) script writing, (2) illustrations, (3) photos set at an angle, and (4) overlapping elements to create depth to the design. Another way to create texture is to break the grid, which HP (see Apr. 12, 2010 AM Inbox) and JCPenney (see Aug. 19, 210 AM Inbox) have provided great examples of in the past.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
NFLshop, 7/18 — Christmas In July - Take 20% Off Select New York Giants Gear!
Eddie Bauer, 7/18 — All Backpacks on Sale During Our Annual Gear Event.
Walgreens, 7/18 — FRIENDS & FAMILY SALE: Extra $10 OFF $50 Online + Back to School Sale | 20% OFF Contact Lenses
Target, 7/18 — Vintage Varsity. Target's Fall Collection.
Ann Taylor, 7/18 — Be The First To Shop Our Pre-Fall Lookbook + Enjoy Free Shipping!
Bloomingdale’s, 7/18 — The Fall Boot, Brand New Cashmere & More + Online Secret Sale!
HP, 7/18 — Check your next email on this: the HP Tablet!
Lane Bryant, 7/18 — Last Chance To Save Up To 50% + Sign Up For Mobile And Save
Crate & Barrel, 7/18 — Find what you need to bring the spa home.
J. Jill, 7/18 — Carefree summer? Carry on.
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AM Inbox: Back-to-school gift services footer

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

OfficeMax, 7/15 — Preview Our 7/17 Weekly Ad + Great Back to School Deals
Gift services footers (GSFs) continue to gradually become more popular outside of the holiday season, when nearly 19% of top retailers use them. GSFs for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are no longer rare, but back-to-school GSFs are, which makes this OfficeMax GSF interesting. It includes links to products by school level, including a link for teachers—just like a holiday GSF would include links to gifts at different price points or for different personas. SMS sign-ups are becoming more common elements of GSFs as well.



J. Crew, 7/16 — too-cute swimsuits (plus, free shipping)
Forward-to-a-friend (FTAF) and share-with-your-network (SWYN) requests are usually more effective when they are positioned as part of a primary or secondary message, rather than placed in the header or footer of the email. FTAF and SWYN calls-to-action can also be more effective when the copywriting connects them with the promotional CTAs. For instance, in this J. Crew email, they are promoting their Vacation Shop and ask subscribers to forward the email to friends and family members who are going on vacation.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Crate & Barrel, 7/17 — Ace Back to School with new dorm-ready items that make the grade.
Sony, 7/15 — ACT NOW | Save up to $330 on Exclusive Back to School PC Deals
Target, 7/15 — Black Friday in July deals are here, buy now before they’re gone!
Lands’ End, 7/16 — May cooler heads prevail. And arms, legs and feet...
Costco, 7/16 — Stay Cool While Shopping For Hot Buys On Costco.com!
J. Jill, 7/15 — Let us introduce you...Pure Jill melange has just arrived.
Ann Taylor, 7/15 — Our New Pre-Fall Collection Has Arrived! Shop New City Chic...
Abercrombie & Fitch, 7/17 — Get Soft and Pretty in lace!
Drs. Foster & Smith, 7/16 — "Pet Tails" - Stories from our Clinic
JC Whitney, 7/15 — For Email Subscribers Only | $50 Off, Ends Sunday - Shop Now!
Ann Taylor, 7/17 — Enter To Win A New Ann Taylor Wardrobe & Other Great Prizes On Facebook!
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Week-End Trends: Email volume resists mid-summer dip

Email activity and seasonal trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.0 promotional emails on average during the week ending July 15, 2011. That’s up 2% week-over-week, down 2% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 19% year-over-year. Over the past two weeks, email volume has been fairly stable, avoid the usual mid-summer dip.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Tuesday and Friday were the most popular days to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: Last week we saw our first reference to Christmas, which came 11 days later than it did in 2010. However, it’s too early to draw any conclusions from the slow start. This coming week is traditionally a popular time to launch “Christmas in July” campaigns, so we should see several more references to the holidays.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Back to School (June-Sept.): 2010 Season Finale
Labor Day (Sept. 5): 2010 Season Finale
Christmas (Dec. 25): 2010 Season Finale
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Ping Time: Hotmail-browser clashes, emailed receipts, etc.

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

>>Michelle Klann of Email on Acid discusses how recent changes to Hotmail cause problems with certain browsers, including Microsoft’s own. >>Follow the ping

>>Bonnie Malone of Return Path shares an emailed receipt from an in-store purchase from Gap. >>Follow the ping

>>Elisa Kleniewski of e-Dialog also recounts her experience getting emailed a receipt…from her salon. >>Follow the ping

>>Ros Hodgekiss of Campaign Monitor provides the code to override the default link colors of Yahoo! Mail Beta. >>Follow the ping

>>Email consultant Jeanne Jennings talks about the value of calculating revenue per email versus return on investment. >>Follow the revenue

>>Allison Enright of Internet Retailer talks about the impact of Canada’s anti-spam law on U.S. marketers. >>Follow the ping

>>In Responsys’ latest Email Insider column, Alex Madison and Wacarra Yeomans share their top three tips for using email to take advantage of mobile behavior. >>Follow the ping
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AM Inbox: Common mistake during holiday season

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

TigerDirect, 7/13 — Hurry: 2TB Seagate Ext HD $79...8GB Triple Core PC Kit $249...Quad Core CPU $49...23" Acer LED $149...4GB DDR3 $19...1000w PSU $179
Yesterday I was speaking about the holiday season with Jeffrey Grau of eMarketer, who asked me what mistakes marketers make with their email campaigns during that critical time. While retailers have learned to avoid asking too much of subscribers by not running user-generated content campaigns, featuring video content or doing anything but the simplest social media campaigns, some retailers still ask too much by sending overly long emails. During the holidays, there’s a lot of internal pressure to include “just one more submessage.” What you end up with is something like this TigerDirect email. It’s not that long emails can’t be effective, but more messages often just mean more noise so that none of the messages stand out.



Target, 7/13 — Be the first to preview the Black Friday in July deals.
“Christmas in July” campaigns are well established. Last year, 7% of retailers ran “Christmas in July” campaigns. In recent years, a number of top retailers have also pushed Black Friday deals in July. Target is the first to do so this year.



Tiffany & Co., 7/13 — Tiffany Knows What Makes Love True
Just like the CB2 example earlier this week (see July 13 AM Inbox), this Tiffany email does a nice job of showing instead of telling subscribers about their What Makes Love True app. It looks like Food Rules for love. Very easy to grasp.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Spiegel, 7/13 — FLASH SALE! 2-Hours only...from $10
Chadwicks, 7/13 — 15% off from 12-3pm, ET only
Williams-Sonoma, 7/13 — 4 Hours Only: Don’t Miss 15% Savings on Pastries & Croissants
Blair, 7/13 — 5 hours only. 20% off everything.‏
ShopNBC, 7/14 — 6 hours ONLY!
eBags, 7/14 — Back-to-School Kickoff - Free Shipping on all School Packs, Laptop Bags, Messengers & more!
Kmart, 7/13 — Online only: Free Shipping for Back to School and Back to Campus
Kohl’s, 7/14 — Take an Extra 30%, 20% or 15% Off + 40-50% Off Student Lounge Furniture & Accents
Crate & Barrel, 7/14 — We've gone global. Crate and Barrel now ships to more than 90 countries.
Toys “R” Us, 7/13 — Limited Time Only! Free Shipping on Everything at Toysrus.com AND Babiesrus.com!
Bluefly, 7/14 — Fall's First Look: Coats & Jackets from Miss Sixty, Mackage, Via Spiga...
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AM Inbox: Eddie Bauer redesign + Hotmail-Firefox rendering issue

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

Eddie Bauer, 7/11 — All Packs & Duffels on Sale During Our Annual Gear Event.
Eddie Bauer has redesigned their email template, making a number of significant changes. The most apparent change is that they’ve lightened up their color palette, changing the reverse type presentation of their logo and using light gray backgrounds for their product shots. Visually the new design is a lot less heavy and easier on the eyes. In the header, they have added a “view on mobile” link and “share on Facebook” button. They’ve also reduced the number of navigation bar links to five, down from eight. As in the previous design, those nav links are HTML text so they show up when images are blocked. The yellow dot-whacks appear to be a new design element that draws attention to key messaging, again making the email easier to scan and read. Eddie Bauer also introduces a two-column footer with the new design, just like JC Whitney did in their redesign (see July 12 AM Inbox). Dell, JC Whitney and Staples also use two-column footers. The only disconcerting change was that Eddie Bauer increased the width of the template to 770 pixels from 650 pixels, making it less mobile-friendly.



Orvis, 7/11 — Save $10 on the perfect summer polo! Discover the Orvis Signature Polo Contrast-Trim Shirt.
Last year we released Majority of Retailers Fail Hotmail-Firefox Rendering Test, a report that provides a fix for a coding issue that causes a border to be placed around images when viewed in Hotmail using Firefox. This Orvis email shows just how devastating this issue can be to your email design. As I tweeted yesterday, other retailers that have failed to adjust their email coding include Chadwicks, Northern Tool, Ralph Lauren, TigerDirect and Toys “R” Us. Regularly viewing your emails using all the major email client and browser combinations can make you aware of rendering issues like this. Clearly many top brands still aren’t doing this.



Sephora, 7/11 — Introducing Sephora home delivery
The subject line of this email is truly awful. It completely fails to tell you what the email is about, which is the launch of same-day delivery in Manhattan. “Home delivery” clearly means something different to Sephora, because most subscribers will equate it with being able to order products online and have them delivered to their home, which is nothing new at all.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Sony, 7/12 — STUDENT EXCLUSIVE | Save $299.99 on a PS3 System + VAIO PC, and more
HP, 7/11 — Your Companion for Back to School: HP Deals Start Here
Linens ’n Things, 7/12 — 60% OFF Dorm Bedding, Supplies & More
Staples, 7/12 — Save up to $200 on school essentials + $100 Visa prepaid card!
ShopNBC, 7/11 — Clearance | Below Cost
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 7/12 — First time ever! Our Fall Preview Sale is online & in stores. Plus, free shipping.
Avon, 7/12 — Spare Time? Full Time? Become an AVON Representative!
Ralph Lauren, 7/12 — Introducing The City Polo
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AM Inbox: First reference to Christmas

>>New School Marketing in Action Tour: Don’t miss the remaining stops—London (7/14), Seattle (7/21), Copenhagen (9/22). Register Now

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

Toys “R” Us, 7/10 — This Week Only! Christmas in July Sale Packed with BOGO 50% OFF Deals
Toys “R” Us gives us our first reference to the holidays. Despite its proximity to Independence Day, July 1 very often marks the start of holiday email campaigns. This year retailers apparently wanted to wait until their 4th of July campaigns ended. For insights and inspiration for your holiday campaigns, check out the Christmas 2010 Season Finale. Also, we’ll be releasing the 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season very soon. In the meantime, check out the 2010 Holiday Guide.



Bed Bath & Beyond, 7/8 — Check out our e-circular...
Bed Bath & Beyond has an interesting Facebook button on this email, with the left side appealing to their subscribers in general and the right appealing to their student subscribers. I had seen a design like that before.



J. Jill, 7/8 — Cool stripes, new shades. Plus, 30% off summer essentials.
Simple, product-centric and casual, this J. Jill email is direct and uncluttered. It reminds me a little of the Feb. 28, 2009 Dell email that ran the copy over the casing of a computer (see 2009 Design Hall of Fame), as well as the e-reader and tablet promotions where the copy appears on the screen of the product. Do you have opportunities where you can run the copy over the product you’re promoting?



CB2, 7/8 — who's cool: Tereasa Surratt shows you how to throw a retro record party.
I really like the “show, don’t tell” approach to this email. Instead of telling subscribers that they’ve launched a new Idea Central section of their website, they promote one of the features. In most cases, that’s a much more compelling way to demonstrate the value of a new content offering.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Cooking.com, 7/8 — Free Shipping on Blenders - Celebrate National Pina Colada Day on 7/10
Crate & Barrel, 7/9 — New. In bloom now at The Marimekko Shop at crateandbarrel.com.
Neiman Marcus, 7/10 — Simple is not for me! See what else RACHEL ZOE has to say
J. Crew, 7/9 — all-summer-long shorts (plus, free shipping)
Gap, 7/10 — 3 Stores/3 Days/1 Big Deal + FREE SHIPPING Every Day
Banana Republic, 7/10 — 3 Stores! 3 Days! 1 Big Deal! + FREE Shipping Every Day
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AM Inbox: JC Whitney redesign + duct tape shoes

>>New School Marketing in Action Tour: Don’t miss the remaining stops—London (7/14), Seattle (7/21), Copenhagen (9/22). Register Now

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

JC Whitney, 7/5 — Interior Accessories - Everything you Need Plus Free Shipping!
JC Whitney has redesigned their email template, making mostly cosmetic changes. The most striking change is the new color palette, with shades of blue framing up the body copy. They also stripped down the preheader text, abandoning their preheader message, “view with images” link and branding statement in favor of just a “view on mobile” link. JC Whitney also moved to a two-column footer, which is definitely becoming a bit of a trend. One routine criticism of footer designs is that they are almost always cluttered, making it difficult to quickly find the unsubscribe link and other vital content. JC Whitney uses the left hand column for community links and email management links and then uses the right hand column for offer disclaimers. They also tweaked the product grid—though oddly, the new “Starts at…” buttons are not clickable. The new design is 620 pixels wide versus 610 in the previous design. Here’s the new design (left) and the previous design from a July 3 email:



Backcountry.com, 7/7 — You Have A Problem? We Have The Footwear
While the message is as simple as “Do you need new shoes?” the execution in this Backcountry.com email is super compelling thanks to a truly awesome hero image, solid headline and original call-to-action.



Coach, 7/1 — Guest Blogger #9: Kimberly Pesch wears Chelsea.
Coach is tapping the fashion blogging community in a “Guest Blogger” series that is mentioned for the first time in this email. Independent content experts like these are becoming more common sources of online and email content. Here’s the landing page.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
ShopNBC, 7/1 — You'll get a bang out of this...
Lands’ End, 7/1 — We're having a blast!
SmartBargains, 7/1 — Boom! The 4th of July Sales Start Right Now.
Norm Thompson, 7/1 — It's a Firecracker of an Offer: SAVE on the whole shebang!
JCPenney, 7/1 — Sparklers! Sale, Super Hot Buys, Free Shipping & More
1-800-Flowers.com, 7/4 — Set off Fireworks: One Dozen Red Roses + Free Vase, just $29.99
J. Jill, 7/4 — Don't miss the fireworks! 25% off sale ENDS TODAY!
Brookstone, 7/1 — Land of the FREE SHIPPING!
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 7/1 — You're Free to Choose Your Offer This Fourth of July Weekend!
Bluefly, 7/4 — Go 4th & Shop! Clearance Sale: Now Up To 80% Off ALL Sale Items
Disney Store, 7/4 — Free Shipping Today Only: Go Fourth and Save!
Office Depot, 7/1 — Hot Buys & Even Hotter Prices - All Stores Open July 4th
Urban Outfitters, 7/4 — Happy July 4th + Free Shipping Ends Today!
Newegg, 7/4 — Happy Fourth of July from Newegg! Special deals to celebrate the day...
Ann Taylor, 7/4 — Happy 4th! Red, White & Sale Ends Tomorrow: 40% Off EVERYTHING!
Macy’s, 7/4 — Happy 4th of July: Extra 15% off ends tonight!
Ralph Lauren, 7/4 — Happy 4th Of July From Ralph Lauren
HP, 7/6 — Only Hours Left: Independence Day Sale Ends Today!
Lands’ End, 7/6 — For smart students, smart backpacks
Blair, 7/7 — $4.99 shipping on items you won't find in our catalogs
Williams-Sonoma, 7/3 — We’ve Gone Global – Now Shipping to Over 75 Countries
Neiman Marcus, 7/2 — The Hologram Bootie & more JIMMY CHOO
Costco, 7/1 — Summer Is Here. Meet Costco Buyer Jodi And See What She Likes!
HP, 7/1 — HP TouchPad - It's Here
Dell, 7/5 — Buy the thinnest 15" PC in the world, get an Xbox 360
Crate & Barrel, 7/5 — new from CB2: space-saving, impact-creating furniture for any budget.
RitzCamera, 7/6 — Extra Trade In Bonus! What's your gear worth?
L.L. Bean, 7/7 — Your Vote Counts: L.L.Bean Outdoor Heroes Award
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Season Finale: Mother's Day 2011

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

Start to finish: The first reference to Mother’s Day was on Mar. 9. The final reference was on May 17.

The biggest day for Mother’s Day emails was Sunday, May 8, followed by Wednesday, May 4. Retailers sent the majority of their Mother’s Day-themed emails after Apr. 28.



Most interesting emails: With the subject line “Inspirational women are all around us. Who inspires you?” this May 8 J. Jill email tries to spur viral pass-alongs with this non-promotional messaging. With its script font and no imagery, this email stands out and stands apart with its greeting card looks. As they demonstrated with their season’s greetings email (see Dec. 27, 2010 AM Inbox), J. Jill is very skillful at using non-promotional messaging to keep subscribers engaged.



In this Apr. 26 email, Macy’s also included a cause-marketing angle in their Mother’s Day campaign with their Thank-a-Mom Movement call-to-action—although it did get very little real estate in the email. Here’s the email:



And here’s the landing page for the Thank-a-Mom Movement on Facebook:



My colleague Tanya Williams shared several royal wedding-themed emails in late April. I saw several more examples that were in the same vein, but this Apr. 29 SmartBargains email stood out because it was the only one I saw that tied the royal wedding to Mother’s Day.



In this May 5 email, Barnes & Noble had a nice bit of copywriting promoting gift cards.



Standout subject lines:
Neiman Marcus, 4/20 — Mother may I? A MIDDAY DASH just in time for Mom‏
Bed Bath & Beyond, 4/21 — Free shipping offer. Mom's earned more than a card.‏
JCPenney, 4/22 — Be Mom’s Favorite--Gifts To Get You To #1!
JCPenney, 4/30 — LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Save Big On Gifts She Wants‏
Brookstone, 5/3 — Just for hardworking moms…
Dell, 5/6 — Think outside the candy box this Mother's Day‏

Subject lines that stand out for the wrong reasons:
Lillian Vernon, 4/26 — This Mother's Day Celebrate all the women in your life!‏
I knew what they meant, but considering that Mother’s Day is also a day to honor your wife, the alternative meaning made me chuckle. (Also, not sure why “Celebrate” is capitalized.)

Read previous Mother’s Day Season Finales: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007

Explore Mother’s Day tag.
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