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, 1/11 — On the Menu: What’s New at Williams-Sonoma
A few weeks ago a reader emailed me asking about which retailers put out a good newsletter. To be sure, newsletters are much more popular among B2B companies, consumer product brands, and nonprofits. But there are some retailers that put out great monthly email newsletters, including B&H Photo Video (see Mar. 2, 2011 AM Inbox), CB2 (see Aug. 15, 2011 AM Inbox), REI and Williams-Sonoma, which you can see in this email.
The challenge for many retailers is to put assemble content that isn’t overtly promotional. It’s hard to deviate from what most retailers are doing 29 days out of the month and pull together content that’s educational, inspirational, instructive, and community-oriented. It often takes more resources to create this content, which raises the performance bar for retail newsletters. I would recommend not judging the performance of a newsletter in isolation, but also on how much more responsive your subscribers who read the newsletter are to your promotional emails. Newsletters should create more engaged subscribers who are more receptive to your promotional messages, so measuring the strength of a newsletter’s halo effect is important.
Fingerhut, 1/12 — Fingerhut: SAVE On Football Fan Gear! Find Out How
Only a few retailers—like SmartBargains (see June 23, 2011 AM Inbox)—have experimented with social thresholds for deals. In this Fingerhut email, they set a social threshold based on the number of pictures posted, which is certainly novel. In this case, the threshold isn’t made public, probably because Fingerhut is feeling out this deal format or perhaps because they’ll offer the same deal regardless of activity. It’s the early day for social thresholds and there’s still lots of room for experimentation.
This is Fingerhut’s second email in a row to promote the “Big Game” using a social campaign. In a Jan. 11 email, they offered a 15% to anyone who posted on their Facebook page who they thought would win the big game.
SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Avon, 1/11 — Start the new year right - Sell AVON!
Coach, 1/11 — Our favorite new year's tradition.
Sam’s Club, 1/12 — Solutions for your healthy resolutions
Barnes & Noble, 1/11 — Don't Wait! Get the Textbooks You Need Today -- Up to 90% Off
Walmart, 1/12 — Save on Tax-Prep Tools + Get Ready for Game Time Excitement
Ann Taylor, 1/11 — Our NEW SPRING COLLECTION Is Here!
Sony, 1/11 — Preview Sony’s 2012 Line-up | Unveiled at CES
Kohl’s, 1/12 — Give the Gift That Gives Back – Books & Plush for Just $5 Each
Urban Outfitters, 1/11 — Basically Awesome [promoting basics]
Yoox, 1/11 — Statement Shoes + Free Shipping on Orders of $200 or More
Lands’ End, 1/11 — Free shipping, no minimum + 30% off basics = spring stock-up!
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BROWSE... Archive / Post Categories / Selling Seasons / Topics Covered / Retailers Tracked
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