By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor
As we make our way through the holiday season, it’s evident that retailers are doing all they can to stand out during this highly competitive time.
From Kmart’s “Jingle Bells” commercial, to J.C. Penney’s snarky social response, retailers are venturing outside of their marketing boxes – so to speak – to pique customer interest, drive engagement and ultimately, boost sales.
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One marketing channel that I think retailers can use effectively is email. In my opinion, email just doesn’t get enough credit. Mobile and social are the new bright, shiny toys. While these touch points are becoming more valuable as consumers become increasingly connected, email seems to be a key “connector” of all these channels.
A while back, I even shared my favorite email subject lines on this blog! Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered a series of successful email campaigns on the RTP site…but it doesn’t stop there!
Our good friends at Bronto Software shared their exclusive analysis of emails sent during Thanksgiving weekend. This first recap is the first in a four-week Holiday Email Lookbook series, so hopefully we’ll have some more fun campaigns to share with you: the best, brightest and even bizarre, as the Bronto report aptly noted.
Following are a few standout campaigns and tactics:
1. The Early Access Promise: Some brands and retailers, such as Samsung, are promising shoppers early access to deals and sales (both in-store and online) if they register through the web site. Not only does this help drive ongoing engagement, it also ensures that holiday emails are sent to the most relevant and interested parties.
2. The Perfect Planning Resource: Bronto shared a great email from Walmart that touted key Black Friday sales and advertisements. All sales were tailored to the recipient’s location, and the email even included a store map to show where products were located. This provided consumers with the information they needed to turn chaotic deal-hunting into a less traumatic experience.
3. The Satisfier And Sale Driver: Everyone has brought up that retailers are facing a squeezed holiday season. Because merchants have less days to sell between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, they tried to boost sales with pre-Black Friday and pre-Cyber Monday sales. Take this message from Forever 21. Adorable promo code aside (YAYBOOTS), this message hones in on the date (drives urgency) a free shipping threshold (“free shipping on orders over $50”) and a “What To Wear” holiday fashion guide (valuable content). These elements, used together, are very powerful. Now I’m mad I missed this sale!
4. The Gift Guide: Sure, sales are great and all..but they’re not very helpful if you have no idea what to get a friend or family member. Bronto spotlighted a few great examples of gift guide emails. Now, there are a few fun ways this can be executed. The below message from Brookstone is more tactical, as it focuses on price thresholds. Other retailers, such as Saks Fifth Avenue’s OFF 5TH, focused on aspirational content, high-definition images, and outfit ideas.
5. The Wish List: Speaking of aspirational content, there were some great retailer emails promoting wish list features. Check out this message from Free People, which promotes the wish list, as well as a special contest.
And this is only the beginning! Check out the complete report from Bronto. Who knows…you may come up with a few fun email ideas for the rest of the holiday season!
