Our favorite emails of Q4

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 24 Jan 2013

What better way to kick off 2013 than a look back at some of the best emails of Q4.There were plenty to choose from at this busy time of year but we’ve decided not to include anything seasonal – it can be a little depressing looking back at jolly, full-fat Christmas campaigns in the middle of an abstemious January!

So it’s over to you to help us choose an overall winner by voting in our Subscribers’ Choice Awards. There are four categories – ‘Best Design’, ‘Best Copy’, ‘Best Strategy’ and new for this year, ‘Best Subject Line’. See if you agree with our rationale then simply choose the email you think is strongest in the voting box at the bottom of the page

Your Q2, 2012 winner
Brooks Brothers mailing won the Subscribers’ Choice Award for Q2, with a 73% of the vote. For more sparks of email inspiration, check out the Q2 shortlist.

BEST DESIGN
Simple = powerful
Winner: ASOS – Like it, Click it
Subject Line: Top to toe. Automatically gorgeous

Why we chose it
Every creative area in this email has been well thought out, well executed and works together to produce a strong, on-brand marketing message. The design is simple and the flipbook-style animation is engaging while also displaying multiple products. In essence, it is a portal to ASOS’ world of online fashion retail, designed to make customers click and to leave a positive brand impression.

Why it’s great

WHO: The logo is front and center – but remove it and the clean styling, pastel colors and quirky shapes still identify this as ASOS.

WHAT: So what should I do in this email? Quite simply – Like it, Click it! The product is the star and the action of mixing, matching and choosing is what clothes shopping is all about. There is no clutter – all secondary messages, indexes, nav bars, roundels, flashes and sub-heads have been stripped out. The focus is a single core proposition: find something you like. A clear and concise headline summarizes the content and simple CTAs tell you what to do.

WHY: The design of the flipbook is very tactile, it’s begging to be clicked, even without the animation. The first frame of the animation is the strongest, so should it fail to work in some browsers, the strength of the message is undiminished. The panels and quirky pastel triangles look clickable and the big text-only CTA uses ‘like’ and ‘click’ – two of the most powerful digital action words. And even on such an uncomplicated email, there are multiple CTAs and areas to click. These take you through to a dedicated landing page with a fully interactive flipbook that links to the individual sales pages.

BEST COPY
Less is more
Winner: RNIB – can’t view this email properly
Subject Line: ##name##, imagine if every email looked like this

Why we chose it
You may already be familiar with this email by Elvis Communications, as it has been doing the rounds since March in many “Best Email Creative” blogs and votes. However, we have chosen it for its copy. At first glance that might seem odd as there are only 25 words but having the confidence and talent to write just a few words to convey a powerful message is what great digital and charity copywriting is all about. It is also a good example of copy and design working together to create a message that is greater than the sum of its parts. Finally, it shows that email creative, particularly for charities, can be approached in a similar style to above-the-line brand advertising.

Why it’s great

WHO: Interestingly and unusually the branding for this email has been placed at the bottom of the page, much like a printed poster. That goes against email best practice but the trick with all best-in-class creative is knowing when to break the rules to achieve standout. Having the branding at the bottom allows the power of the message to sink in before you know who it is from.

WHAT: The strength of this email is in the simplicity of the idea and the simplicity of the execution. Charities rely heavily on emotional triggers but are at their most effective when they place their subscribers in the shoes of the people they are aiming to help. So the use of personalization in the subject line is very effective – we want YOU to imagine how this would affect YOU.

WHY: The copy gets straight to the point by placing the recipient in a familiar situation – “Can’t view this email properly?” before delivering the emotional punch, “If only everyone could see with the click of a mouse”. This simple line changes the emotional pull of the message. It’s no longer about sympathy for the plight of people who face this problem every day, but about the guilt that all YOU have to do to conquer this problem is a click a mouse. Guilt is a much more powerful emotional trigger than sympathy. And the final line offers an action to assuage that guilt – “Click here to help blind and partially sighted children”.

BEST STRATEGY
Sell & harvest with 1^st contact
Winner: Caribou Coffee – welcome email

Why we chose it
Welcome emails can be wordy, functional affairs designed to make sure a real person is behind the request or so brands can talk about themselves. However, welcome emails arrive in a customer’s inbox at probably the most engaged they will ever be, so they are an opportunity to get a sale/conversion or extra piece of data straight off the bat. Caribou Coffee’s bright, engaging welcome email does just this. (Although our production team marked it down because of the image break on the milkshake. Sorry guys – but it’s still a good strategy idea!)

Why it’s great

WHO: The pastel colors, hand-drawn typography and subtle watermark are all instantly recognizable as the distinctive style of Caribou Coffee.

WHAT: Apply the ‘1 second test’ to this email and you come away with two clear messages – “THANK YOU!” and “TODAY’S OFFERS”. One is signposting you to the reason why you have received this email, while the other is directing you straight to the actions that you should take. In addition, each offer has a dual purpose – the birthday offer gathers birth dates and promotes brand, the $1 OFF encourages a shop sale and collects an address with the coupon, and the free shipping promotes online sales as well as increasing AOV. There is also a ‘click here’ for preferences to gather information that will be useful for segmentation and frequency. So even in an email that is often perceived as transactional – Caribou Coffee is collecting useful data, promoting brand and potentially making money. And isn’t that what email marketing is all about?

WHY: There are multiple opportunities to click and engage – from the bullets, to the offers, to the preferences, to the nav at the top. More importantly, incentives are used in exchange for information. If you want useful data points from your customers, then give them incentives to dos so when they are at their most engaged. It’s likely to be the best opportunity you ever have.

BEST SUBJECT LINE
A clever twist on an old message
NEW CATEGORY!
Best Subject Line

Winner: Astley Clarke – Charming Christmas
Subject Line: A rather peculiar 21% off

Why we chose it
We’ve introduced ‘Best Subject Line’ as a category for two reasons: firstly, because we believe subject lines are very important and secondly, because Astley Clarke’s “A rather peculiar 21% off” is one of the best we have seen for a while. What got us talking was the choice of a 21% saving. Why not 20% or 25%? Because 21% is unusual and allows for an intriguing subject line that delivers on its promise. We even checked our own database of half a billion subject lines and couldn’t find a single use of the word ‘peculiar’! In all likelihood, this subject line is unique and not many can claim to have produced one of these that is also so intriguing and effective. Not so peculiar after all.

Why it’s great

WHO: Nice, big, smart looking logo is beautifully complimented by an elegant design style and high-quality product photography. Everything about this email has a luxury feel so even if you don’t take any further action you connect that elegance with Astley Clarke.

WHAT: It’s a sale that doesn’t mention savings. Heavy discounts can cheapen a brand, particularly in the luxury sector. So Astley Clarke entices you through the ‘shop door’ with a juicy and intriguing offer before dazzling you with their gorgeous jewelry rather than garish savings. The quality of their photography assets has allowed them to design a beautiful email that pulls you down the page through the product. There is also a ‘Men’s Cheat Sheet’ CTA that takes you to a landing page designed to help men make the right choice. Any clickers on the CTA are likely to be male subscribers and could be targeted later.

WHY: Selling jewelry is all about making the product look stunning. This email does this superbly by making the product the star of the show – you just want to reach out and click on them, which of course, you can do.

How to get special results from special characters

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 5 Jul 2012

We’re seeing more and more special characters dropping into our inboxes lately – cute symbols like ★ and ♥. Do they really make a difference? Are there any problems with using them? And how can they be used to best effect?

Technical issues
The sudden rise in the use of special characters in subject lines by legitimate marketers would seem to imply that rendering and deliverability issues caused by their use are a thing of the past. However there are indications that some corporate spam filters still regard them as suspect, something which B2B marketers will need to take in to consideration.

But just because it’s possible to do something, that doesn’t always mean we should. True, early indications are that subject lines with special characters do get you a lift in key campaign metrics. But this may only be a novelty effect.

Novelty factor
Many subject lines use special characters at the beginning and end simply to try and stand out in recipients’ inboxes – like these examples:

Even if testing shows this to be effective at the moment, this advantage is likely to disappear over time as the trick becomes more prevalent.

In other words, the more you use special characters, the less special they’ll seem. And once the novelty wears off, so may the increase in your open rate. To say that special characters help you deliver increased campaign ROI in absolute terms would, by definition, require testing over a much longer period – say 6 months or a year. And even if they do still make a difference, how do we harness that power so they continue to work for us time and again?

Getting strategic about special characters
The answer is to get strategic. Ask yourself: as a marketer, what am I trying to achieve with this email? And will the inclusion of special characters help meet these goals? Or am I just doing this because everyone else is?

Let’s not just do it for the sake of it, or because we want to cash in on the trend then move on. Let’s build a strategy around special characters that really works – and understand what it is about them that really works – so they can be incorporated into a strategy with longevity.

The key to using special characters to make your subject lines stand out is to consider the meaning of your message – what you are trying to make stand out.

Using special characters to give a bland or unfocused subject line greater profile is unlikely to result in any long-term uplift – a special character can’t rescue a dull message or an unpalatable offer. But using a special character to make a specific element of a potentially effective subject line stand out could be the key to enhancing the meaning of the message. Consider this, for example:

Thank you for signing up Emily! ★Use code XXXXXX ★ for a MEGA £75 CASHBACK

Focus on meaning and context
Our findings about special characters are another example of the truth that in email, you can’t extrapolate hard-and-fast formulas about how to do content elements from data alone. You have to factor-in your intended meaning, your knowledge of the audience, your editorial intuition about what makes the most effective execution in that context.

A similar point applies to things like subject line length and the use of subject line separators (such as commas, pipes and ampersands). For instance – and despite some people’s best efforts – there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of whether commas work better than ampersands, or what the optimum character count is for a subject line. We’ve found variously that ‘+’ signs, ‘|’, and ‘;’ can all lift open rate – but only when they add to the message, or enhance the flow of the sentence better than any other option would have in the context. But you can’t just scatter +++s about randomly and expect the same results every time.

Different options work best in different situations – again it depends on the specific message you’re trying to convey. Separators, for instance, can perform different syntactical roles in text and carry different connotations – a pipe can separate 2 entire elements of a message, but it can’t conjoin 2 elements of a noun phrase like ‘health & safety’. Similarly, you get different results depending on how you represent the idea of ‘plus’ – whether you use a ‘+’ symbol, an ampersand, or the word ‘plus’ itself.

Ignoring such language rules because you think using a particular separator always gets an uplift is likely to have an adverse effect on your message eventually, because you’ll be hampering your readers’ chances of rapidly processing its meaning. And so it is with special characters – you have to understand how you’re using them, and in context.

Are your special characters syntactic, semantic or illustrative?
When planning how best to use special characters, it’s helpful to bear in mind the 3 key functions they can perform. Each function contributes, in its own way, to the overall ‘meaning’ of the message:

Syntactic – using a special character as a separator or punctuation, for example:
Thanks for signing up! ★ Get £50 off ski breaks! ★ Download your free destination guide

Lexical – using a special character to replace a word (rather like a pictogram), for example:
Get 10% off your Valentine’s ❀s with this email OR Thanks for signing up – you’re a ★

Illustrative – using a special character as a decorative or design element, for example:
❀★☺ Summer’s here – time for a picnic ❀★☺

Which option – or combination of options – you use will depend on your brand, your audience, your strategy and so on. Using love hearts and stars as pure illustration might work for a touchy-feely retail brand, but would sit oddly in a subject line from a B2B business software provider. But the latter brand, which projects values like efficiency and service, might be able to use special characters lexically – as a shorthand way of getting to the point more quickly that makes time-poor business subscribers feel the brand understands just how busy they are.

Do you ♥ these examples?
Long-term effectiveness, then, is about using special characters that best convey and enhance meaning in context. The ♥ is a great example of this. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable symbols across all demographics, and renders clearly across all platforms, even when very small in size. In the right context, ♥ can be used to convey meaning in a succinct way, and also to accentuate meaning by giving subscribers that warm, fuzzy feeling that doesn’t necessarily come across as immediately or directly with the word ‘love’. Consider these examples:

To use a special character in a message like ‘I ♥ Christmas’ makes sense because it replaces the actual word with a popular symbol to deliver more of a visual and emotional impact. Similarly, ♥s dotted around a Valentine’s message work because they link with the main theme and enhance it, communicating excitement and passion in a way that words alone would struggle to do.

On the other hand, just scattering love-hearts around any old message cannot be expected to have the same effect.

Here’s an example of a company pushing the boundaries in the use of special characters:

What do you think? It certainly stands out. It’s quite a bold departure for a relatively conventional brand. Opinion in our office is divided. Some people think it taps into the weird rainy-sunny weather we’ve been having recently in a very direct and compelling way. So they find it meaningful and engaging. Others didn’t understand the subject but were intrigued enough to want to open the email. This achieves the right result too, of course, but sounds more like the novelty factor in action.

The lesson from subject lines
The same principles that apply to subject-line length and separators also apply to special characters. We believe the primary objective of a subject line should surely be to convey meaning. It’s true that non-specific subject lines can sometimes generate a temporary lift in open rates. But when it comes to clicks, purchases and long-term effectiveness, the inclusion of specific and meaningful information about the content of the message has the most impact.

Our own research into the ideal subject line length found that, while open rates fell as subject line length increased, click rates and click-to-open rates increased. When examining why this was, we found it was due to the fact that more specifically worded subject lines acted as a filter, encouraging only those subscribers who were truly interested in the contents to open. Such openers were more likely to go on to interact with the mailing than those who had opened purely to find out what was in the mailing. So you got fewer openers – but much more qualified, high-value ones.

Think about the long term
Even emails that don’t get opened can have a powerful Nudge Effect on subscribers – those who delete emails will give them a moment of strongly focused attention. The cumulative effect of those moments of attention turns email into an extremely valuable channel for the communication of brand values, product information and pricing to their subscribers.

This opportunity can be overlooked by marketers who focus on single subject lines rather than take a more long-term view of their cumulative effect. Special characters that are used to convey and enhance meaning will be able to contribute towards the branding, product and pricing messages in a long-term strategy.

Once again, meaningfulness wins out.

PASS NOTES: How to make best use of special characters

See what you’re getting. There are many Special Characters available, but not all will render accurately, and some may not be clear. Make sure you render test based on the platforms of your subscriber base. Litmus’s Subject Line Checker is a quick and easy way to see how your subject line will look in different settings.

Build special characters into testing. When developing a test strategy on your own database, include tests that will help you build a picture of why they are working, so you can apply these lessons to future subject lines.

Consider the long-term benefits of subject lines and always use special characters to convey and enhance meaning.

Continue to test over time as the situation may change in the future.

Don’t just use special characters for the sake of it. Only use them if you have a specific context or objective in mind.

Don’t focus your analysis exclusively on the open rate. As always, the impact on clicks and revenue can be very different to the impact on opens.

Our favorite emails – Q2, 2012

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 13 Jun 2012

The Alchemy Worx inbox was brimming with excellent examples of email craft this quarter, making the job of picking three category winners tougher than ever.

Now it’s over to you. Help us choose an overall winner by voting in our Subscriber’s Choice Award. And if you’ve seen or sent something you think is impressive, email it to us. You might even find it up for nomination next time.

Your Q1, 2012 winner
Pizza Express’s Valentine’s Day mailing scooped the Subscribers’ Choice Award for Q1, with an impressive 72% of the vote. For more sparks of email inspiration, check out the Q1 shortlist.

Best Creative
Winner: Brooks Brothers
Campaign: $2000 Polo Box Set

Why we chose it
This simple design showcases brand and product extremely well. The creative entices recipients to scroll to the end of the mailing, where the offer and the full range of colors are promoted. Brooks Brothers have ignored best-practice advice by producing a very long email with CTAs well below the fold, but the inventive execution ensures their message stands out in the inbox.

Why it’s great

WHO: Branding in the top left-hand corner makes clear who this message is from, while clever use of imagery reinforces the brand identity throughout, with each polo top presenting an extra opportunity to display the company logo.

WHAT: The offer (44 polo tops for $2,000) is well communicated through succinct copy and colorful imagery, while design showcases the full range of colors available.

WHY: After scrolling to the bottom, recipients are presented with three CTAs, offering direct links to the deal of their choice. For those recipients who don’t have a $2000 budget, the option to buy ‘Just One or Two’ polo tops features prominently in this area. There’s even a short timeframe to convey urgency and drive immediate action.

Best Copy
Winner: Zipcar
Campaign: Subscriber newsletter

Why we chose it
Zipcar’s copy really stood out to us this quarter – not for one particular mailing but for their overall approach to copywriting. The mixture of humor, playfulness and every day, conversational English successfully builds personality for this short-term vehicle hire firm. Their tone of voice is cheerful and personal without sounding overly contrived, and, importantly, it is applied consistently and religiously to all copy pods in each mailing, as well as to every mailing over time. This consistency, which can be difficult to achieve with multiple contributors and approval processes, effectively builds and reinforces the Zipcar brand. To top it all off, the copy is tight, tidy and error free.

Why it’s great

WHO: The Zipcar copy is a key element of their branding. Their tone, which is used across multiple media, ties all communications together, while building a richer brand identity. Copy is 100% brand-focused, yet feels natural.

WHAT: In their quest for personality, the copywriters have not forgotten the main purpose of the email: to encourage car hire. A good balance is struck between brand tone of voice and key sales messages.

Copy is offer-led, consumer focused and aligns itself with recipients by appearing to be written by driving enthusiasts ‘just like you’, rather than a cold corporation. However, the writers don’t let tone get in the way of delivering simple instructions. The writers at Zipcar are pass masters at articulating what can at times be quite complicated processes in simple, straightforward English – a deceptively difficult task.

Mindful that employing long copy can be dangerous, the writers offset this risk by using short, punchy sentences (hero copy averages around 6 words per sentence). Use of the active – rather than passive – voice further aids the flow and pace.

WHY: Zipcar writers have gone down the route of engagement – exploring the emotional aspects of driving, the fun to be had with family and friends, the adventures you go on, the places you can explore. The tone across all these emails is overwhelmingly positive – almost breathless. Zipcar sound as excited as we are about having fun with driving, or about getting out on the roads to explore, have adventures and check out events. The enthusiasm is infectious.

Best Strategy
Winner: Tesco
Campaign: Personalized Favorites

Why we chose it
Tesco’s strategy here is twofold. First, overcome the tricky challenge of making everyday grocery items seem exciting. Second, encourage repeat online business from their more active, loyal customers.

In terms of the first, it was the subtle use of customer data to personalize the mailing – and particularly the products displayed within – that impressed us most. This brings to life what would otherwise be a rather standard montage of groceries, and immediately makes a connection with recipients.

Meanwhile, the central offer (£20 off) keeps the focus on repeat online business, using a slow reveal of the offer details to tease recipients through the email. By the time the email finishes explaining how to take advantage of the offer, recipients are greeted by a list of their personal favorites and an invite to start shopping.

Why it’s great
WHO: This email does the basic things well, with the Tesco brand logo, as well as the grocery department, clearly communicated through the logo, imagery and navigation included in the mailing.

WHAT: Copy and imagery clearly communicate the ‘Save £20’ offer, making clear even to skim readers what this mailing is about. The ‘Personalized Favorites’ section directly under the offer showcases five frequently purchased items and brands for each subscriber. The message here is that your favorite items are ‘ready and waiting without you needing to search’ – but their inclusion is also likely to have a more subtle influence on subscribers. These are products that are likely to resonate. They buy them regularly, so obviously like them, and most likely see them on a daily basis in their homes. This gives a grocery mailing from a large retailer an extremely personal feel, giving subscribers the sense that Tesco know who they are and what they like.

WHY: This personalization builds brand affinity and provides an effective prompt to subscribers to buy a specific product, and in turn a larger online grocery order.

And the Wooden Spoon goes to…

Without naming names, we also received some campaigns this quarter that we felt could be improved.

Abandoned basket mailings offer a great opportunity for marketers, but care should be taken to ensure the logic used does not alienate potential purchasers.

This online retailer appeared to be doing all the right things – like asking for email address early in the purchasing process and setting up and deploying an automated, timely abandoned basket mailing. Then it all comes apart in the execution by mailing the exact same message every day for 15 days, with no ‘unsubscribe’ option.

At Alchemy Worx, we’re big advocates of the high-frequency approach, but only when you have something to say. Tailoring these messages – or at least the subject lines – and including a time-sensitive incentive at certain points could have increased the effectiveness of the campaign, and reduced the likelihood of alienating potential customers.

Subscribers’ Choice Award

Our favourite emails – Q1, 2012

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 19 Mar 2012

We saw some great campaigns during the first three months of 2012, which made the selection process as tricky as ever. But the winners of each category all stood out for a number of reasons…

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite, and submit any great emails you’ve received (or sent!) for consideration in upcoming instalments.

Best Creative
Winner: Pizza Express – Valentine’s message
Subject Line: Win your Valentine’s Heart

Why we chose it

The clean, clear design is very much on brand, with bold colours and the instantly recognisable logo. And the mailing effectively conveys a seasonal Valentine’s message but the restrained use of Valentine’s imagery and colouring ensures the message appeals to both romantics and regular customers.
It’s also a great example of email best practice, effectively addressing the crucial Who, What and Why questions.

Pizza Express have also taken the time to design the ‘images disabled’ version of their mailing. A clever use of background colours has enabled them to convey their branding and communicate their key messages before images are downloaded.

Why it’s great

WHO: The mailing uses very clear branding, incorporating both Pizza Express’ logo and horizontal stripes.

WHAT: The content of the mailing is conveyed in the colours, images and copy used, instantly communicating what the mailing is all about, without going overboard. The bright, clear and descriptive CTAs lead subscribers in what they should do. The ‘table of contents’ links at the very top of the mailing ensure that the £2.50 offer is communicated to all subscribers – even those with images disabled. And by limiting the content to three segments, Pizza Express have ensured these three topics will get attention without overwhelming subscribers.

WHY: The images are very inviting and make the product look tempting, while the copy works well to sell the benefits of interacting. We did think that the CTAs could have been more effective in addressing the ‘Why’ by conveying the benefits of interacting rather than the actions themselves, but overall, it’s a highly effective email.

Best Copy
Winner: Costa Coffee – Coffee Club message
Subject Line: Your free coffee’s getting cold!

Why we chose it

The subject line was the first thing that made us sit up and take notice of this mailing – and open it, naturally. It cleverly conveys a time-sensitive element while also communicating the message content. The mailing then goes on to use informal, inviting language to guide subscribers through the benefits of their new Coffee Club membership.

Why it’s great

WHO: The branding is conveyed through the bold use of background colour and the inclusion of an image of the Coffee Club membership card that recipients would have recently received.

WHAT: The subject line cleverly appeals to coffee drinkers by suggesting (with a dash of humour) that reading the email is a matter of urgency. Inside the mailing, the receipt image effectively conveys most of the information required, leaving the body copy to welcome subscribers and guide them through the process of their new membership. The secondary CTAs then drive traffic to the website to help continue the customer journey.

WHY: The subject line, receipt copy and body copy, as well as the three tiles below the statement clearly communicate how the points can be used through a combination of succinct copy and enticing imagery.

Best Strategy
Winner: Easy Jet – Email exclusive offer
Subject Line: Email exclusive – Amsterdam holiday deal from £159pp

Why we chose it

We saw some clever uses of data this quarter, making the Strategy category a tough choice, but easyJet’s long term view of email strategy helped this stand out from the crowd. It seems so simple to give email subscribers an exclusive offer but it’s something we rarely see come through our inboxes. Email subscribers are given a reason to subscribe and stay subscribed: True value. They are also encouraged to purchase directly through the mailing, avoiding the potentially competitive search engine environment, which successfully meets our First Law of Email Marketing.

Why it’s great

WHO: The orange colour and distinctive font are instantly recognisable as belonging to easyJet. The ‘holidays’ logo in the top right corner further clarifies which area of easyJet the offer concerns.

WHAT: As well as promoting the Amsterdam deal, easyJet are also educating their customers on the value of being a subscriber by presenting an “Email Exclusive offer”, and showing them a way of purchasing that could best suit them. As part of a long term strategy, this will continue to provide benefits. Meanwhile, by including the fact that it is an “Email Exclusive offer” in the subject line, they help remind all subscribers that it is well worth continuing to receive easyJet emails, even if they are not interested in this particular offer. Finally, the mailing encourages subscribers to share the offer with a friend, which has the potential to grow their subscriber base.

WHY: The time-sensitive and exclusive offer gives subscribers a great reason to interact if they are in the market for a trip to Amsterdam. However, easyJet have also provided enough information in the mailing and the subject line for subscribers to decide for themselves whether they are interested, showing a respect for their time. Whilst this may not have resulted in the highest possible open or click rate, we would guess that the conversion rates would have been higher than usual. This, combined with the email exclusive offer, shows a great strategy that focuses on the long-term effectiveness of the email channel rather than maximising the open and click rates of each message.

Our favorite emails of 2011

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 20 Dec 2011

The debating is over and the judging complete.
It’s time to reveal our favorite emails of 2011.

As the year draws to a close, we thought we’d have a bit of fun here at Alchemy Worx. And in our world, evaluating email creative counts as fun (sad, we know!). So here are 4 emails that blew us away this year, and the reasons why we love them.

Reckon you’ve spotted a better one? Don’t keep it to yourself. Forward it to us, and remember to tell us why you like it.

Submit your favorites here

Best Newsletter Creative
Winner: notonthehighstreet.com

notonthehighstreet email

Why we chose it

The bold yet understated imagery is a great embodiment of the brand, while a creative use of typography and new images each week maintains a fresh feel to this regular mailing. The magazine styling only adds to the email’s sumptuous appeal. It’s also a great example of email best practice, effectively addressing the crucial Who, What and Why questions.

Why it’s great

Uses clear branding for the company and content. Couples the ‘wedding’ message with the brand logo (both displayed in the top-left corner to where the eye is first drawn) making it easy for subscribers to decide whether they want to interact.
The first section features two clear CTAs to visit the store and to forward to ‘someone getting married’. These CTAs continue throughout the mailing, reminding recipients what they’re being asked to do. The ‘Buy’ icons act as effective secondary CTAs, drawing the eye to specific products.
Strong imagery is used to great effect to generate interest and desire across a wide range of wedding-related products. Plus separate sections highlight services not immediately associated with the brand, like gift lists. The creative team goes beyond the formulaic display of social media icons to incentivize interaction, such as ‘weekly updates’.

Best Single-Proposition Creative
Winner: Mulberry

mulberry email

Why we chose it

We wouldn’t normally recommend removing your navbar from the email header. But in this instance, the use of a simple logo gives the email an elegant look and feel, and reinforces the main CTA.

Beautifully stylized typography hints at great care and effort, while the simple colour palette keeps the focus on content and generates strong copy standout. And rather than repeat the same CTA, each one invites you to experience a different aspect of Mulberry’s London Fashion Week.

Personalized language and simple delivery convey the feeling of an exclusive invite, particularly the way messages are contained in intimate speech bubbles. The whole thing feels like you’re overhearing a secret conversation.

Why it’s great

Placed front and center, the Mulberry logo makes it easy for recipients to quickly identify the sender. The oversized header font also clearly highlights the mailing’s topic.
The colour and shape of CTAs ensure stand out, while underlined words make it easy for skim readers. The use of HTML for all links and header copy delivers the message even when images are turned off in the email client.
Fashion mailings typically benefit from the inclusion of photography. Yet it’s the lack of images that makes this mailing stand out, giving recipients just enough reason to click through by teasing the fun aspects of the show and playing on Mulberry’s ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox/English countryside’ motifs.

Best Festive Concept
Winner: Boden

Why we chose it

The animated GIF is back in 2011, and it’s bigger than ever! This email from online catalogue company Boden shows why. Animated lights are used to eye-catching effect. This clever device also complements the gently humorous headline. A prominent CTA features high up the message to aid navigation, and benefits from great standout against the red. The email is rounded off with the use of further animation around the central CTA, and even the snippet is used to convey the core message – great for reading on a mobile.

Why it’s great

Both the Boden branding and the Christmas content are clearly identifiable as soon as this mailing is opened.
Clear CTA directs subscribers to Boden’s specially-themed Christmas Shop.
The prominent offer uses colour (or lack of it) to enhance standout. The bottom banner makes it easy for subscribers to retrieve their offer, and reinforces the value of being a subscriber to Boden emails while incentivizing click-throughs.

Best Use of Data
Winner: LinkedIn

Why we chose it

The design is beautifully simple, the messaging clear. But it’s the clever use of personal data that swung it for us. Many marketers are guilty of over-analyzing their customer data, or being too clever in the way they use it. Here, LinkedIn get it just right. They prove how a few simple touches can be highly effective in drawing recipients into your messages. Going beyond the formulaic use of first-name data, the email features recent information about your LinkedIn activity, and entices you to find out more about your contacts by updating you on their news. The use of member images is arresting, and effectively conveys the community dimension of the professional networking site.

Why it’s great

The LinkedIn logo and introductory copy make it easy for recipients to see who the mailing is from. Subscribers will recognize some of the photos of their connections on LinkedIn, reinforcing this connection.
There are multiple CTAs to view user’s profiles, supported by an explanatory note above the images and a final reminder to update your own profile in the footer.
The personal dimension, delivered by images of real connections, is a very compelling reason to interact with this mailing.

Festive foul-up or seasonal success – which way are you heading?

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 27 Oct 2011

Make your seasonal strategy sing with our tips for devising festive email campaigns.

The festive season provides marketers with a range of opportunities, both for generating revenue and for getting creative juices flowing. But if past years are anything to go by, competition in the inbox will be fierce, so you’ll need to make your messages work even harder if you’re going to get a share of your subscribers’ seasonal spend.

Here are some of our top tips to help you take advantage of the year’s peak retail period:

1. Plan your messaging strategy

Plan the entire customer journey, and develop the story you want to communicate along the way. Map out each interaction from the subscribers’ perspective, and be sure to include service and transactional messages to make the journey complete. Once done, it will be easier to identify additional opportunities for certain groups of subscribers based on their preferences and patterns of activity. Identifying opportunities to send a higher frequency of messages targeted at specific subscribers can have a significant impact on your revenue.

2. Festive look and feel

Although time-honoured design elements like Santas, sleighs-bells and snow come in for much criticism, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with opting for a traditional approach – particularly if it fits with your overall brand identity. Moreover, a tongue-in-cheek or humorous approach can be highly effective when well delivered. It all depends on your chosen festive strategy, and the way in which your individual emails feed into it.

Your strategy should inform all aspects of your campaign, and if you devise one early enough you have the golden opportunity to produce a well-organised series of emails, perhaps ramping up the festive content gradually as you move towards December 25. Just make sure your content is on-brand at all times, and try to avoid lurching from one piece of creative to the next by planning well in advance.

And if you do take the conventional approach, don’t just paint a festive theme on top of an otherwise ordinary email. Embrace it fully, perhaps honing in on one aspect of the holidays like ‘celebration’ or ‘party’, or tie in give-aways and competitions with the season, ensuring prizes complement the theme.

Another classic mistake is to limit creativity by buying into arbitrary rules and guidelines for seasonal content. Color is a good example, and many designers seem to feel that festive campaigns must feature lots of red and green. As the creatives behind Bordeaux wine’s innovative campaign have shown, however, breaking the mould can be highly effective.

3. Develop a seasonal subject line strategy

Subject lines are an excellent way to communicate the story or concept you’ve developed. So don’t leave them to the last minute – develop them in line with your seasonal strategy to make full use of the space. Your subject lines can be used to reinforce brand values, promote USPs or alert customers to cut-off dates for delivery.

4. Frame your discounts

If discounts form part of your seasonal strategy – and if you’ve devised your campaign early enough – ensure your audience is aware of the full price of your items before the discounts kick in. We’re talking here about more than just displaying the old price next to the new in a single email.

Use subject lines wisely. If you intend to introduce generous discounts on big-ticket items, for example, consider sending a series of emails where the full prices are displayed in the subject lines, and repeat them again in the email copy. That way, when you start to promote your sale, recipients will be more likely to appreciate the depth of your discounts, and your emails may have greater impact. Framing discounts is a proven formula, but it’s only possible if you plan your strategy in advance.

5. Frequency, urgency and repetition

Don’t be afraid to increase the frequency of your emails at this time of year. In our experience, peoples’ expectations and tolerance levels change during the festive season. Consumers shop and buy more during this period, so it stands to reason that they want to hear about more offers and opportunities, and will be more receptive to store invites or inspiring ideas. Of course you should continue tracking metrics just as you would normally, and it’s worth being extra fastidious with unsubscribes.

Think about replicating the shopping experience in email format by displaying lots of products, and by keeping copy to a bare minimum. When consumers are crashing up to the festive deadline and they just need to buy things, stacks of copy and very few products in your emails are going to be as off-putting as those annoyingly over-attentive shop assistants on the high street.

Remember also that consumers will be spending most of their weekends in November and December shopping, so your campaigns are likely to have added impact. Use email subject lines to repeat key offers on a regular – perhaps even daily – basis. And look to drive footfall through your retail sites by highlighting exclusive in-store deals and bargains, paying particular attention to emails sent at the latter end of the week and those classic Friday/3pm mailings.

Finally, consider ways to generate a sense of urgency. Time-limited offers are particularly powerful at this time of year, as are daily countdowns. Again, if you’ve planned out your seasonal strategy well in advance, you’re in a position to stagger subject lines and key messages so their intensity increases towards the end of your campaign.

6. Use your data

During this period, subscribers’ preferences and purchasing patterns may be dramatically different from those witnessed throughout the rest of the year. But this doesn’t mean your data is obsolete when devising festive campaigns. You could, for example, analyze data from past holidays. This will help you assess the shopping patterns of your subscribers, allowing you to identify opportunities for time-based segmentation and targeting. You can also look at which content, message layouts and frequencies have worked best in the past to get a head start on any testing you’ve scheduled. Don’t forget to include online and off-line revenue stats to give you the full picture.

7. Take the chance to collect up-to-date preferences

Consumers’ interests change, particularly around this time of year, so developing content that will generate clicks is a great way to collect data for additional segmentation and targeting. Value-added content can be particularly effective, especially when it doesn’t have an overt sales message. Buyers’ guides and gift finders can help you identify what your subscribers are interested in, plus these are useful tools that can generate interest. Meanwhile, a well-developed ‘Wish-list’ campaign can generate interest from new customers and help to expand your subscriber base. If you plan on using inferred preferences, be sure to check that your privacy policy reflects this.

8. Don’t forget about transactional mailings

If this is a peak sales period for you, your subscription process and transactional messages are likely to achieve more reach. It’s worth undertaking an audit of all your processes and triggered mailings – from welcome messages to sales confirmations and post-purchase surveys – to make sure they are all up to date and functioning properly. And if you’re planning to increase your frequency over this period, why not give your subscribers the chance to opt out of your festive mailings separately. That way your subscribers can avoid this content specifically, but remain in touch once the season is over.

Festive treats
Need some more inspiration? Here are some of our favorite festive campaigns:
View animated email

Inventive use of wintery colours replaces conventional greens and reds
Perfect marriage of copy and animation plays cleverly on the word ‘flurry’
Details seal the deal. From the quivering copy to the dog’s tongue, you notice something new each time

View animated email

Refreshing take on a traditional Christmas email
Atypical colourway combines effectively with bold, simple messaging
Snowflakes constructed ingeniously using the letter P from the Prezzo logo

Clean, engaging and impactful – a wonderful effort by Australian PR firm Clarity
Proves you don’t need to over-engineer emails to hit the mark
Basic animated colour change combined with a series of clever, punchy copy lines delivers variety and keeps recipients engaged without going overboard

Developing a Content Strategy

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 8 Jul 2011

One of the most challenging aspects of developing an email programme that delivers results is having valuable content for every message you send. Developing content that delivers value to your subscribers will ensure the long term success of your email marketing activity.

Here are some tips for developing your content:

Provide value – There is huge value in being able to contact your subscriber base regularly by email, so acknowledging this by giving something to your subscribers in return for their permission. ‘Value’ can be anything from special discounts only available to email subscribers, to useful information about topics related to your product offering. Sticky content like competitions, puzzles or quizzes are also a great way to generate interaction and open a two-way dialog with your subscribers. Time can also be a very valuable characteristic – make sure your email subscribers are the first to know about new product releases or upcoming events or sales.

Make the Value exclusive to email (at least for some period of time) and you will be delivering true value to your subscribers which will ensure they stay engaged for longer, and ensure your subscriber list grows by giving subscribers, and potential subscribers, a reason for being on your list.

Plan ahead – For newsletter programmes, and even ad-hoc mailings, having a plan for 6 or 12 months will ensure that you always have relevant content, and deliver regular messages to your subscriber base. Without regular contact, your database will very quickly lose value. If a subscriber receives a message from you but doesn’t remember giving you permission, they will be much less likely to respond, and may also report your message as spam.

Having a plan will also make it possible to serialize content and include teasers about upcoming content, which improve your open frequency.

Analyze – Look to your historic campaigns to find out what content is most popular, and effective in meeting your campaign objectives. One of email marketing’s greatest virtues is the knowledge you can build on your subscribers. Design your content to use landing pages, and build up significant behavioural data on your subscriber’s preferences and interests.

Categorize your links in different ways to gain a better understanding of the different groups of subscribers within your database. Including codes in your link tracking will make your analysis easier, and be sure to include revenue data and interaction over time in your analysis to get the complete picture of the impact of different content.

Segment – Use the knowledge you have built up in your click analysis to segment your database and target groups of subscribers with content that is specific to their interests. Theoretically, the only limit to the number of versions of a campaign is when the cost of producing the incremental version outweighs the additional revenue generated by that version, but be sure that you are maintaining regular contact with all your subscribers before you start developing additional versions

Make your Xmas email campaign work: start planning now

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 21 Sep 2010

“What can I do now to improve my Christmas emails?”

If past years are anything to go by, competition in the inbox will be fierce so you will need to make your messages work even harder if you’re going to get a share of your subscribers’ Christmas spend. Here are some quick tips for things you can do now to make sure you get the most out of the holiday period:

Plan out your messaging strategy
Get your diary out and mark what messages you will be sending when, who they will go to and what the main objective will be. This overview will help you develop the story you want to communicate, and make sure you avoid sending weekly messages with increasingly desperate sales messages. It might also uncover opportunities for higher frequency emails for certain subscribers which could have a positive impact on revenue. Don’t forget your customer service messages like last delivery days.

Develop a subject line strategy
When planning your content and contact strategy, don’t forget to include your subject lines. This may be the only aspect of your campaign that subscribers will see – so make full use of the space to reinforce your brand values, unique selling points, delivery dates and prices. Prices can be of particular importance now and during the lead up to Christmas as you want to make sure your email subscribers understand the real value of your products, not just your sale prices and best offers. Stay tuned for more on this in a future edition of Email Worx.

Use your data
Analyse data from your past seasonal periods to determine any opportunities for time-based segmentation and targeting as well as content, message layouts and frequencies that worked best for you. Don’t forget to include revenue, both online and offline for the full picture.

Develop content to collect additional data
Consumers’ interests change, so develop content that will lead to clicks that you can use for interest-based segmentation and targeting. A great way to do this is with value-added content that doesn’t have an overt sales message. Content like buyers’ guides, wish lists or gift finders are usually well-received by consumers and, if they are developed well and offer true value, may even be forwarded to family and friends.

Get into the Christmas spirit
Develop a holiday competition or prize giveaway that’s exclusive to the email channel as a Christmas ‘gift’ to your subscribers (but make sure that it fits in with your objectives). This could be discount vouchers with conditions that will drive customer behaviour, such as multiple or timely purchases, or hidden offers to encourage opens and visits to your website. The season lends itself to a variety of creative opportunities so get out the eggnog and develop something relevant, timely and valuable.

Audit your existing processes
If this is a peak sales period for you, your subscription process and transactional messages are likely to be getting more reach. An audit of all your processes and triggered messages, from welcome messages to sales confirmations and post purchase surveys, is at times an eye-opening – but always a valuable – exercise. Consider including a seasonal theme that could be updated on an ongoing basis. And if you’re planning on increasing your frequency over the period, consider giving your subscribers the opportunity to opt out of Christmas mailings separately so you don’t annoy customers who don’t like too much communication.

In the B2B market?
You can still use the holiday season to your advantage. It’s a great time to reinforce relationships simply by sending a greetings card (by email of course), but there are also timely factors that can make this a very profitable time – such as budget periods coming to an end and a less busy period in some industries which can be useful for picking up on proposals that may have fallen off the agenda.

Can video imagery help improve click rates?

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 8 Sep 2010

To video or not to video… can an email with video imagery improve views of video content?

We ran a test using our regular Dela-Vision content called “Talking Email”, sending the email with and without video imagery. Our aim was to see whether it really had a positive impact on clicks.

Which do you think generated more clicks?

What works best as a guideline for sourcing images for your email creative: “pretty” or “pretty informative”?

Posted by: Alchemy Worx | 5 May 2010

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But which picture? Here at Alchemy Worx we wanted to test the performance of images that contribute to a recipient’s understanding of the content of an email. Specifically, we wanted to know what works best when sourcing imagery to accompany editorial content – the pretty or the pretty informative?

Which of these images featured on the highest performing version of the newsletter?

Vote now to see which test won, as well as the results from our other image test.