I have compiled a respected list and crucially the rationale to point you on your way.
1. A must………..a beautifully delivered ‘old’ Email Opt-in Campaign….but a timeless format
Too many list growth campaigns end on the note, “we generated X thousand new names!”. We always wonder, “And then what?” Because list growth isn’t a useful goal. What matters is acquiring names that then convert into your real goal (sales, traffic, results…). Here we see how Verizon planned their list growth campaign with a specific conversion strategy in mind from the very start. And it worked: sales went up, up, up. Additionally, isn’t it inspirational to think you can get consumers to sign up for sales materials about your product, before it actually launches? Marketers should be doing this by default.
2. The Email Newsletter for Marketing Purposes
It’s not easy for consumer packaged goods companies to get shoppers so excited about a newsletter that they’ll continue to open, read, and click for six years and running. Let’s face it, do you really need a monthly newsletter from a tub of margarine? Well, yes if the content is compelling enough. And tens of thousands of Canadian women agreed.
3. The Perfect Email Sales Alert
The best thing about this product launch campaign is how the marketing team separated out the very different audiences, and created different copy for each. All too often (especially in high tech) product launch copy is packed full of buzz-words and lists of features. Very seldom does marketing seem to get inside the prospect’s head, let alone the heads of a variety of different prospect demographics.
4. Ad Campaign in 3rd-party Email Newsletter
Forte’s marketing team created three different versions of this email ad campaign, which ran in 15 newsletters. Why three versions? No, it’s not about creative specs, it’s about audiences. They recognized that even when you’re placing ads in fairly targeted vertical media (in this case supply chain logistics-related), different newsletters serve different demographics. As the results prove, creative segmentation works.
5. A simple, no frills signature (email signature)
Many marketers don’t even consider individual email sender signatures to be a marketing vehicle. You should know better. Best of all, this “brochure” is a microsite that packs a walloping punch. Great job, and infinitely copy-able.
6. An example of how to create and effective welcome letter
The results data was outstanding, especially in view of very tough competition. Plus the design is eye-friendly and clean.
7. Clinical Auto-responder Series
Business-to-business marketers who have to qualify and educate incoming leads should pay extra attention to this campaign. Too many B2B marketers throw new names into the regular house newsletter pile and that’s that. Segue proves best in class marketing.
8. Automated Personalized Email (trigger-driven)
Instead of a flat transactional reminder, Hotel Indigo sends this warmly branded note. In fact, have you ever seen transactional messaging (confirmation number, check-in date, etc.) handled with this kind of warm-fuzzy design?
9. Viral Email Campaigning
IT pros hate, loath and despise “marketing blurb.” Most email campaigns to this audience fail (remember they are charged with stopping all promotional email from entering their companies’ servers). So, you have to be impressed with an email campaign to IT that not only got great initial results, but then went viral. When you look at the creative, you’ll understand how.
10. And finally…..a Postcard-Style Campaign to remember
The Ghiradelli folks measured actual coupon redemption and the rates were phenomenal. A case can now be made for email-to-retail. The only question is, why aren’t more restaurants and brick-and-mortars offering e-coupons for offline redemption? They are wasting a fabulous opportunity.
Mike Emmett is a Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
