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2. Overview This review provides reference points and raises useful questions for users of emailmarketing to apply to their programme We monitored emails from 16 retailers and e-commerce players whose emailprogrammes we are registered on Monitoring covers 22 December 2010 to 31 January 2011 inclusive. The start datewas determined from receipt of the first new year sale related subject linereceived The project identifies trends in transmission dates, times and frequency executional tactics including personalisation, segmentation and relative use of image and text assets The project does not provide a creative critiqueFor more information on our email strategy, monitoring and analysis services email [email protected] 3. Key observations Content rarely adapted to reflect known preferences and purchase propensities even by brands with which there is asignificant transactional relationshipMultiple studies clearly show significant revenue and ROI upside can be achieved through content personalisation Few e-mailers with a consistent approach to transmission time indicates a lack of testing and optimisationEstablishing an optimum transmission time to achieve top of inbox proven to increase open rates Many e-mailers relying exclusively on jpg images for content Images still not accepted by many email recipients and use of HTML text proving to be a major driver of click volume Few e-mailers working on standing out in the inbox reliance on generic sale messages just adding to in-box clutterStand out through differentiated subject line messaging proven as a key driver of open rates Most e-mailers are conservative over frequency - two thirds of the e-mailers monitored sent less than 2 emails per weekover the period monitoredResearch consistently shows email salience to be low - share of voice in this key sales period is critical to revenue generation In general email volumes grew towards the end of JanuaryLittle evidence of retailers using email as a key part of the sales communications campaign even though it presents a clearopportunity to hit known prospects and customers in a direct, timely and personalised fashion In general, the larger, established players are getting it more right than the smaller, newer playersThere are plenty of opportunities to drive incremental revenue and ROI for all the e-mailers monitored but especially for theless established ones 4. Summary of findings day of transmission The first sale email was received on 22nd December. We received fiveemails on both of Christmas eve and Boxing Day but only two emails onChristmas day and one on New Years Eve. In general the number of emailsreceived per day grew towards the end of January . 27th January was themost popular day for transmission with 9 emails received on that day.Its surprising that there was not an increase in email volume leading up toand at the beginning of the January sales period. We would haveexpected the e-commerce businesses to launch sales as soon as their lastdelivery dates for Christmas has passed . We didnt hear from Apple until29th December a week later than the first email from John Lewis. 5. Summary of findings time emails received We received the vast majority of emails between 6am and 1pm with thepeak received mid morning. However, only Amazon, ASOS and Ebayexclusively used this period. None of the multiple e-mailers had aconsistent approach to transmission time.It seems that few e-mailers are putting much thought into transmissiontimes. It was noticeable that some emails arrived at strange times such as11pm unlikely to be a time when many people are online or online soonand so likely to consign the email to a below the fold position by the timethe inbox is opened. 6. Summary of findings email frequency Amazon was the top sender over the 42 day period reviewed with 24emails sent. And of the 16 e-mailers reviewed, only five sent more thantwo emails per week. Broadly speaking, the bricks and clicks retailerssent more emails than the e-commerce only businesses. We didntreceive more than one email per day from any retailer. Only Amazon,ASOS and Tesco mailed on consecutive days.Its striking that many of the specialist e-retailers reviewed were at thelower end of transmission frequency distribution this means that theirshare of voice at this critical sales time is reduced, especially when oneconsiders the advertising spend of some of the major retail brands they arecompeting with. 7. Observations on tactics employed - personalisation, segmentation and communications best practiceJohn Lewis, ASOS and Apple were the only e-mailers using some sort of narrative story to give stand out to their emails. JLPs use an exclusive sales preview was particularly noteworthyOnly Amazon and eBay seemed to personalise content to reflect previous purchases or content viewed onlineThere was no sign of any emails being triggered by visits made to the web site or known store sales. All of the programmes appear to be static campaignsAmazon, ASOS and Tesco were the only e-mailers to transmit on consecutive days. This increased their visibility in a crowded inboxThere were some notable examples of poor design and a lack of understanding of direct communications principles: BAs excessive use of white out copy; Tesco, Play.com, BHS and 7dayahops reliance on jpg content; lack of above the fold content sign-posting by most of the e-mailers; Ebays use of log in name to personalise; Wiggles use of tiny point copy which is virtually unreadableThe same template was used time and time again by most of the e-mailers leading to a danger of dismissal by the recipient as more of the same. John Lewis was a notable exception 8. Key reference points and questions for e-mailers Personalisation how are you using transactional, site visit, email interaction, demographicand other customer data to deliver personalised content and increase revenue and ROI? Transmission days and times have you tested when you send emails to increase top of inbox presence? Transmission frequency do you use follow ups and reminders to generate incrementalopens and subsequent incremental revenue? Triggering do you employ trigger campaigns to react to specific customer activity andreduce production timelines and costs? Content signposting are you using simple signposts in your emails to guide people to thecontent they are interested in quickly and easily? Text are you using text to tell the story of your communication and provide additional linksto content? Subject lines do you systematically test and refresh subject lines to optimise open rates?For more information on our email strategy, monitoring and analysis services email [email protected] 9. Charts and data 10. Amazon, 24Total number of emails sent by retailer ASOS, 13 Expedia, 13 BHS, 12 Tesco, 12 Charles Tyrwhitt, 11 Charles Tyrwhitt, 11 Play.com, 10John Lewis Partnership, 10ebay, 8 Wiggle, 8Makro, 7Marks and Spencer, 6 BA executive Club, 4Easyjet, 4 Apple, 47DayShop, 315 10 5030 2520 11. Amazon, 4.0ASOS, 2.2ASOS, 2.2Average number of emails sentExpedia, 2.2BHS, 2.0 Tesco, 2.0 per week by retailerCharles Tyrwhitt, 1.8Charles Tyrwhitt, 1.8Play.com, 1.7 John Lewis Partnership, 1.7 John Lewis Partnership, 1.7ebay, 1.3Wiggle, 1.3 Makro, 1.2Marks and Spencer, 1.0BA executive Club, 0.7Easyjet, 0.7 Apple, 0.77DayShop, 0.52.52.01.51.00.50.04.5 4.0 3.53.0 12. 456789100123 22-Dec 23-Dec Christmas eve Christmas Day Boxing DayBank Holiday MondayBank Hoiliday Tuesday 29-Dec 30-DecNew Years EveNew Years Day 01-Jan 02-Jan 03-Jan 04-Jan 05-Jan 06-Jan 07-Jan 08-Jan 09-Jan 10-Jan 11-Jan 12-Jan 13-Jan 14-Jan 15-Jan 16-Jan 17-Jan 18-Jan 19-Jan 20-Jan 21-Jan 22-Jan 23-Jan 24-Jan 25-Jan 26-Jan 27-Jan Total number of emails received by day 28-Jan 29-Jan 30-Jan 31-Jan 13. 31-Jan 30-Jan 29-Jan 28-Jan 27-Jan 26-Jan 25-Jan 24-Jan 23-JanEmails received by day by retailer 22-Jan 21-Jan 20-Jan 19-Jan 18-Jan 17-Jan 16-Jan 15-Jan 14-Jan 13-Jan 12-Jan 11-Jan 10-Jan 09-Jan 08-Jan 07-Jan 06-Jan 05-Jan 04-Jan 03-Jan 02-Jan 01-Jan New Years Day New Years Eve 30-Dec 29-Dec Bank Hoiliday Tuesday Bank Holiday Monday Boxing Day Christmas Day Christmas eve 23-Dec 22-DecJohn Lewis PartnershipMarks and SpencerBA executive ClubCharles Tyrwhitt 7DayShop Play.comAmazon ExpediaEasyjetWiggleMakroApple Tesco ASOS ebay BHS 14. Number of emails received by hour of day3025201510 5 0 15. Number of emails received byhour of the day by retailer00-01hrs 01-02hrs02-03hrs 03-04hrs04-05hrs 05-06hrs06-07hrs 07-08hrs08-09hrs 09-10hrs10-11hrs 11-12hrs12-13hrs 13-14hrs14-15hrs 15-16hrs16-17hrs 17-18hrs18-19hrs 20-21hrs21-22hrs 22-23hrs23-24hrs 19-20Marks and Spencer 2 1 111Tesco 1 2 1111 42John Lewis Partnership 122 31 1Amazon2 1424117 day shop111Apple211Wiggle 2 12 2Easyjet1 1 11 1Play.com10 1BHS1 16 2111Charles Tyrwhitt 15411Makro11 1121ebay11321Expedia1 11211 2 1 1BA executive club11 1 1ASOS 253111 16. For more information on our email strategy, monitoringand analysis services email [email protected]
