Responsys Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2012

Trends, tactics and a content roadmap to maximize your email marketing revenue.

by Chad White

Laying the groundwork for successful holiday email

marketing campaigns begins during the summer—

starting with a thorough review of your 2011 holiday

campaigns. Before helping you with that review, this

guide will discuss the newest holiday trends and

walk you through the 5 stages of the holiday

season, covering early holiday messaging all the

way through Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the

after-Christmas period.

Based on the holiday email activity of more

than 100 top U.S. online retailers tracked by

the Retail Email Blog and on the insights of

Responsys’ Strategic Services group, this

guide also addresses the new challenges and

opportunities that will require marketers to

adjust their holiday email strategies this year.

We hope the benchmarks, advice and examples

in this guide help you to maximize the holiday

performance of your email marketing program.

Happy Holiday Sales,

Chad White

Research Director

Responsys

Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2012

Contents

The Newest Holiday Trends

The Five Stages of the Holiday Season

1. Pre-Holiday Period

“Christmas in July” campaigns

Other early holiday messaging

Holiday-supportive messaging

2. Black November

Core holiday messaging

Black November

Holiday headers & gift services footers

3. Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Thanksgiving

Black Friday

Cyber Monday

4. Countdown to Christmas

“12 Days of Christmas” campaigns

Parade of order deadlines

Free Shipping Day

Last Sleigh Day

eGift Card Day

Last-minute options

5. After-Christmas Period

Season’s greetings

After-Christmas sales

Gift card redemptions

Upsell & trade-in messaging

Review Your Past Holiday Campaigns

01 / 2012 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season

The Newest Holiday Trends

Every year retailers approach the holiday season differently, looking to be more

responsive to their customers and to adjust to changing shopping habits. Last

holiday season there were a few big changes that you should be aware of when

planning your campaigns this year:

1. Thanksgiving has replaced Black Friday as the unofficial kick-off of the

holiday shopping season. Thanks to more retailers opening their stores on

Thanksgiving Day and the growing impact of mobile commerce, as well as

“showrooming,” sales and marketing efforts have increased rapidly over the

past couple of years. Last year, 75% of major retailers sent at least one

promotional email campaign to their subscribers on Thanksgiving Day, up

from 60% in 2010 and only 45% in 2009. That increase supported a huge

leap in online sales, which rose 39.3% compared to Thanksgiving Day 2010,

according to IBM Coremetrics.

While some may bemoan the creep of commercialism into the Thanksgiving

holiday, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle at this point. We expect

Thanksgiving to remain among the top 5 email marketing days of the year

again this year.

2. Express shipping went mainstream on “Last Sleigh Day,” which is the new end

of the holiday season. Retailers dramatically increased their messaging around

express delivery last year, with many retailers offering free or discounted

express delivery options. Their efforts were concentrated on Dec. 21—a “Last

Sleigh Day” for Christmas delivery—when 74% of retailers sent at least one

promotional email to their subscribers. That made it the fourth busiest email

marketing day of the year, ahead of Green Monday (No. 5), the day after

Christmas (No. 9), and Free Shipping Day (No. 13).

In the past, the end of guaranteed Christmas delivery with standard shipping

signaled the wind-down of the online holiday shopping season. Retailers sent

a very clear message last year that this is no longer the case.

That said, retailers’ willingness to push express shipping may have been

influenced by higher-than-usual inventory levels, in which case “Last Sleigh

Day” may not be as prominent this year if inventory positions are kept more

in check. And perhaps even more important, this year Christmas is on a

Tuesday, which stretches out the delivery time for express delivery, making

it less effective and less appealing.

3. Mobile will be more important this year, but especially on days when

consumers are on the move. By the end of 2012, more people will be reading

emails on mobile devices than on desktops or webmail, according to Return

Path. The readership habits of your brand’s subscribers will determine your

email design and messaging strategy, but you may want to pay special

attention to being mobile-friendly on days that consumers are more likely

to be away from home, such as:

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— The day before Thanksgiving, which is the busiest travel day of the year;

— Thanksgiving Day, when most consumers are with family with a smartphone

in their purse or on the couch watching TV with a tablet on their laps, or out

shopping with their smartphone in hand;

— Black Friday, when many consumers are out shopping at brick-and-mortar

stores; and

— Christmas Day, when consumers are flush with gift card cash and shop online

because stores are closed.

And those days are in addition to the weekends as well, which also see higher

than average mobile email reading. Weekends are particular important during

the height of the holiday season in December, when weekend email volume is

about 50% higher than at other times of the year.

4. Free shipping is now the norm for the holiday season. Fifty-five percent of

major online retailers offered free shipping all holiday season long. Half of

those retailers have adopted an “Every Day Free Shipping” policy, while the

other half offered free shipping just for the holiday season. The remaining 45%

of retailers offered free shipping for limited periods of time, offered it on just

a narrow selection, or didn’t offer it.

More than half of major retailers offered free shipping for the duration of the holiday season.


Free shipping is the most popular and effective online promotional offer,

with consumers consistently valuing it more than it costs retailers to provide

it. That’s why we’re seeing more and more retailers move to an “Every Day

Free Shipping” policy, which is in turn forcing other retailers to keep up by

offering free shipping more often, including for the duration of the critical

holiday season.

The proliferation of free shipping is also driving more retailers to offer free

shipping with no minimum purchase, which a significant number of retailers

did on Free Shipping Day, and to offer free return shipping, which is a small

but growing trend. No longer requiring a promo code to receive free shipping

has also become more common this year.

Keep these trends in mind as you plan your holiday strategy and develop your

campaigns for each of the 5 stages of the holiday season.

Five Stages of the Holiday Season

Pre-Holiday PeriodSummer through the end of October

Black NovemberThe first three weeks of November

Thanksgiving Holiday WeekendThe days around Thanksgiving, Black Friday and

Cyber Monday

Countdown to ChristmasThe remaining weeks leading up to Christmas

After-Christmas PeriodChristmas through the end of January

1. Pre-Holiday Period

While some roll their eyes at “Christmas in July” campaigns and bemoan holiday

messaging that arrives before Halloween, many consumers begin their gift

shopping before Oct. 31. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly

40% of consumers start their holiday shopping before Halloween, another

40% begin in November, and the remaining 20% start in December.

Because of consumers’ willingness to shop early, the majority of retailers start their

holiday email marketing campaigns before Nov. 1—and that’s a trend that has held

firm for years now. Last year, 60% of major retailers mentioned the holiday season

at least once in their promotional emails before the end of October. And retailers

began their 2011 holiday campaigns 70 days before Christmas—on Oct. 18. That’s

one day later than in 2010.

And this year we’re off to the fastest start in years—at least as of late August.

So while the holiday season doesn’t kick into high gear until late November, most

retailers find it advantageous to start their holiday email messaging more than a

month before Thanksgiving Day sales and Black Friday doorbusters arrive.

“Christmas in July” Campaigns

A tradition with fuzzy origins, “Christmas in July” campaigns are often just an

excuse to hold generic sale during the holiday-starved summer months, particularly

during the last two weeks of July. Santas in sunglasses on the beach are typical

imagery for these campaigns.


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But over the past few years, more and more of these campaigns are

jetisoning the gimmicky imagery and promoting bonifide holiday items

and events such as:

— seasonal merchandise, especially holiday décor and dinnerware

— contests or sweepstakes with holiday tie-ins, like a sweepstakes to win a

holiday shopping spree in New York City

— holiday charity efforts, like raising money for Toys for Tots

To put a fresh, less seasonal spin on “Christmas in July” campaigns, a few retailers

have been running “Black Friday in July” and “Cyber Monday in July” campaigns.

While “Christmas in July” campaigns are becoming more oriented around seasonal

products like wreaths and other holiday décor, these new “Black Friday in July”

and “Cyber Monday in July” campaigns tend to promote non-seasonal goods like

tablets and kitchen appliances.

To help you craft your own subject lines, here are some about “Christmas in July”

promotions:

Toys “R” Us, 7/15

20% Coupon on your Entire Purchase Inside! Plus, Christmas in July Sale!

Oriental Trading, 7/15

Save up to 70% during our Christmas in July Sale + FREE Shipping

Chadwicks, 7/23

Preseason Sale...it’s like Christmas in July!

Ross-Simons, 7/23

Christmas in July! CLEARANCE SALE Starts Now

This July 14, 2012 Sephora email promoted Philosophy’s Christmas-themed products. They ran a virtually identical promotion in a July 13, 2011 email, an indication that it performed well.


Avon, 7/25

The FREE Shipping Event - CHRISTMAS In July!

TigerDirect, 7/25

24 Hour Christmas in July Sale: PC Parts, Laptops, TVs and more...ends 7/25

Blair, 7/26

Don’t forget it’s Christmas in July and shipping’s free.

Other Early Holiday Messaging

Besides “Christmas in July” emails, retailers send a variety of other early holiday

messaging, which generally take the form of boxes and banners that accompany

non-holiday messages. Popular early references to the holidays include:

In this Oct. 6, 2011 email, Fingerhut promotes indoor holiday décor products, knowing that many people put up their holiday decorations right after Thanksgiving.

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— Shop holiday décor.

— Sign up for our Christmas catalog.

— Pre-order these hot holiday products.

— Preview our holiday collection.

— Order Christmas cards.

— Create a wish list.

— Shop our pre-holiday clearance sale.

— Learn about layaway and other financial services.

These kinds of messages may help these retailers win the battle for holiday

mindshare long before the weather turns chilly.

To help you craft your own subject lines, here are some for early holiday messaging:

Fingerhut, 10/6

Fingerhut: Get a FREE Fleece Throw with Select Holiday Indoor Decor Purchase!

ShopNBC, 10/11

How long until Christmas? Here’s a hint...

The Company Store, 10/21

The Perfect Hostess Gift + Free Shipping!

Staples promotes holiday cards in this Oct. 10, 2011 email.

Coach urges subscribers to start their wish list in this Oct. 28, 2011 email.

Walmart promotes Christmas layaway in this Oct. 10, 2011 email.


Macy’s, 10/23

Prep your home for the holidays + Free Shipping!

Cooking.com, 10/26

Holidays on the Go: Great Potlucking and Entertaining Ideas

Costco, 10/26

In Time For Holiday Crafting - Get A Brother Sewing Machine For

$144.99 Delivered!

Holiday-Supportive Messaging

In addition to seasonal messaging, retailers also send campaigns during this early

period that set them up for a profitable holiday season. The messaging for these

campaigns include:

— “Update your preferences” requests, which significantly increases the chances

that your emails will be relevant during the months that follow an update

— Progressive profiling and subscriber surveys, which provides timely data to

power segmented emails and dynamic content

— Website relaunch and new functionality announcements

— Product review requests, as products with a healthy number of reviews sell

better than those with a few or no reviews

— Shipping options and programs—including free shipping, “buy now, ship later”

programs, in-store pickup—which lower or remove shipping costs from the

buying decision-making process

— Credit cards and loyalty programs, which increase the chances that customer

will buy during the holiday season

Ahead of the curve, CB2 promotes their holiday free shipping offer in this Oct. 13, 2011 email.

The campaign in this Oct. 27, 2011 Fingerhut email encourages subscribers to become Facebook fans to vote for their favorite offer and encourages fans to become subscribers in order to receive the winning offer. It’s a smart campaign that secures more channel opt-ins by playing to social’s strength —community engagement—and email’s strength—delivering discounts.

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— Opt-ins for other channels like social and mobile, because being able to

message customers over several channels increases sales

In this Oct. 12, 2011 email, JCPenney uses a discount and sweepstakes-powered incentive to collect SMS opt-ins ahead of the holiday season.


2. Black November

Everything prior to November is just a warm-up. In November the holiday season

starts in earnest. Holiday messaging becomes common and the emergence of

“Black November” messaging over the past couple of years has put a new focus

on generating holiday purchases early in the season. November is also the month

when holiday motifs and helpful gift-buying links are added to email designs,

mirroring the transformation of stores into winter wonderlands.

Core Holiday Messaging

While there are small amounts of Christmas messaging prior to November, when

the calendar flips to Nov. 1, holiday messaging starts to rev up significantly and

doesn’t stop until Christmas Day.

It’s at this point that emails typically include one or more of the

following messages:

— Shop our holiday collection or catalog.

— Shop these gift ideas and gift guides.

— Shop our top-rated gifts.

— Shop our top 10, top 20, top 100, etc. gifts.

— Shop holiday deals under $20, $50, $100, etc.

— Shop gifts by recipient: him, her, kids, babies, grandparents, teachers, etc.

— Shop by age of recipient.

Holiday messaging actually jumps on Oct. 31, with much of it arriving in the afternoon and evening.

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— Shop gifts by interest.

— Shop gifts for these personality types.

— Shop for stocking stuffers.

— Shop for holiday entertaining goods or try these holiday decorating tips.

— Shop for holiday outfits, holiday parties, and hostess gifts.

— Shop new arrivals.

— Free shipping offer.

— Free gift wrap offer.

— Free gift card with purchase.

— Personalize or monogram these gifts.

— Sign up for special holiday email deals.

— Download holiday mobile app.

— Visit holiday Facebook page or microsite.

— Cause-marketing tie-in to support a charity.

Black November

November has always acted like a runway for retailers to build up seasonal speed

going into Black Friday, long considered the unofficial start of the holiday season.

However, during the past couple of years, retailers have pushed consumers to start

their holiday shopping earlier by offering “Black Friday” pricing and deals as early

as the first of November. This trend has become known as Black November.

Black Friday messaging held steady during the first three weeks of November, but increased significantly during the week of Black Friday.


Black November messaging prior to Black Friday week was largely unchanged in

2011 compared to 2010 as a percentage of overall volume, but these campaigns

were much better branded last year. For instance, OfficeMax ran an “It’s Black

Friday Every Friday” campaign, Office Depot ran an “Every Friday is Black Friday”

campaign and J&R ran a “Fade2Black” campaign.

However, the week of Black Friday saw much more pre-Black Friday messaging.

During the week of Black Friday, more than 40% of retail emails referred to Black

Friday versus only 31% the previous year.

Office Depot ran a series of well-branded Black November emails as a warm-up for their big Black Friday sale.

The Sports Authority took the novel approach of allowing subscribers to make their Black Friday purchases online ahead of time and then pick them up in store on Black Friday.

responsys.com / 14

Along with more Black Friday and holiday messaging in November, there is more

promotional email volume in general starting in late October. While retail email

volume grew 16% year-over-year in 2011, volume grew 20% during November

compared to the same time period in 2010. With consumers in a buying mood and

actively looking for ideas, they are generally receptive to the email increases that

accompany the holiday season.

“When increasing your frequency during the holiday season, remember that

relevancy always dictates frequency,” says Responsys Senior Strategic Consultant

Mary Kathleen Sullivan. “For instance, don’t throw out your segmentation strategy

just because it is the holiday season. However, modify it so that you are basing it on

recent activity. Use as your targeting criteria all the recent data you have available.

Remember that what someone bought three months ago may not matter during

the gifting season, but their click and browse behavior yesterday sure does.”

Sullivan added, “And when it comes to frequency, don’t treat everyone the

same. Although promotions are generally considered to be relevant content, not

everyone wants to see the same one five times this week. Segment your audience

by active/inactive and see what the tolerance is for these segments by monitoring

both their engagement metrics (clickthrough rate and conversion rate) and their

disengagement metrics (opt-outs and spam complaints). Pull back on re-mail

campaigns for the less active subscribers based on this data.”

Holiday Headers & Gift Services Footers

It’s also during the month of November that many retailers debut their holiday

headers and gift services footers. Just like retail stores hang garland and put up

Christmas trees to signal to shoppers that it’s time to start thinking about gift

shopping, email marketers can do the same thing by adding seasonal elements

to emails.

Email volume per subscriber was at sustained high for most of last December.


Holiday headers include one or more of the following elements:

1. A “Gifts” or “Holiday” link or button in the navigation bar. Set your holiday

link apart from your standard navigation by using a different color, font, and

button design.

If a single navigation link just doesn’t seem like enough for the biggest shopping

season of the year, consider a new trend that’s gaining momentum: Add a

dedicated holiday nav bar. Rather than squeezing a single link into their

standard nav bar, retailers like NikeStore added a second holiday-focused

nav bar underneath their standard nav bar.

2. Add snow, snowflakes, wrapped presents, or another holiday motif to your

header, as Hallmark did. Depending on your brand positioning, it may be

best to avoid anything that may be interpreted as a religious symbol such

as Christmas trees and stick to more wintery motifs.

In this Nov. 2, 2011 email, Sephora changed their color palette, simplified their navigation bar and changed their “gifts” link to a gold script font to make it stand out.

Nike added a dedicated holiday navigation bar to this Nov. 11, 2011 email.

In this Nov. 2, 2011 email, Target added snowflakes to the background of the body copy and gave their logo a sparkly sequin treatment.

responsys.com / 16

3. Add a countdown to Christmas or—even better—to the end of guaranteed

Christmas delivery with standard shipping. Last year countdowns were used

by just a few retailers, including J&R.

In conjunction with a holiday header, also consider re-skinning your entire

email template with a holiday theme, a festive color scheme, or just a different

background color. This intensifies the signal to subscribers that the holiday

season is here.

Last year, 34% of major retailers introduced a holiday header, down from 43% in

2010, 38% in 2009, and 35% in 2008. Although some retailers wait until Black

Friday or even Dec. 1 to debut their holiday headers, early November is the most

popular time to launch them.

Gift services footers (GSFs) send a similar message to subscribers that the holiday

season has arrived. Generally launched in early November, GSFs help you to avoid

giant stacks of secondary message banners by consolidating lots of service links

into one tidy package.

Here are some elements to consider including when designing your GSFs:

— Umbrella your gift services footer with a benefits-focused headline.

— Link to your website gift center.

— Provide a more granular approach to choosing a gift by linking to gifts under

certain price points, stocking stuffers, personalized/monogrammed gifts or

intended recipient (i.e., gifts for dads).

— Promote gift cards and e-gift cards.

— Link to your gift registry or wish lists so subscribers can find the lists of friends

and family members or start their own list.

— Highlight gift services like gift-wrapping and boxing that help make holiday

shopping easier.

— Detail order-by dates, particularly as mid-December approaches, and link to

your shipping calendar, shipping rates, and returns

information. These provide assurances to shoppers.

Harry & David dropped their social community links to make room for a Christmas countdown in this Dec. 1, 2011 email.


— Dynamically generate local retail store info to drive brick-and-mortar traffic—or

simply include a store locator link.

Because subscribers’ needs change over the course of the holiday season,

create more than one GSF so that you can include the links that are most helpful

to subscribers at the moment. For instance, shipping deadlines and e-gift cards

are much more relevant late in the season than early on.

Kohl’s gift services footer promotes gifts by price and gift cards and informs

subscribers about shipping deadlines and returns.

Urban Outfitters’ GSF featured a colorful row of tablet-friendly buttons.

Kohl’s gift services footer promotes gifts by price and gift cards and informs subscribers about shipping deadlines and returns.

responsys.com / 18

3. Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend includes the three biggest email marketing

days of the year—Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and Thanksgiving Day—and is

the gateway into the core of the holiday season. Over the five-day holiday

weekend last year, promotional email volume sent by major retailers was up 27%

year-over-year.

Most Popular Retail Email Days of 2012

Rank % of Retailers Sending Email Date Proximity to Major Holiday

1 88% 11/28 Cyber Monday

2 82% 11/25 Black Friday

3 76% 11/24 Thanksgiving Day

4 76% 12/21 Last Sleigh Day

5 74% 12/12 Green Monday

6 73% 12/18

7 73% 12/9

8 73% 12/5

9 73% 12/26 Day after Christmas

10 71% 12/2

While the days listed above are likely popular because they achieve better results,

there’s the counterpoint that these are also the days when your emails have the

most competition in the inbox. Some retailers have embraced that logic and

tried to outmaneuver competitors by sending Cyber Monday campaigns on the

afternoon of the day before or extending their campaign for the duration of “Cyber

Week,” for instance. That trend has extended the Thanksgiving holiday weekend

into the days before and after it.

When determining whether to participate in these highly popular and highly

promotional shopping days, Responsys Senior Strategy Consultant Katrina

Conn says you should ask yourself the following questions:

— If you sent campaigns on these days, how did they perform?

— Have you set expectations with your existing customers so that you need to

continue to send certain campaigns to remain consistent?

— If you decided not to send on these days last year, do the same reasons apply

this year?

— Which of these days did your competitors target and what kinds of offers did

they pitch?

Cyber Monday 2012 set a new all-time record for the busiest email marketing day ever.


“We all feel the pressures of holiday shopping,” says Conn. “Marketers can assist

their customers by starting their holiday messaging early and by sending previews

and reminders that build up and support key messaging dates like Cyber Monday.”

During this holiday weekend is also when many retailers debut their holiday free

shipping offers. Last year free shipping became the norm for the holiday season,

with 55% of major online retailers offering free shipping all holiday season long.

More than a quarter of those retailers had already adopted an “Every Day Free

Shipping” policy, while another quarter offered free shipping just for the holiday

season. The remaining retailers offered free shipping for limited periods of time,

offered it on just a narrow selection, or didn’t offer it.

During 2012, more retailers have lowered shipping barriers by adopting an “Every

day free shipping” policy, eliminating the need for promo codes for free shipping,

and offering free shipping without a minimum purchase. A few retailers are even

offering free return shipping. The force driving this trend is the simple fact that

free shipping is the most popular and effective online promotional offer, with

consumers consistently valuing it more than it costs retailers to provide it.

Thanksgiving Day

In 2010, a number of big box retailers decided to open their stores on Thanksgiving

Day. That fateful decision has very quickly turned Thanksgiving Day into a highly

promotional and hotly contested shopping day, with sales and marketing efforts

growing swiftly in each of the past two years. Last year, 76% of major retailers sent

at least one promotional email campaign to their subscribers on Thanksgiving Day,

up from 60% in 2010 and only 45% in 2009. That increase supported a huge leap in

online sales, which rose 39.3% compared to Thanksgiving Day 2010, according to

IBM Coremetrics.

The majority of major online retailers offered free shipping during the 2011 holiday season. We expect even more to do so this year.

responsys.com / 20

This shift from family day to shopping day has been further catalyzed by the

rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, which has made it much easier for

consumers to shop online while visiting friends and family, as well as enabling

“showrooming,” where consumers check out products in a store but purchase

them online. Because of those changes, Thanksgiving Day has replaced Black

Friday as the new kick-off of holiday shopping season, the point at which retail

messaging becomes all Christmas all the time.

While some may bemoan the creep of commercialism into the Thanksgiving

holiday, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle at this point. We expect

Thanksgiving to remain among the top 5 email marketing days of the year again

this year.

To help you craft your own, here are some Thanksgiving Day subject lines:

JCPenney, 11/24

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay Home & Shop Black Friday Now!

Brookstone, 11/24

Relax. Shop. Recover on the couch.

Lands’ End, 11/24

Stuffing. Sleeping. Saving. What a Thanksgiving!

Walgreens, 11/24

EXTRA $10 OFF $50 Thanksgiving & Black Friday Sale | 25% OFF All

Contact Lenses

A few retailers, including Cabela’s, made a point of mentioning that their stores are closed on Thanksgiving because they respect the holiday as time for family. But while their stores were closed, their website was open for business.


Office Depot, 11/24

Don’t Wait For Black Friday...Deals Are Online Today at 7:00AM EST & Most Stores

Open 11/25 at 6:00AM

J&R, 11/24

Why Wait? Our BLACK FRIDAY DEALS Start Now!

Sears, 11/24

Black Friday prices now + Free shipping!

HP, 11/24

Black Friday Sale Starts Now!

OfficeMax, 11/24

Shop Black Friday Deals Online Today

Sam’s Club, 11/24

Early savings start now! Shop The Day After Thanksgiving Event on SamsClub.com

Walmart, 11/24

Walmart Shopper, Today Only! Shop Thanksgiving Day Online Specials & Plan Your

Black Friday Store Trip.

Toys “R” Us, 11/24

Thanksgiving Cyber Sale! Save Today Up to 60% OFF Hot Toys! Plus Save Up to

70% for Baby!

Saks Fifth Avenue, 11/24

Thanksgiving Sale: Get up to 70% off


Thanksgiving Day Offer - 30% Off!

Lowe’s, 11/24

FREE SHIPPING All Black Friday Weekend -- No Minimum. No Kidding.

Black Friday

Last year, 82% of major retailers sent at least one promotional email campaign to

their subscribers on Black Friday, making it the second busiest promotional email

day on record behind last year’s Cyber Monday. In 2011, 69% of retailers sent email

on Black Friday. That increase in email volume helped drive significant gains in

online sales, which jumped 24.3% compared to Black Friday 2010, according to

IBM Coremetrics.

While Black November messaging was on par with 2010 levels, during

Thanksgiving week there was a greater emphasis on Black Friday messaging

compared to the same week the year before. Last year, 40% of retail emails

during Thanksgiving week referenced Black Friday versus only 31% in 2010.

Another change was that last year’s Black Friday email marketing campaigns

were much more focused on buying online than in past years, with even large

store-based retailers like J.C. Penney promoting their online sales just as

responsys.com / 22

prominently as their in-store sales. “Avoiding crowds” and “skipping lines” were

common messaging themes, much like they were during the dot-com boom.

To help you craft your own, here are some Black Friday subject lines:

ShopNBC, 11/25

A better Black Friday: Great offers, no stress.

Musician’s Friend, 11/25

Black Friday Savings Up To $500 - Forget The Crowds & Shop From Home

Sony, 11/25

All the Deals, None of the Crowds | Up to 50% OFF + Free Shipping

Harry & David, 11/25

Don’t shop ‘til you drop. Click and save 20% or more! Black Friday Sale going

on now.

Avon, 11/25

Black Friday SALE! No Lines, No Crowds

Orvis, 11/25

FREE shipping! Holiday shopping made easy.

SmartBargains, 11/25

Black Friday Doorbusters & Free Shipping. Why even leave the house?

JCPenney promoted their online Black Friday deals just as vigorously as their in-store deals in this Nov. 25, 2011 email.


Frederick’s of Hollywood, 11/25

Shop Black Friday online. 25% off everything + free shipping & amazing

doorbusters.

JCPenney, 11/25

Black Friday’s Here! Shop Stores At 4am Or Online Now

OfficeMax, 11/25

Black Friday is Here – Shop In-Store or Online

Office Depot, 11/25

Shop Black Friday Online Specials Today Or Plan Your In-Store Visit -- Most Stores

Open at 6:00AM

Toys “R” Us, 11/25

ALL Black Friday Doorbusters and Bonus Deals Extended to 10PM! Save ALL DAY

LONG!

Kmart, 11/25

Save big on Blue Friday doorbusters + Receive a $5 or $10 eGift Card with layaway

Cyber Monday

Up from 77% last year, a massive 88% of major retailers sent at least one

promotional email to their subscribers on Cyber Monday, making it the largest

email marketing day ever and the largest email marketing day of the year for the

fifth consecutive year. That email volume increase helped propel Cyber Monday

online sales to a new all-time high, up 33% year-over-year and shattering last year’s

record of $1.03 billion, according to IBM Coremetrics.

Roughly a third of retailers sent more than one email on Cyber Monday, with many of those being “final hours” remind-ers. In this Nov. 28, 2011 email, OfficeMax reminds subscribers that Cyber Monday is coming to an end, but adds some extra interest by adding new items to the sale.

responsys.com / 24

Cyber Monday is increasingly overflowing into the preceding Sunday and

following Tuesday—and even the remaining days of the week. In 2011, 34% of retail

emails on Sunday mentioned Cyber Monday vs. just 18% in 2010. In 2011, 29% of

the retail emails on Tuesday mentioned Cyber Monday; in 2010, only 7% did. And

a significant number of retailers ran “Cyber Week” campaigns, including Walmart.

During the week of Cyber Monday, 33% of emails referenced Cyber Monday vs.

20% in 2010. This is just more evidence of the growing influence and effectiveness

of the “Cyber Monday” brand.

To help you craft your own, here are some Cyber Monday subject lines:

Macy’s, 11/27

Cyber Monday starts early! Get Free Shipping at $75!


Cyber Monday Sale - our best deals of the season. You’re invited to shop early!

HP, 11/27

Cyber Monday Sale Starts Now!

dELiA*s, 11/27

Cyber Monday Starts Now! FREE Shipping on EVERYTHING + Site Wide Sale!


Cyber Monday Coupons START NOW + Free Shipping!

Linens ’n Things, 11/27

Cyber Monday Deals Start Now + Free Shipping Sitewide

Staples, 11/27

Cyber Monday deals are here early. Plus coupons and free shipping!

Cyber Monday messaging was not only stronger last year, but it was spread over many more days.


Office Depot, 11/27

We Decided Not To Wait For Cyber Monday...Neither Should You! View This Week’s

Store Ad.

PC Connection, 11/27

Get a Head Start on Cyber Monday Deals – Shop Us Now!

Barnes & Noble, 11/28

Cyber Monday Savings Are Here, Plan Your Lunch Break Accordingly!

Dell, 11/28

Cyber Monday. Dell.com. Enough said.


Cyber Monday Is Here | 20% Off + Free Shipping!

Kohl’s, 11/28

It’s Cyber Monday! Take an Extra 20% Off Everything Online

J&R, 11/28

Cyber Monday. . . The Season’s Best Online Deals!

Omaha Steaks, 11/28

Cyber Monday Sale - see what’s FREE...

Disney Store, 11/28

Cyber Monday Savings! Free Shipping PLUS Up to 25% Off

JCPenney, 11/28

CYBER MONDAY: Up To 75% Off!

NFLshop, 11/28

Cyber Monday Sale - Today Only, Take 20% Off Your New York Giants Gear!

Lane Bryant, 11/28

Cyber Monday Only – 50% Off Online + Free Shipping

HSN, 11/28

CYBER MONDAY DEALS + FREE SHIPPING OFFER (one day only!)

The Children’s Place, 11/28

30% Off Everything + Free Shipping - Cyber Monday!

Staples, 11/28

Cyber Monday ends today. Plus free shipping on all orders!

Costco, 11/28

Cyber Monday Brings Amazing Items With Fantastic Savings - While Supplies Last!

Cooking.com, 11/28

Cyber Monday Deal: Free Stow-A-Way Potlucker with Purchase

Backcountry, 11/28

Cyber Monday Steals Up to 50% Off 17,000+ Items & Free 2-Day Shipping

responsys.com / 26

Newegg, 11/29

Encore Tuesday Deals: FINAL DAY to shop our ultimate holiday sale!

Omaha Steaks, 11/29

Missed Free Shipping & 60% Savings yesterday? Get it today...

Alibris, 11/29

Wake up to another Cyber Monday | 15% off through 11/30


Extended! Cyber Monday Savings Up To $100 + Free Shipping

Toys “R” Us, 11/29

Bonus! Cyber Monday Extended through Tuesday! Up to 70% OFF Thousands of

Items! Plus, FREE Shipping!

Overstock.com, 11/29

CYBER MONDAY DEALS EXTENDED

Sportsman’s Guide, 11/29

Cyber Monday Extended + Free Shipping!... from The Guide

Ross-Simons, 11/29

Cyber Celebration Continues! 30% Off PLUS Totally Free Shipping

Northern Tool, 11/29

Announcing New Cyber Week Specials - While Supplies Last

Walmart, 11/29

Cyber Week Online Specials End Friday, 12/2 — Shop Today While Supplies Last!

TigerDirect, 11/29

Cyber Week Continues with 11 Hot HDTVs, 5 Amazing Monitors, Gaming, MP3 &

More Electronics


4. Countdown to Christmas

After Cyber Monday wraps up, we enter the core of the holiday season, which is

characterized by extreme urgency. Whether it’s a one-day deal as part of a “12 Days

of Christmas” campaign, any of a series of shipping deadlines, or quickly escalates

into series of deadlines.

‘12 Days of Christmas’ Campaigns

Roughly 13% of major retailers ran a “12 Days of Christmas” campaign last year,

down from nearly 17% in 2010. These campaigns, which feature a new deal every

day for 12 days straight, have been around for years and became more popular

with the rise of Groupon a couple of years ago. But last year their popularity

dipped, in part because of the overall rise in email volume. In the past, “12 Days”

campaigns were a gimmick or excuse to send daily emails. Now daily emails

during the early weeks of December are fairly commonplace, so the gimmick

isn’t necessary anymore.

Also, some retailers are running their “12 Days” campaigns on their websites or on

Facebook or Twitter instead and only periodically promoting those campaigns in

their emails. So the tactic of daily deals is alive and well, but the ways that their

presented to consumers has become more varied.

The offers themselves have become more varied as well. A traditional “12 Days”

campaign would offer a percentage-off or dollars-off on a different product or

product category each day. But now some campaigns focus on a single product

category, offer a different free gift with purchase, or even have a different

sweepstakes with purchase each day.

In this Dec. 7, 2011 email, Neiman Marcus launches their “12 Days of Designer Handbags” sweepstakes.

responsys.com / 28

To help you craft your own, here are some “12 Days of Christmas” subject lines:

Urban Outfitters, 11/30

12 Days of Dresses: Exclusive Designs, Limited Quantities

Dell, 12/1

12 Days of Dell begins now

Blair, 12/1

The 12 Deals of Christmas are here! Today - free shipping.

Lane Bryant, 12/2

Today Only - Buy One Get One Free Sitewide + Free Shipping

Neiman Marcus, 12/7

12 days of GIVEAWAYS!

Avon, 12/7

12 Beauty Deals, 12 HUGE Savings

Blair, 12/8

Your fourth item is free today. So is shipping!

Eddie Bauer, 12/9

12 Days of Gifts Begins Today! Get 50% Off Our Cloud Layer Fleece.


Our 12 Deals of Christmas Start Today!

Costco, 12/9

12 Deals of Christmas Starts Today! Check Back Daily for a New Deal!

L.L. Bean, 12/12

Introducing 12 Days of Christmas Savings

Costco, 12/15

For the 7th Deal of Christmas Costco has for you - Up to $100 OFF Select

Invicta Watches!

Blair, 12/12

Your final Deal of Christmas is inside.

Parade of Order Deadlines

Retailers have been able to extend a number of order deadlines over the years,

in part by breaking out different shipping methods and different destinations. So

while on net it gives consumers more time to shop, it has made communicating

order deadlines a bit more complex.

For instance, there are now often separate order deadlines for:

— Customized products

— Oversized or heavy products


— Drop shipped items

— Personalized, monogrammed, or engraved products

— Budget, economy, and “super saver” shipping

— Ship-to-store

— Shipping to different countries

— Standard or ground shipping

— Shipping to different regions of the country

— Expedited, express, 3-day, 2-day and overnight shipping

To alleviate any confusion that might arise from the various order deadlines,

retailers have used an escalating order deadline messaging strategy. Ahead of a

deadline, retailers use order deadline banners to communicate upcoming cutoff

dates, sometimes with a link to a full shipping schedule or calendar.

Abercrombie & Fitch’s order deadline banner focuses on international orders, listing the order-by dates for the U.S., U.K. and E.U., Canada, and elsewhere.

Disney Store lays out the order-by deadlines for personalized and non- personalized products.

responsys.com / 30

And then a day before or the day of a deadline, retailers use clear subject line

messaging and dedicated primary message blocks to announce the deadline.

To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines about

order deadlines:

Cooking.com, 12/14

Final Day to Get Best Gifts in Time for Christmas via Super Saver Shipping

Apple, 12/15

There’s still time to engrave an iPad or iPod for the holidays.

Orvis, 12/17

Guaranteed Standard Delivery by Christmas Ends Monday! Gear up for winter

weather with Orvis.

Cabela’s, 12/18

Last Chance for Shipping Guaranteed Express Delivery!

Overstock.com, 12/18

Hurry, Last Day for Ground Shipping by December 23

In this Dec. 21, 2011 email, Backcountry.com trumpets the end of 2-day shipping by mentioning it in the subject line and preheader text, making it the primary message of the email, and also including it in a secondary message block along with the order deadline for next-day shipping.

Orvis, 12/19

Guaranteed Standard Delivery by Christmas Ends Today! Save an extra 20% off

Specialty Gifts.


Just hours left! Shop until midnight to save $9.95 Express fees.

J. Jill, 12/19

Last chance to get gifts on sale delivered by Friday!

Kohl’s, 12/20

LAST DAY for FREE Standard Shipping to Get it by Christmas + Save Up to 30%!

Overstock, 12/20

Hurry, Last Chance for 2nd Day Shipping by December 23

Office Depot, 12/20

Last Chance: Get FREE Delivery, No Minimum Order - Ends 12/23

Norm Thompson, 12/20

We’ll SHIP FREE by Christmas - order by 2pm ET!

Williams-Sonoma, 12/20

Order By Tomorrow 9am PT for Standard Holiday Shipping

Dick’s Sporting Goods, 12/20

Today’s the Last Day for Ground Shipping + Take $20 Off Your Purchase

$100 or More!

Backcountry, 12/22

Next Day Air for $9.99 - Ends Today At 5PM MST (Don’t Wait)

Gilt Groupe, 12/22

FINAL HOURS for Holiday Shipping! + Band of Outsiders, Bespoken, Velour, Mirror,

Mirror on the Wall, Comfy Sweaters, Mirafiore Barbera, n.d.c. made by hand and

more Starts Today at Noon ET

TigerDirect, 12/22

Don’t Panic, Choose Next Day Delivery: Quad-Core Laptop $399...24” 1080p HDTV

$149...3D Blu-ray Player $79...over 50 deals

Sam’s Club, 12/22

Last day for Christmas orders!

Neiman Marcus, 12/22

Noon CT: Last Chance for Christmas Delivery

Crate & Barrel, 12/22

Final hours for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

Bloomingdale’s, 12/22

Save 25-50% On Gifts! + Last Day For Holiday Express Shipping


responsys.com / 32

Nordstrom, 12/22

Last Day for 12/24 Delivery! Order by 3pm EST (Details Inside) | Denim from Hud-

son Jeans & More

Orvis, 12/22

Order by 4PM ET for Guaranteed Christmas Delivery with Next-Day Shipping.

Norm Thompson, 12/22

20% Off Everything | LAST DAY TO SHIP FOR CHRISTMAS

Blue Nile, 12/23

Final Chance! Order by 7 PM ET on Friday for FREE Saturday Delivery

J&R, 12/23

Last Chance for Christmas Delivery. . . Order Today by 3pm EST!

Ross-Simons, 12/23

Chad, There’s Still Time! Christmas Delivery Ends at 3PM ET Today

Free Shipping Day

Free Shipping Day, which was Dec. 16 last year, was the 13th busiest email

marketing day of the year. However, days in mid-December were high volume

days long before Free Shipping Day came into existence a few years ago.

The premise behind Free Shipping Day when it was launched is to (1) encourage

retailers to offer free shipping and (2) to offer it later in the season. Both of these

goals have been met and exceeded at this point. As mentioned earlier in this

report, the majority of retailers offered free shipping for the duration of the holiday

season last year. And most retailers also offer free shipping after Free Shipping Day.

But while its original purpose seems passé, some retailers are bringing new

purpose to Free Shipping Day by amping up their free shipping offers by

eliminating the minimum purchase required and by eliminating the requirement

for a promo code to receive the offer. Roughly 10% of major retailers offered free

shipping with no minimum on Free Shipping Day last year and we expect more to

do so this year. A few retailers may even offer free express shipping as a way to

stand out.


Free Shipping Day this year is on Monday, Dec. 17

To help you craft your own, here are some Free Shipping Day subject lines:

Brookstone, 12/16

Hurray for National Free Shipping Day... $49 MINIMUMS!


Today Only! FREE shipping on ANY order

J. Crew, 12/16

Happy holidays: 30% OFF every purchase, in stores & online (PLUS, FREE SHIP-

PING on every order)

OfficeMax, 12/16

Preview Our December 18 Ad + Free Shipping No Minimum

1-800-Flowers.com, 12/16

Free Shipping/No Service Charge - HURRY TODAY ONLY!

Eddie Bauer, 12/16

40% Off Everything + Free Shipping! Today Only!

JC Whitney, 12/16

FREE Shipping NO MINIMUM Extended ‘til Midnight!

Bass Pro Shops, 12/16

LAST DAY for Free Shipping

In this Dec. 16, 2011 email, J&R mocked Free Shipping Day while promoting its loyalty program, one of the benefits of which is free shipping year-round.

responsys.com / 34

‘Last Sleigh Day’

One of the major developments last year was that retailers dramatically

increased their messaging around express delivery, with many retailers offering

free or discounted express delivery options. Messaging was the busiest on “Last

Sleigh Day,” the last day for guaranteed Christmas delivery with express shipping,

which was Dec. 21. On that day, 74% of retailers sent at least one promotional email

to their subscribers, making it the fourth busiest email marketing day of the year,

ahead of Green Monday (No. 5), the day after Christmas (No. 9), and Free Shipping

Day (No. 13).

Retailers sent a very clear message last year that the end of guaranteed

Christmas delivery with standard shipping is no longer the end of the online

holiday shopping season.

That said, the willingness of retailers to push express shipping may have been

influenced by higher than usual inventory levels, in which case “Last Sleigh Day”

may not be as prominent this year if inventory positions are kept more in check.

And perhaps even more important, this year Christmas is on a Tuesday, which

stretches out the delivery time for express delivery, making it less effective and

less appealing.

To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines about the end of

guaranteed Christmas delivery with express shipping:

Buy.com, 12/20

EXTENDED | FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING* | Order by 9AM PST on 12/21

Lands’ End, 12/21

Christmas delivery with express shipping - on Dasher, on Dancer, on Procrastinator

ShopNBC, 12/21

Today: $5 shipping & gifts guaranteed to arrive by Christmas

TigerDirect, 12/21

Last Chance for 2-Day Delivery...or get Free Econoship Delivery on Orders Over

$50...Hurry!

Lane Bryant, 12/21

Hurry Last Day For Christmas Delivery + 50% Off All Lane Bryant

Eddie Bauer, 12/21

Hours Left: Free Guaranteed Christmas Delivery + Ultimate Sale!

Sony, 12/21

Last Chance For Holiday Shipping | Shop and Save Today

Macy’s, 12/21

Hurry! Incredible web busters + free guaranteed delivery ends tonight!

NFLshop, 12/21

It’s Not Too Late! Get Express Shipping For $4.99 On Last Minute New York

Giants Gifts


CB2, 12/21

final hours: free shipping + guaranteed standard Christmas delivery ends at noon

CT today.

HP, 12/21

Great Gifts Still Available! FREE 2 Business Day Shipping Too

Macy’s, 12/21

Final hours for free guaranteed Christmas delivery!

Brookstone, 12/21

FREE 2-DAY Shipping for Holiday Delivery... Ends Tonight at 7:00 p.m.

eGift Card Day

Dec. 23 is eGift Card Day, which has traditionally been the height of the e-gift card

messaging. Last year, more than 38% of the promotional emails sent by retailers

promoted e-gift card offerings on Dec. 23, with half of those making e-gift cards

the primary message of the email.

However, last year e-gift card messaging on Christmas Eve was very nearly as high

as on eGift Card Day—and up significantly from the same day in 2010. This increase

is due to improvements in e-gift card order processing and quicker deliveries.

Dec. 24 will likely be the high poit for e-gift card messaging this year.

responsys.com / 36

E-gift cards, which are delivered via email usually within hours or minutes of being

purchased, are routinely touted as “the perfect last-minute gift” and “the gift that

always fits.” Over the past few years, a small number of retailers have also started

delivering e-gift cards via Facebook and SMS.

In this Dec. 23, 2011 email, American Eagle Outfitters promotes gift cards, e-gift cards and mobile gift cards.

Among the last-minute gift options in this Dec. 23, 2011 email, Sephora allows customers to post an “Instant Gift”— essentially a voucher for a specific item—on someone’s Facebook wall that’s redeemable either online or in-store.


But the newest opportunity is to turn eGift Card Day into a broader eGift Day,

by offering other digital gifts, such as books, apps and games as last-minute gift

options. Barnes & Noble’s Instant Gifting store is a great example of a retailer

going after this new and rapidly growing market.

To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines about e-gift cards:

Target, 12/21

There’s still time for Target GiftCards.

J. Crew, 12/21

The ultimate last-minute gift (no wrapping required)

Lands’ End, 12/22

Send an E-Gift Card - no time like the present!

L.L. Bean, 12/22

It’s Never Too Late for an Email Gift Card

Bass Pro Shops, 12/22

Instant Delivery* for that Last Minute Gift

Crutchfield, 12/22

Need a last minute gift? Problem solved.

Nordstrom, 12/23

There’s Still Time: Send a Virtual Gift Card in Under 4 Hours

Sephora, 12/23

Instant gifts. A beautiful thing.

Backcountry.com, 12/23

Redeem Yourself - Send A Gift Certificate or Get Saturday Delivery

Foot Locker, 12/23

Still Need a Gift? Don’t Panic - We’ve Got You Covered!

American Eagle Outfitters, 12/23

Last-Minute AE Gift Cards + 40% Off Ends Tomorrow


Last Chance: Virtual Gift Card

Targeting procrastinators, Barnes & Noble promoted digital gifts in this Dec. 20, 2011 email.

responsys.com / 38


E-Gift Cards: Instantly Awesome

Home Depot, 12/24

Still Need a Gift? Give The Home Depot eGift Card Now!

Lowe’s, 12/24

Instant Gratification. Grab a Gift Card and These 8 GREAT Gifts.

Other Last-Minute Messaging

The waning days before Christmas also see retailers with stores messaging their

store hours, which are usually different from their usual hours. For instance, last

year Toys “R” Us was open 24 hours a day through Christmas Eve and promoted

that heavily in their emails.

Over the past couples of years, some store-based retailers have been messaging

in-store pickup for online orders quite aggressively. Toys “R” Us was unique in

holding a sale solely for products purchased online and picked up in store.

In this Dec. 19, 2011 email, Toys “R” Us began promoting that that they were open around the clock until Christmas Eve, as well as touting their in-store pickup of online orders.

Toys “R” Us was unique in that they held a sale on items ordered online and picked up in one of their stores. The sale likely caused many customers to try the service for the first time.


To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines about store hours and

in-store pickup:

Toys “R” Us, 12/19

In-Store Pickup Available Through Dec. 24! Last Day For Standard Shipping

Dec. 20!

Walmart, 12/22

Get Gifts Today - Order Online 12/22 by 6 p.m., Pick Up Today at a Walmart Store.

Home Depot, 12/22

Buy Last-Minute Gifts Online for Pickup at Your Local Home Depot

Crate & Barrel, 12/23

Looking for last-minute gifts? Shop online and pick up in stores.

Office Depot, 12/23

Stores Open Christmas Eve - Save on Technology, Furniture and More!

Barnes & Noble, 12/23

Cutting it Close? Save 25% in Our Stores Today or Tomorrow

Toys “R” Us, 12/24

We’re Open Until 10PM Tonight! FREE $50 Gift Card with iPod Touch Purchase!

Plus, BOGO 50% OFF LEGO, Nerf, & Crayola & More

J&R, 12/24

Attention Last Minute Shoppers. . . Our Park Row Stores Are Open Until 7pm

Sears, 12/24

Christmas won’t wait, neither should you: Buy online, pick up in store today

Kmart, 12/24

Take hold of the present! Buy online and pick it up in store today

responsys.com / 40

5. After Christmas

Even before Christmas Day arrives, the holiday season has already started to shift

gears from gift-buying to holiday clearance sales, gift card redemptions and upsell

opportunities. For many retailers that shift in focus is marked by the sending of

season’s greetings emails.

Season’s Greetings

Sending a season’s greeting email that wishes subscribers “Merry Christmas” or

“Happy Holidays” or simply says, “Thank You,” have become increasingly common.

Last year, nearly one-third of retailers sent a season’s greeting email.

Among those retailers that sent a season’s greeting, 70% of them sent it on

Christmas Day, up from 50% in 2010. That’s mostly due to subscribers opening

emails more quickly, in part because of the adoption of smartphones and tablets.

The use of season’s greeting emails has increased at a 5% annual rate over the past several years.

Ann Taylor used their Dec. 25, 2011 season’s greeting email to run a “Like” campaign to raise money for St. Jude.


While the number of retailers sending season’s greetings emails is up, that increase

has been paralleled by an increase in the number of emails that have a strong

secondary message that’s promotional in nature. And in some cases, the season’s

greeting message is now secondary to the promotional message, which almost

undermines the whole concept.

To help you craft your own, here are some season’s greeting subject lines:

Blair, 12/23

Merry Christmas from your friends at Blair.


Merry Christmas from Oriental Trading

Orvis, 12/24

Merry Christmas from Orvis!

Sam’s Club, 12/24

Merry Christmas from Sam’s Club

Tiffany & Co., 12/24

Happy Holidays from Tiffany & Co.

Toys “R” Us, 12/25

Merry Christmas From “R” Family to Yours!

J. Jill, 12/25

Warmest holiday wishes from J.Jill.

Cooking.com, 12/25

Happy Holidays to You and Yours from Cooking.com

responsys.com / 42

JCPenney, 12/25

Merry Christmas From jcpenney

Sony, 12/25

A Special Holiday Greeting from Sony

Ralph Lauren, 12/25

Warm Wishes For The Holiday Season

ShopNBC, 12/25

Happy Holidays!

Yoox, 12/25

Holiday Wishes

Avon, 12/24

Happy Holidays!

Ann Taylor, 12/25

Happy Holidays! ’Tis The Season To Give...

Lands’ End, 12/25

Merry Christmas! And for our fans...


Wishing You A Happy Holiday With 20% Off!

Coldwater Cree k, 12/25

Merry Shopping! 50% off EVERYTHING

Kohl’s, 12/25

Merry Christmas! Extra 20% Off Everything Online, Plus Free Shipping!

Williams-Sonoma, 12/25

Happy Holidays! Plus, 20% off a gift for you

Overstock, 12/25

Happy Holidays + $10 Off

NFLshop, 12/25

Happy Holidays New York Giants Fans! Today - Free Shipping On Orders Over $25

JC Whitney, 12/25

Happy Holidays from JC Whitney! 20% OFF! 2 Days Only!

The Children’s Place, 12/25

Merry Christmas! Monster Sale + Free Shipping Today Only!

Target, 12/25

Merry Christmas! Save $10 when you spend $50, good today only.


After-Christmas Sales

While many after-Christmas sales start before Dec. 25—Brookstone announced

theirs on Dec. 16 last year—this messaging is strongest between Christmas Day

and New Year’s Day. Whether a retailer is holding an “After-Christmas Sale,” “End

of Year Liquidation” or “Winter Clearance,” this period is marked by a shift back to

consumers buying for themselves rather than others. In recent years, “Get what you

really wanted” has become a major messaging point.

For those retailers promoting online sales on Christmas Day, pay special

consideration to making those emails mobile-friendly, as many consumers are

spending the day with family and will be reading their emails on a smartphone

or tablet.

To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines for after-Christmas sales:

Brookstone, 12/16

SALE & Clearance Blowout - Early After Christmas Sale!

In this Dec. 26, 2011 email, Urban Outfitters announces their “Get What You Really Wanted Sale,” using a humorous juxtaposition to illustrate their point.

responsys.com / 44

Cooking.com, 12/21

Find Great Savings During Our Pre-Holiday Clearance

ShopNBC, 12/22

Year-End Clearance & Sale starts now!

Lane Bryant, 12/23

After Christmas Sale Starts Early – Now Save Up To 60% Online


Up to 60% off: “After” Christmas Sale starts EARLY!


Liquidation Starts Now. Up to an extra 50% off markdowns

dELiA*s, 12/23

End of Season Clearance! Up to 80% OFF + Free Shipping!

TigerDirect, 12/24

Christmas Clearance Starts NOW...Plus Free Shipping on Orders Over $50

Bloomingdale’s, 12/25

Save Up To 75% - After Christmas Sale & Clearance Starts Today Online!

Macy’s, 12/25

After Christmas Sale & Clearance: Extra 15% off + Free Shipping!

Toys “R” Us, 12/25

After Christmas Blowout Sale! BOGO 40% Off ALL Video games & Movies! Plus,

Save on LEGO, Hasbro Games, LeapFrog & More!

Orvis, 12/26

Winter Sale. Up to 60% Off!

Walmart, 12/26

Hurry! Shop Our Year-End Clearance Event, While Supplies Last

Sony, 12/26

After Holiday Deals | Clearance Sale + Savings up to 50% OFF + More

Crutchfield, 12/26

Big end-of-the-year savings at Crutchfield

eBags, 12/29

Year-End Sale & Clearance - Huge Savings on Top Brands!

Bluefly, 12/25

Get What You REALLY Want: Now Up to 80% off 1000+ Already Reduced Items!


The Get What You Really Wanted Sale!


Sale Announced: Get What You Really Wanted!


Newegg, 12/26

AFTER-CHRISTMAS SALE: Over 100 deals on just what you wanted this year!


Time To Get What You Wanted, On Clearance!

Spiegel, 12/27

Note To Self: Shop Spiegel & Get 50% OFF What I Really Wanted!

J. Jill, 12/28

Take an extra 25% off our sale and get what you really wanted.

ShopNBC, 12/26

Didn’t get what you wanted? Treat yourself!

Ralph Lauren, 12/26

What’s Still on Your Wishlist? Enjoy An Additional 30% Off

Blair, 12/27

Santa let you down? Take 30% off your own gift now!

Ross-Simons, 12/29

Didn’t Get What You Really Wanted? Treat Yourself!

Sony, 12/30

HURRY and SAVE up to 50% | Give Yourself the Gift You Really Wanted

In this Dec. 29, 2011 email, Barnes & Noble suggests that subscribers use their holiday gift cards to buy textbooks, tying the holiday season to the spring back-to-school season.

responsys.com / 46

Gift Card Redemptions

Going hand-in-hand with the “get what you really wanted” messaging is a push

to get subscribers to redeem any gift cards they received. More than 18% of major

online retailers reminded subscribers to redeem their gift cards this past holiday

season, up from just under 17% the year before.

Because gift card values can’t be booked as revenue until they are redeemed,

there’s strong incentive to encourage subscribers to make purchases with their

gift cards, preferably before the end of the year. So while gift card redemption

messaging continues into late January, the majority of it hits inboxes at the end

of December.

Over the years, some retailers have tried to spur gift card redemptions with special

offers, such as free shipping when redeeming a gift card. But these kinds of offers

have been rare and never repeated the following year. For most gift card holders,

after-Christmas sales appear to be enough incentive to unload their card. As Target

asserts in a Dec. 28, 2011 subject line, “Your GiftCards + our clearance = goodness.”

In this Jan. 19, 2012 email, HP promotes accessories for holiday gifts. They also tie it into the popular “New Year, New Gear” messaging theme.


Upsell & Trade-in Messaging

In the weeks following Christmas, there’s always a bit of upsell messaging, asking

subscribers if they got a new device, new puppy, or whatever that they might need

additional things for. Not surprising, electronics are the most popular product

category to pitch accessories for.

Trade-ins are the flipside of that new gift. For some consumers, a new iPod or

computer means they now have one that they no longer need. Some retailers

are more than happy to give you gift cards for your old gadgets. Apple products

have been a major target of these efforts.

To help you craft your own, here are some subject lines about upsells and trade-ins:

J&R, 12/27

You Got the Gift... Now Get the Accessories You Can’t Do Without

Staples, 12/27

Save up to 50% on tech accessories.

HP, 1/19

Big Accessory Savings - Up to 50% Off

GameStop, 12/27

What’s in Your Drawers? Bring It to GameStop for Credit!

Harry & David, 1/4

Send a thank you gift at 15% off! Today only.

GameStop makes a play for subscribers’ old Apple devices in this Dec. 27, 2011 email.

responsys.com / 48

Review Your Past Holiday Campaigns

We hope that this guide has you inspired and excited about the upcoming holiday

season, but before you nail down plans for this holiday season, it’s critical to first

thoroughly examine what happened with your 2011 holiday email campaigns. Ask

yourself these questions:

— Where did we run into time crunches in our production process? Are there

production changes that would make things run more smoothly? How can

our ESP or agency help?

— Which of our email campaigns generated the highest conversions? Try to

determine the cause of the outperformance.

— Were there any specific offers (percent discount, dollar discount, free shipping,

tiered offers, etc.) or calls-to-action associated with those?

— What were the subject lines?

— On what days were they sent?

— At what time or time of day (morning, afternoon, night) were they sent?

— Which campaigns generated the lowest conversions? Try to determine the

cause of the underperformance.

— Which segmentation and dynamic content tactics were the most successful?

— Which campaigns generated the highest unsubscribe rates? The highest spam

complaints? Why was that?

— Did we change our cadence or the number of emails we sent per week? If so,

did it impact our complaint rates or the raw number of complaints we gener-

ated per 7-day period? Did we encounter deliverability filtering or blocking as

a result?

— Did we change our audience size or scope (i.e., mailing more inactives)? If so,

did that impact our deliverability rates or success in reaching the inbox?

— Was our list clean and tidy, with reengagement and re-permission programs in

place, and were any deliverability concerns proactively addressed?

— Did we have triggered email programs, like shopping cart abandonment and

browse-based, in place to capitalize on heavy holiday volume to drive every

possible conversion?

— Did we have to send any apology emails? What did we apologize about? Have

steps been taken to fix the problems?

— How well were our email campaigns coordinated with our social campaigns?

Did we encourage sharing and include viral elements? Which campaigns

were forwarded and shared the most? What about those campaigns made

them so viral?


— Were our emails appropriately mobile-friendly? What is being done to ensure

they are for holiday 2012?

— What were our key successes and missed marketing opportunities across all

channels during holiday 2011?

— Was every marketing channel queued up to drive email acquisition (transac-

tional, e-receipts, organic on-line, in-store, in package, social, inbound mobile/

SMS)? How can we improve email capture rates?

— What tests have we conducted this year? What did we learn? How can we ap-

ply those learnings to our holiday campaigns? Are we gearing up for this holi-

day season by testing and targeting prime audiences like seasonal buyers and

lapsed purchasers?

“Reviewing past program strengths and weaknesses heading into Holiday 2012 is

key,” says Catherine Magoffin, Senior Strategic Consultant at Responsys, “but

marketers need to take a leap beyond years gone by. Ecommerce is growing by

15% year over year and consumers expect marketers to understand their interests

and create cross-channel experiences that deliver the right message at the right

place and right time.”

We hope you have a very successful 2012 holiday season.

About the Author

Chad White is the Research Director at Responsys, a

leading provider of email and cross-channel marketing

solutions. The author of the Retail Email Blog and doz-

ens of research reports, Chad is an authority on email

marketing strategies and trends in the retail industry.

In addition to working with Responsys clients, he is an

Email Insider columnist for MediaPost and has been

interviewed by the New York Times, USA Today, the As-

sociated Press, NPR and others.

About Responsys

Responsys is a leading provider of email and cross-

channel marketing solutions that enable companies to

engage in relationship marketing across the interactive

channels customers are embracing today—email, mobile,

social, the web and display. With Responsys solutions,

marketers can create, execute, and automate highly

dynamic campaigns and lifecycle marketing programs

that are designed to grow revenue, increase marketing

efficiency, and strengthen customer loyalty. Responsys’

New School Marketing vision, flexible on-demand

application suite, and customer success-focused

services aim to deliver high ROI, increased levels

of automation and fast time-to-value.

Founded in 1998, Responsys is headquartered in

San Bruno, California and has offices throughout

the world. Responsys serves world-class brands

such as: American Family Mutual Insurance

Company, Avis Europe, Deutsche Lufthansa,

Dollar Thrifty, LEGO, LinkedIn, Newegg, Orbitz,

Qantas, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines

and UnitedHealthcare.

For more information about Responsys,

visit responsys.com

Date post:	17-Oct-2014
Category:	Technology
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