This document discusses optimizing email marketing strategies in 2009. It provides an overview of eCircle, a European email marketing company. eCircle recommends applying marketing principles like relevance to email. Targeting can be done through profile, behavioral, and lifecycle approaches. A case study shows how Argos used integrated customer data to personalize newsletters, driving higher engagement. Dynamic content, reviews, and Q&A improved results for Argos.

1. How to Optimise your Email Marketing Strategy in 2009
Technology for Marketing & Advertising, 25/02/2009

2. Your Presenter
Simon Bowker
Managing Director
eCircle UK
10 Years in Online Marketing
7 Years in Email Marketing
eCircle 2

3. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying Principles of Marketing to Email
 3 Key Ways to Approach Targeting
 Profile Based Targeting
 Behavioural Profiling
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
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4. Introduction to eCircle
€ 30.0
 Full solutions for email marketing • 28m Euros Turnover in 2008
• 200+ staff
€ 25.0 • 97%+ Client retention rate
 Client services led approach • Strong growth predicted 2009
€ 20.0
 European Market-leading Company € 15.0
 Client:Support ratio of 1:4 Staff € 10.0
 200 + Employees across 4 offices € 5.0
(Munich, London, Paris, Milan) € 0.0
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007
 56 UK staff based in Clerkenwell
 Client retention rate of 97% (2008)
 2billion+ emails Broadcast p.Q
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5. Clients using eC-messenger
Media
Travel
Retail
Automotive
FMCG
Associations
Insurance
Finance
Fashion/ Lifestyle
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6. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying principles of marketing to email
 3 Key Ways to Approach Targeting
 Profile Based Targeting
 Behavioural Profiling
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
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7. Email Marketing covers all major marketing objectives
Marketing Objective Online Marketing Tool
A Drive relevant traffic to website
Email Marketing Search Engine Marketing
(campaigns, newsletters) (e.g. Keywords, Ranking)
B Win new customers / sales
A B C D A B
ROI
C Strengthen customer loyalty
“Classic”
Affiliate Marketing Online Advertising
(e.g. Banner, Pop-Up)
A B A D
D Increase branding / image

8. Using Principles of Retention Marketing in your email strategy
1. Value for Money
2. Quality of Products
3. Convenience Relevance!!!
4. Trustworthiness
5. Compelling Products
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9. Recipients say your emails aren’t relevant
When asked why recipients stopped
subscribing to opt-in emails, more
than half said the content was no
longer relevant, and 40% said they
were getting too many offers.
- Forrester Research
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10. How do you make your emails more relevant?
• Highest Spenders
Most Valuable Customers
• Most Frequent Spenders
• Most Engaged Prospects
Most Growable Customers
• Newest Customers
• Highest Clickers
Most Responsive Customers
• Most Frequent Openers
• Lapsed Purchasers
Most Vulnerable Customers
• Dormant Recipients
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11. Unfortunately, many marketers still don’t use all tools at their
disposal
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12. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying Principles of Marketing to Email
 3 Key Ways to Approach Targeting
 Profile Based Targeting
 Behavioural Profiling
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
eCircle 12

13. 3 key ways to approach targeting
1 2 3
Profile / Demographics Behavioural Data Customer Lifecycle
• Gender • Email response data • Customer vs Prospect
• Age • Purchase history • Stage of Customer Journey
• Region • Browsing history • Other Channels
Choose 1 approach as a start point, but ultimately all 3 should be considered
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14. Samsung personalise emails with handset to increase click rates
• Emails personalised to show recipients handset
• Deep links take users to handset specific content
• Click rates increases by 64% overnight 1
Profile / Demographics
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15. Cineworld ‘Time and Place’ emails dynamically display local
cinema listings
I told them my nearest Cinema was Wandsworth
Film details and times merged dynamically via RSS
1
Profile / Demographics
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16. MBNA tailor service emails to customers brand of credit card
• Approx. 75 branded Cards
• Automated statement
announcement emails each month
• Significant increase in traffic
when branded email launched
1
Profile / Demographics
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17. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying Principles of Marketing to Email
 3 Key Ways to Approach Targeting
 Profile Based Targeting
 Behavioural Profiling
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
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18. Using the data from your email responses to create recency
segments
• Open and Click data can be fed back into your customer profiles
• Segments can be created based on Recency
• Test performance of campaigns against each of these segments
2
Behavioural Data
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19. Include ‘average spend’ to take to the next level
Retention!
Untapped
Retention!
Customer Value
potential
Retention!
Data Missed
capture opportunities
Email Engagement
2
Behavioural Data
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20. Grattan use email and purchase data to identify VIP segment
• VIP Mailing sent to highest value segment
• Average performance 5 times higher than regular
newsletter
• Objective, to retain best customers and develop
repeat purchasers, clearly met
2
Behavioural Data
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21. Excluding dormant segments can have a big impact on profits
Month December 2008 February 2009 (so far)
Number of Campaigns 9 5
Total Sent Emails 1.4m 0.5m
Av. Open Rate 6.84% 13.10%
Av. Click Rate 33.56% 28.26%
Total Turnover £39K £33K
Net Profit £17.5K £22.9K
ROI £3.60 £16.15
2
Behavioural Data
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22. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying Principles of Marketing to Email
 3 Key Ways to Approach Targeting
 Profile Based Targeting
 Behavioural Profiling
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
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23. Map your email programs to your typical customer journey
Lifecycle Stage Email Program Offer Objective
1. New Visitor Nursery program Competition Submit more data, encourage
first purchase
2. Returning Visitor Prospect newsletter Relevant products Encourage first purchase,
maintain engagement
3. Regular Visitor Cross-sell mailing Other products Broaden horizons
4. One or more Purchases First purchase loyalty Discount voucher Encourage repeat purchase,
maintain engagement
5. One-off purchase 3 month teaser Discount voucher Re-engage
6. Regular purchases VIP mailing Best offers, exclusive deals Maintain loyalty
7. Lapsed / Dormant Reactivation program Discount voucher Re-engage / exclude
3
Customer Lifecycle
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24. Grattan target new customers separately through welcome
program
Objective:
Encourage repeat purchase
Offer:
10% off next purchase
Method:
Automated email based transaction data data feed
Results:
Big uplift in repeat purchasers
3
Customer Lifecycle
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25. Freemans target customers who don’t empty their basket
• Reminder email sent to customers after 24 hours
• Feed from web analytics system
• Email triggered daily from email platform
• Why no discount??
3
Customer Lifecycle
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26. Kaleidoscope use a sequence of ‘Happy Birthday’ messages
Email 1
1 week before birthday
Email 2
On the actual day
3
Customer Lifecycle
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27. Agenda
 Introduction to eCircle
 Applying principles of marketing to email
 3 Key ways to approach segmentation
 Profile Based Segmentation
 Behavioural Targetting
 Customer Lifecycle Marketing
 Case Study: Argos
 Summary
eCircle 27

28. Step 1 – Integration of systems brings all relevant data together
Integration of the 4 main systems enables a single view of all customer activity
Omniture Argos.co.uk
eCircle
Unique 4 party integration between: This seamless flow of data provides actionable insight into:
• Omniture: Web Analytics data • Order frequency/recency/value
• eCircle: Email performance data • Registrations
• Argos: Customer Data • Email engagement
• Planning Inc: Single Customer View • Browser data
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29. Step 2 – Enhance newsletter performance through dynamic content
11% up‐lift in CTR
Dynamic content rates vs non
Objective:
To increase traffic and revenue
through targeted content within the 30% up‐lift in
newsletter and sale emails Heroes conversion vs generic
headers
Method:
Utilisation of purchase and Spend per recipient
demographic data to personalise Behavioural doubles for targeted
email content customers
Results:
Across the board improvements on 23% & 35% up‐lift in
all key metrics Personalisation opens and clicks
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30. Dynamic Content gives dramatic uplift to results
1 1) Offering dynamic hero Dynamic content:
products. 11% up-lift in CTR rates Vs
non.
2) Ability to tailor specific
deals/offers to different Hero products:
2 customer segments using 30% up-lift in conversion Vs
the side bar section of the generic email headers.
email or to create bespoke
themed areas, i.e. Must
have boys toys etc.
3
3) Section to promote
main business tacticals
4
4) Dynamic banners.

31. Step 3 - Product reviews driven by dynamic product emails
2
1
Target:
To generate 209,000 reviews over 6
3
months
Results:
After only 4 months a staggering
204,000 reviews submitted
translating to 17,500 products
reviewed on Argos website
•Open rates: Over 30%
•Click-through rates:Over 42%
4
•Average review conversion
across all categories 39.7%
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32. The next step - Ask and Answer
Question asked Questioner emailed to alert
them that question answered
Question answered
either by public or expert
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33. Thank you for your time. Any Questions?
UK
eCircle
5-9 Hatton Wall
London EC1N 8HX de / at / ch fr it
Nymphenburger Str. 86 2, Cité Paradis Via San Gregorio, 40
T: +44 (0)20 7618 4200 80636 München 75010 Paris 20124 Milano
s.bowker@ecircle.com T: +49 (0)89 120 09-600 T: +33 (0)1 53 80 48 00 T: +39 02 30 87 620
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