1. 9/30/2011
Lets Get Creative
Instructors
Laurence Rothman
Senior Consultant, Brand Reputation, Nationwide
rothmal@nationwide.com
@LaurenceRothman
Corey Duncan
Interactive Creative Director, PulsePoint/DatranMedia
cduncan@datranmedia.com
@Corey_Duncan
#datranmedia,
#pulsepoint
#stormpost
Lets Get Creative
Agenda
• State of the Union
• Aligning Creative with Business Strategy
• From Strategy to Execution
 Best Practices Based Implementation
 Email Anatomy 101
 Design and Copy
 Testing and Optimization
• Winners & Losers
• Q&A
1

2. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
The Death of Email
has Been Greatly
Exaggerated!!!
State of the Union
An Extreme Example Across Desktop, Social and Mobile
…and, surprise….
It integrates with
social!
State of the Union
Email is Everywhere
2

3. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Email + Social = Better Performance Across Both Channels
State of the Union
…and it Translates Very Well to Mobile for Those on the Go!
Advanced HTML & CSS Basic HTML Text
State of the Union
Trends – Mobile Devices
Mobile is not a fad
— “Mobile will become the single most
dominant media there is.” –Kodak
— During weekends, ESPN.com
is visited by more mobile users
than desktop.
— “Working with Microsoft, we
discovered that mobile web users
are 3 times more likely to find what
they are looking for when a site is
optimized for mobile.” –Icon Mobile
— By 2013, more mobile phones than
desktop computers will be using
internet browsers.
3

4. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Trends – Mobile Devices
Mobile is not a fad
Opens on a Mobile Device
16.00%
12-15%
14.00%
12.00%
10.00%
8.00%
6.00%
4%
4.00% 1-3%
2.00% .25%
0.00%
2008 2009 2010 2011
PREDICTION: By the end of 2011, one third of your list may
be reading your email on their phones.
SOURCE: YESMAIL 2010 “USER AGENT” TESTING
State of the Union
Trends – Email on Mobile
Advanced HTML & CSS Basic HTML Text
State of the Union
Trends – SMS
160 characters can be powerful.
— SMS has nearly 80% mobile
penetration and thus is most utilized
by customers.
• Customers rarely ignore a text
message. This presents an
immense opportunity for marketers.
— Immediate results!
— Polls
— Promo Blasts
— Coupons
— Order Confirmations
— Email Acquisition
— Account Alerts
— Text for Info
4

5. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Trends – Video
DELIVERY
There are three methods for delivering video content via email:
1. Static image: A static image simply features a static image
of one of the frames of the video
2. Animated GIF: An animated or video gif uses a compressed,
streamed animated gif to deliver video-quality content.
3. Embedded video: Currently Goodmail Systems is rolling
out its CertifiedVideo service, which enables full video and audio,
but only on the AOL platform. Yahoo making strides with
JavaScript within email.
State of the Union
Trends – Video
STATIC IMAGES
Use strong visual cues to indicate video
to encourage subscribers to click through
to web-hosted video.
• Play buttons
• Frames that look like YouTube,
Windows Media or Quicktime
video players
• Video verbiage
Benefits:
• The least expensive of the three
delivery options
Disadvantages:
• No movement to catch subscriber’s eye
• Subscriber must click for video and audio
State of the Union
Trends – Video
VIDEO GIF
A video gif uses a compressed,
streamed animated gif to deliver
video-quality content
Benefits:
• Subscribers can preview video images
• Grabs readers attention
• Most reliable
Disadvantages:
• No audio
• Low video quality
• Deliverability issues
due to file size
5

6. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Trends – Video
VIDEO GIF
A video gif uses a compressed,
streamed animated gif to deliver
video-quality content
Benefits:
• Subscribers can preview video images
• Grabs readers attention
• Most reliable
Disadvantages:
• No audio
• Low video quality
• Deliverability issues
due to file size
State of the Union
Trends – Video
EMBEDDED VIDEO
Using Flash mostly you can
embed video files that play
within the email window itself
(soon JavaScript and HTML5
may change the game)
Benefits:
• User does not have to leave
email window to watch video
• Captures readers attention
Disadvantages:
• Limited autoplay, rely on
back up image and linking
• Will only work with a few email
clients, mostly Apple Mail
State of the Union
Trends – Social
There are three ways to integrate social media and email marketing:
1. Social Linking – Simply linking to your company’s social page
2. Sharing – The ability to share specific content from your email on social networks
3. Dispatches – Taking content from social networks and inserting them into emails creating
relevant and interesting content
6

7. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Trends – Social
Social Linking
Simply linking from your email to
your company’s social page
State of the Union
Trends – Social
Social Sharing
The ability to share specific
content from your email on
social networks
Sharing = Liking, Sharing or Tweeting
State of the Union
Trends – Social
Social Dispatches
Taking content from social
networks and inserting them
into emails creating relevant
and interesting content
7

8. 9/30/2011
State of the Union
Mastering Email Marketing is Not Easy
WHY?
• Consumers will receive 9000+
marketing messages annually by 2014
– that’s 25 a day!
• Email is a mature channel
• You aren’t just competing with
companies in the same vertical, but
with all companies in the email
channel who are competing for your
subscribers’ attention
• Knowing basic best practices isn’t
enough anymore, must consider:
— Lifecycle marketing
— Advanced strategies
— Mobile, social, & video
Aligning Creative Goals with Core Business Strategies
Take Creative To Infinity and Beyond
Aligning Creative Goals with Core Business Strategies
Pre-Requisites
1. Know Your Audience
2. Plan Your Strategy
3. Define Your Measurement Success
8

9. 9/30/2011
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Your Audience
1. Who (demo, behavior, other needs)
2. What /Why (do they expect from you?)
- Information
- Breaking news
- Loyalty discounts and promos
- Singles matches
- Weather
3. When
- What are their RFM needs?
- Do those change?
- When might they need you most?
4. How do they prefer to hear from you?
- Format (HTML, text, etc…)
- Does that change by device/type of
communication
5. Where are they viewing your email?
- Desktop?
- Mobile?
- Tablet?
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Audience
Measurement
Using audience
measurement
technology will give
you a true picture of
who is interacting
with you emails… the
more you know the
better you can target
their behaviors and
interests
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Where are they reading
your emails?
Understanding where and how your
audience reads your emails can help
you optimize and devise content
strategies that work more broadly
of email opens are on the
71% Computer
That’s 7 in 10 users
of email opens are on a
28% Mobile Device Source: Sample ReturnPath data
That’s 1 in 4 users
9

10. 9/30/2011
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Where are they reading Mobile Opens by Device Type
your emails?
Understanding where and how your Blackberry
audience reads your emails can help iPad 0%
18%
you optimize and devise content Symbian
0%
strategies that work more broadly Palm
1%
of mobile opens are on the
68% iPhone Android
13%
That’s 2 in 3 users iPhone
68%
of mobile opens are on the
18% iPad Source: Sample ReturnPath data
That’s 1 in 5 users
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Operating Systems Matter
Source: litmus.com blog: The Current State of Mobile Email Compatibility, May 2011
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Click Maps and
Heat Maps
Knowing how your
audience reads and
interacts with your
communication;
knowing exactly where
their eye or mouse
cursors go can help
determine if your
message is clear and
readers are taking the
correct CTA
10

11. 9/30/2011
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
Using Data to
Incorporate
Dynamic Content
Knowing more about your
consumer and making
content more relevant
can pay off
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Know Your Audience
• Once you understand where your
audience is reading their email, how they
read it, why they read it… then you can
start to plan a creative approach that
meets your overall marketing goal.
• There is no silver bullet, know your
audience! Relevant content is still king.
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Plan Your Strategy
ACQUIRE CONVERT GROW RETAIN REACTIVATE
What What What What What
marketing marketing marketing marketing marketing
programs will programs will programs will programs will programs will
help you help you help you grow help you help you win
capture new convert customer ensure back lost
email prospects to value? customer customers?
addresses? customers? loyalty?
SUSPECT PROSPECT CUSTOMER ACTIVE RECAPTURED
CUSTOMER CUSTOMER
11

12. 9/30/2011
Aligning Goals and Strategy
Define Your Measurement Success
Delivery Engagement Revenue
Measure of success getting Measure of subscriber Measure of financial impact
messages to your audience interaction with campaign
Bounce Rate Open Rate Revenue
bounces/emails sent opens/emails delivered revenue per campaign
Spam Complaint Rate Click-Through Rate Conversion Rate
spam complaints/emails total clicks/emails orders/visits
delivered delivered
Inbox Delivery Rate Click-to-Open Rate Average Order Value
total clicks/total opens revenue/bookings
emails that reach the inbox
Unsubscribe Rate Revenue Per Email
unsubscribes/emails revenue/emails
delivered delivered
From Strategy to Execution
Creative Best Practices that Drive Results!
From Strategy to Execution
While a “Variation on a Rectangle”, Email is Not Print or the Web
a bit like print… a bit like web…
• What works for print does not • The principles of web design
always translate well to email. often apply to email, but with
• Recipients rarely see an email notable exceptions.
in its entirety, so information • Width matters more than length.
hierarchy is critical, with the
• In email, complex coding
most important information at
increases cost and production
the top, working down.
times as well as jeopardizes
• Images can help tell a story, but rendering and user experience.
if they are too large and take too
• In email, rich media including
long to download, or they push
forms, scripting and Flash usually
the key points too far down
don’t render correctly... or at all
along the page, or they are not
properly alt-tagged, they hinder
rather than help.
Email is very much it’s own medium with it’s own set of rules…
IF you follow best practice.
12

13. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
The Email Inbox is Your Runway
• Viewing an email is different from browsing online You are invited to click
• Viewers are not necessarily looking for something “The email you send
• They need to be pulled more vigorously is the invitation. The
website you drive them
to is the party. The more
beautifully crafted the
invite, the better turnout
the party will get.”
- Corey Duncan, PulsePoint
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 - Skeleton
• Preheader
• Header
• Navigation
• Table of Contents
• Primary Message
• Submessage(s)
• Siderail
• Recovery Module
• Footer
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Subject Line & Pre-Header (Snippet Text)
• Snippet text appears in Outlook and Gmail
• Only 21% of major retailers have optimized their email for snippet
13

14. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Pre-Header
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Pre-Header
• The preheader is the usually-small and subdued text blurb
at the top of an email that includes some combination of the below:
o Content teaser snippet(s)
o View with images/view mobile version prompt
o Add to address book or ensure future delivery prompt
• Preheaders can be used to:
o Reinforce the subject line and highlight the primary message of the email
o Extend the subject line and highlight secondary messages in the email
o Feature calls-to-action not present anywhere else in the email
OLD
NEW
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Header & Navigation
14

15. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Header & Navigation
SMART
HOT
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Header & Navigation
Your header and navigation should change based on message content
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Primary Message
15

16. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Primary Message
WEBSITE
• Balance imagery and text
• Include prominent call-to-action
• Link to matching web page for
increased conversion
EMAIL
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Sub-Messages
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Sub-Messages
• Use visual prompts like color,
headlines, imagery and graphics
to guide viewers’ gaze
• Test submessage count
tolerance
SIDERAIL
LAYERCAKE
16

17. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – Sub-Messages
• Test submessage count tolerance –
not just once, but periodically
• Be aware of the law of diminishing
returns; sometimes, less is more
YIKES!
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – The Recovery Module & Footer
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – The Recovery Module & Footer
Recovery Module • Include subscription management links
• The final outpost; acts as a catch-all • Include forward to a friend
• Include alternate content links • Ensure CAN-SPAM compliance
• Add incentives to inspire engagement
Footer
“ Just in case you were
totally bored by everything else,
here’s some other stuff…
”
17

18. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – The Gift Services Footer
• Umbrella your GSF with a benefits-focused headline
• Use equi-sized modules for easy last-minute message swap-outs
• Link to your website gift center — it’s a great catch-all for gift givers
• Promote gift cards — they’re so hot right now
• Surface gift services — the unique ways you help make holiday shopping easy
• Detail order-by dates, particularly as we approach mid-December
• Dynamically generate local retail store info to drive brick-and-mortar traffic
HOT
HOLIDAY
TIP
From Strategy to Execution
Email Anatomy 101 – The Gift Services Footer
HOT
HOLIDAY
TIP
From Strategy to Execution
Design – Landing Pages
• If an email is your “invite,” then the party it leads to should be an equally
experiential destination for your audience.
• A well-designed email draws the customer to your brand; a well-designed
landing page is where you full engage them with your brand and offerings.
• Tightly coupled email and landing page combinations can be an effective
means to increase conversion
18

19. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Design – Landing Pages
WEBSITE
EMAIL
From Strategy to Execution
Design – Getting Your Message Seen
• Group content in
separate modules
• Include clear content
section headers
• Place imagery in an
“S-curve” to guide gaze
across and down page
• Use button treatment
for primary call-to-
action
• Include alternate HTML
text calls-to-action
• For longer-form mails,
include a TOC
From Strategy to Execution
Design – Modular Makes Creatives Easy to Optimize and Test
A library of flexible creative elements from which REI builds a range of
message configurations
One flexible template.
Three configurations!
Now that’s smart design.
19

20. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Getting Your Message Read
• Be brief, you have 2-
5 seconds
• Keep copy focused
• Use bullet points
• Make call-to-action
clear and direct
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Getting Your Message Read
Before After
Hello James, Hi James!
This Saturday is your last chance Email Evolution Conference:
to register for the Email Evolution Last Chance to Register by Saturday
Conference. This year you’ll see
See how to:
how to craft email copy, grade
• Craft email copy
your emails and learn about
• Grade your email designs
activation strategy.
• Learn about activation strategy
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Getting Your Message Read
• Headlines should be short
and catchy
• Your headlines should
work with your calls-to-
action (because that’s all
people read anyway!)
• Example:
Liquid Assets
Shop Fluid Outfits »
20

21. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Getting Your Message Read
• Effective Calls-to-Action are
Key!
• Recipients want to know
where you’re taking them
• “Read more” is vague
• Use more descriptive
action words:
– Shop shoes now
– Sign up!
– See it now
– Get in there!
– Check it out!
– Buy now
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Subject Lines
• Personalization
o You had 1 guestbook signature this year, Alexanne (Classmates)
• Branding
o Moosejaw Daily Madness (Moosejaw)
• Product/Category
o A&F Premium Jeans (Abercrombie)
o Find the Perfect Party Dress (Nordstrom)
• Benefit
o Exclusive Online Offers. More Than $3,200 In Savings (Costco)
• Seasonal hooks
o Get on this Autumn's Floral Trend with a fragrant offer (Johnnie Boden)
• Urgency/Deadlines
o EXTRA 10% OFF: 1-Day Shoe Sale - Now Up To 70% Off! (Bluefly)
• Other key words
o Great Value: Exclusive Cuisinart 9-Speed Hand Mixer (Williams-Sonoma)
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Subject Lines
• Subject lines of less than 60 characters proved best for optimizing
open rates
Outfits now, outfits later. (Anthropologie)
• Click, click-to-open, and conversion rates are optimized by subject
lines of over 70 characters
Matte skin is in! FREE shipping with Benefit's NEW matte-finish loose
powder, material girl. (Benefit Cosmetics)
21

22. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Copy – Subject Lines
Epsilon Study:
“Rethinking the Relationship between Subject Line Length and Email
Performance: A New Perspective on Subject Line Design”
• Subject line length isn’t as important as commonly thought
• Order of the information is more important
SL1: “This weekend only at your local Acme Store, special savings on Ladies Apparel!”
time > brand > benefit > category
SL2: “Special savings on Ladies Apparel at your local Acme Store this weekend only!”
benefit > category > brand > time
Test into
length and
order!
From Strategy to Execution
Before You Push Send…
 Ask yourself, “Is this email truly compelling?”
• What is this about?
• Why should my subscribers care?
• What do they do about it?
 Consider the above-the-fold mark and the preview pane
 Include a good balance of images and text
 Provide clear primary and alternate calls-to-action
 Throw in a few bells and whistles
 Personalize
 Leverage dynamic content
 Feature user-generated content
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization
KEYS TO CREATIVE TESTING
• Test constantly
• Make tests controlled and
easy to understand
• Use results to inform the
design process
• Creative test ideas:
o Subject lines
o Copy length
o Call-to-action treatments
o Prices and product names
o Photography
o Bells and whistles
o Personalization
o Landing pages
22

23. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
Version A
Pillsbury Email Newsletter
• Selected random test groups
• Testing occurred over a three month period
• Feature
Tested with every email send until all the main
components were performing at the highest level
Promo
• We’ll look at the two most significant tests
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
Version A
THE FIRST COURSE
Test 1 was an A/B split between
two versions of the feature and
two versions of promo spots
Feature
Promo
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
Version B
Version B
THE FIRST COURSE
Test 1 was an A/B split between
two versions of the feature and
two versions of promo spots
• New promo spot had 95%
increase in gross clicks
Feature
Feature
• Feature performed slightly
better in old version Promo
Promo
• Overall, the two versions
were flat on interaction due
to fewer feature clicks
23

24. 9/30/2011
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
THE SECOND COURSE
Test 2 was an A/B/C/D split between four versions of
the feature area A
Feature Version Feature Version B
Feature Version C Feature Version D
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
THE SECOND COURSE
• Version C feature area generated 3.5 % more clicks
than the second place design and 5.2% more clicks
than the control
• Version C also led all of the tests in
overall interaction and click rates
From Strategy to Execution
Testing and Optimization - Example
THE REVIEWS
• Overall interaction rate with new design was 70%
higher than old design
• Pick and choose the best of the best
• Full-scale the creative tests that do well
• Continue to tweak and test content that is not
performing as well
• Apply test learnings to other platforms as appropriate
24

25. 9/30/2011
Winners and Losers
P.F. Changs
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
LinkedIn
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
Mont Blanc
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
25

26. 9/30/2011
Winners and Losers
American Girl
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
Banana Republic
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
Domino’s
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
26

27. 9/30/2011
Winners and Losers
Tide
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
Bally Total Fitness
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
Winners and Losers
REI
What challenges and opportunities
does this mail present?
–
–
What was done well?
–
–
What could be improved?
–
–
What testing opportunities do
you see?
–
–
27