Must Subscribe: REI - A Lesson in Call to Action
REI has always been consistent in their email-marketing. They tend to try new things, which I always respect them for. For example, their implementation of animated gifs (as a replacement for embedded video) was brilliant. That is something I’ve been dying to test and apply to one of our future campaigns.
REI’s sales emails have the same look & feel (wireframe, font selection, etc), but differ enough from one to the next so each one grabs my attention in their own unique way. The email they sent on Friday afternoon sucked me right in. See below:
Everything about this email screams “BUY BUY BUY!!! CLICK!!! BUY!!!!“ From the stark “SALE” text with the father and his two kids riding their mountain bikes to the “sale & clearance” navigation link to the sub call to action consisting of a “SUPER CLEARANCE”... they all get the point across. The point being, “click through and save & spend money with REI!“.
Some might argue this email is desperate and may come across as being a bit obnoxious and pushy… maybe so. But it worked on me, as I’m the happy owner of a new Half Dome Tent. I wasn’t really in the market for a new tent really… but I was compelled enough to click through, saw the tent, saw how much I was saving and couldn’t help myself.
I think a lot of B2C companies can learn from REI’s emails in general. Their call to action strategy is solid, but so are other aspect of their designs. They always include links for mobile / text versions, their email navigation reflects their site’s navigation and they embrace all of the major social media sites. All of these components are absolutely necessary for a successful email campaign.
If you haven’t already, you should sign up for their emails here.
Posted by Bryan Quilty on Aug. 31, 2009
Comments
It’s nice to spread information with newsletters. However, when you’re announcing a sale, definitely don’t be shy. So many people forget the need for a clear call to action. I’ll often get emails with coupons “Save 10% off on purchases of $50 or more” but nowhere does it say “CLICK HERE TO SAVE.“ Make it easy for people to do what you want.
Posted by Lara on 09/17/2009 03:03 PM
The message and execution seem to push all the classic buttons. Ques that tell anyone to ignore and avoid the message. The worst part is that it is relying on price/value reduction to get the attention of the few buyers that would read it - existing customers… Almost idiotically flawed in a way that is lemming like.
Posted by David Shantz on 09/17/2009 06:52 PM
They are great for sucking ppl in all the time. I get them from Eve’s Addiction and spend an hour or two looking thru all kinds of jewelry I don’t need but want. I definitely don’t always buy even if there are pieces I’m really interested in. If I were to do that, my hubby will make sure my credit card is in pieces. It’s the consumerism mentality that was generated back in the 50’s and continues to this day by the ad/marketing agencies. Everyone’s gotta make a dollar and I’m not criticizing it - hell I used to work for one for 4 years. Keep the message simple but strong. Hook ‘em. Get ‘em to spend. Then get ‘em to come back. And while they’re at it, forward on to their friends. Make it so a person can’t say “no”. It almost feels like a secret or a little dirty when we cave into them. And then we look forward to them again and again. Retail affair? Maybe. Well-executed blanket mini-campaign? For sure.
Posted by ChicGeek on 08/31/2009 01:24 PM