I don't think that word means what you think it means.

 

I've been overwhelmed with emails lately.  My husband wardrobe shamed me a few weeks back so I bought some new clothes online - despite the fact that I really hate buying clothing online.  But, Covid.

Some of the vendors I used now send me multiple emails daily.  Really?

According to a recent study 69% of people said that they have unsubscribed to marketing emails due to too much frequency.  So I am not the only one feeling overwhelmed.

But how much is too much?  Almost 2/3 of people who sign up for an email list say they want to hear at least monthly.  (Greenspan, 2021)

Different studies have identified different sweet spots from four a week for new companies to six a week for fashion brands.  Some even show that while open rates go down with greater email frequency, some consumers keep clicking.

Everyone seems to agree that the way to increase open and response rates is Personalization. 

But what does personalization mean? 

The Wall Street Journal puts my name in the headline when they send me an email - i.e. "Pj, Your Latest WSJ+ Offers Are Here."  Yes.  They do not capitalize the J.  A sure sign that none of the items they are selling in the email will be of interest to me.  I don't bother to open their emails anymore.

Yet, research shows that simple field insertion of a customer's name can increase email open rates by upwards of 18%.

I was surprised when two companies actually went further than simply putting my name in the headline of their emails, since this had been my experience with personalization to date.

Lands End and Target both referenced my previous purchases. 

Target wrote: "Pajamas & Loungewear: Come back & see more."  While Lands End wrote: "Tonight! Long sleeve tees from $6? Yes, please."  Wow.  Lands End really gets me.

Not surprisingly, research shows that a personalized product recommendation can increase open rates by 41% and conversion rates by 188%. (Grunberg, 2019)

What are your thoughts about email frequency?  Do you think the amount of emails people are willing to receive is based on MBTI personality type?  If so, which type might be more interested in frequent emails and why?  

Have you yourself unsubscribed due to too much frequency?  If so, how much was too much?  And does it vary by vendor?

Have you clicked on a personalized email?  Which type?  Did you buy something too?

 

Greenspan, S. (202, January 15) How often should you send marketing emails? jilt.com.  Retrieved March 2, 2021, from https://jilt.com/blog/email-marketing-frequency/

Grunberg, J. (2019, June 25) Email Open Rates: Leveraging Personalization to Be Ever in Your Favor.  sailthru.com.  Retrieved March 2, 2021, from  https://www.sailthru.com/marketing-blog/email-open-rates-personalization/

 

Will Green Millennial men chose Wrangler over Levi's?

Monday was Earth Day.  I remember the first one in 1970.  Probably because I won the poster contest.  This year I couldn't help thinking about how much worse the environment has gotten since then.  Such a shame.

But as an environmentally conscious Baby Boomer I do my best to limit my impact by eating mostly veggies, living in a small space, not owning a car, and recycling regularly. 

I also wear Levi's jeans.  The real ones made from denim.  My latest pair came with a label inside that says:  "Care for our planet: wash less, wash cold, line dry, donate or recycle."  That sentiment really works for me.

Last year, when Levi's sales started to surge I asked my students to weigh in on the interesting sales techniques that the company was using to see which one might be of the most appeal to Millennials and Z's.  You can check out their thoughts here...

http://pjlehrer.blogspot.com/2018/10/is-cause-marketing-reason-for-levis-11.html

Which brings me to Wrangler.  Last fall VR Corp, Wrangler's parent company, was considering selling the brand.  But now they are going in a different direction and launching the upscale "Wrangler Rooted Collection."  At $100 a pop these jeans are priced higher than Wrangler typically is.  But the jeans - men's only - come in five styles - one each for Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  All are made from sustainably grown cotton traceable to a family farm. (Mahoney, 2019)

Interesting idea - part green - part tribal customization.  Great story.

But will it be enough?  My gut is telling me that Levi's is still a Boomer brand at heart and we will keep buying them until one of us is no more.  According to my students they have also come to see Levi's as "cool."

Will they feel the same way about Wrangler after they learn about the rooted collection?  How important is a story to your purchase decisions?  What about the premium price?  Is it too much for Millennials?  How much does personalization matter?  Is having five designs the type of personalization that matters?  Finally, does concentrating on only five markets make sense?

Mahoney, S. (2019, April 22)  With $100 Hyperlocal Jeans, Wrangler Brings Sustainability Home.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 23, 2019, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/334783/with-100-hyperlocal-jeans-wrangler-brings-sustai.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=113597&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI

Will state names work as well for Budweiser as people's names do for Coke?

I saw a commercial the other day for this summer's "Share a Coke" promotion featuring people's names on bottles and cans.  The successful promotion, now in its fourth year has been expanded to include some popular last names and larger sizes, in the hopes of capturing the family vacation crowd.  Interesting idea. (Lukovitz, 2017)

Meanwhile, this week Budweiser unveiled 11 different cans and bottles with names of the states where they have breweries.  It's part of their "Proudly Brewed Across America" campaign, which is now in its second year.  Country music star Thomas Rhett is featured in the effort, as is user-generated content.  (Lukovitz, 2017)
 

It will be interesting to see if creating limited editions will continue to be a successful strategy for these brands.  Since the custom names give people the opportunity to form tribes and bond with each other.  I'm betting they will.

Lukovitz, K. (2017, April 18)  This Summer's 'Share A Coke' Promo Includes Last names.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved June 7, 2017, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/299361/this-summers-share-a-coke-promo-includes-last-n.html

Lukovitz, K. (2017, June 7)  New Bud Packaging Features names of States With Its Breweries. mediapost.com.  retrieved Jun 7, 2017, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/303948/new-bud-packaging-features-names-of-states-with-it.html?edition=104101

Did you buy a Coke this summer with your name on it?

After decades declines in the U.S., sales of Coca-Cola Co's carbonated beverages rose by more than 2% this summer.  Why?  Customized bottles and cans.  Specifically, the company put the 250 most popular names for teens and millennials on bottles which they encouraged people to buy for others with their "Share a Coke" campaign.

Additionally the company deployed roving kiosks across the U.S. this summer which printed out more than 1 million personalized cans with more than 100,000 names to choose from.  (Esterl, 2014)

The idea for the campaign came from Australia and was developed by local execs and Ogilvy advertising in 2011 as a way to re-engage younger consumers.  The seasonal campaign has now spread to over 80 countries and is likely to be back again next year.

So what do you think of this idea?  Did you buy a Coke with your name on it?  Would you if you had been given the chance?

Esterl, M. (2014, September 26)  'Share a Coke' Creates Pop in Sales.  Wall Street Journal.  pB5