Interflora email stands out

We all get too many emails these days, especially unsolicited emails. Email broadcast supplier Dotmailer recently reported that spam now accounts for 85 - 95% of all emails sent. Most of my emails are caught by the spam filter or I delete them instantly after a sub-1 second glance.

One recent email that stood out for me was the one below for Interflora.
















Firstly, it came from My Reminders (an Interflora company) that I had previously opted in to receive email from. The chances of me opening an email from someone I hadn't opted in with are virtually zero.

The subject title 'Want to avoid the look?' was OK but combined with the image (given the email was designed to work inside the preview pane of my email software) it was intriguing. It compelled me to open the email to read it in full.

The copy included the fact that 36% of men admit to forgetting birthdays. It offered a solution - an online event manager to remind you of key dates. This is a great web marketing strategy from a customer lifetime value perspective. By incentivising you to provide them with birthday / anniversary dates for the special people in your life, it helps them target appropriate gift ideas and crucially the best time to email you to ensure they get the best marketing ROI.

It is well designed:-

• the headline and the image work well together
• good use of white space - not too crowded
• strong brand message - top right corner links the brand name with the line 'the gift experts'
• navigation acts as a reminder of their key product areas e.g. flowers, food & drink
• additional notes /ads for Easter & St Patricks day
  

In a world of excess emails, mostly filled with dross copy and a lack of strategic marketing thinking, it is still possible to stand out and increase customer lifetime value...if you do it well.


Remember...web marketing is about solving customers' problems profitably.

Peter Hawtin is an internet marketing specialist with Brand New Way, a UK web marketing agency which helps companies to attract and retain valuable customers online.