假日購物季營銷指南

1、2018 HolidayMarketing GuideLessons & opportunities from the 2017 holiday seasonExecutive Summary2017 was a relatively strong year for holiday sales, buoyed by strong employment and higher consumer confidence. The National Retail Federation reported that holiday sales during November and December of

2、2017 increased by 5.5% year-over-year, the largest increase since 2010.1 Similarly, eMarketer reported that retail ecommerce grew by 17.8%in 2017, 2 demonstrating that retail continues to undergo significant changes affected by shifts in consumer behaviors and preferences.With analysts estimating a

3、more modest growth for the 2018 holiday season (15.3% increase in retail ecommerce and a total retail holiday sales growth of 3.8%),2 and the ongoing shifts in the retail landscape, it is more important than ever for brands to make the most of their holiday planning. To help marketers understand and

4、 identify opportunities and trends, Yes Lifecycle Marketing analyzed almost 8 billion emails sent in Q4 2017 through its Yesmail360i platform.In addition to analyzing standard email metrics like engagement and conversion rates, we looked at the day of the week performance and types of offers promote

5、d in the subject line to determine the effectiveness of holiday-themed messages and see how timing and incentives affected engagement.2IntroductionKey FindingsQuick DefinitionsIn this report, we will examine the adoption rate of different Q4 holidays in marketers messages, compare the performance of

6、 each holiday listed above, illustrate best practices with creative examples from top performers and provide tips for the 2018 holiday season.In Q4 2017, holiday-themed emails generated lower open rates than standard messages.Despite lower engagement, themed emails that featured 5 out of the 9 event

7、s identified above generated higher conversion rates* than standard emails.2017 was a good year for marketers who capitalized on Cyber Monday. Despite the fact that nearly a third of brands sent messages around this event, the conversion rates for Cyber Monday were the highest from all holidays.*Con

8、version rate is defined as the ratio of unique email clicks to purchasesBusiness as Usual (BAU)/Standard Messages:For the purposes of this report, BAU emails (also referred to as standard emails) are marketing messages that do not have a holiday theme and are not part of a triggered program (e.g. we

9、lcome, reactivation, transactional, birthday, etc.)Email Offer Types:Our analysis includes 3 of the most common offer types referenced in campaign subject lines:% off and $ off: These incentives advertise a specific percent off or a dollar amount off purchase. Examples include: “Ring in 2018 with 17

10、% off” and “5% off with any purchase”.Free shipping: A straightforward incentive that can include certain limitations, for example, “Free shipping on orders over $50” or “Free shipping: today ONLY.”Major holidays in the fourth quarter of 2017Introduction anchorColumbus Day:Monday, October 9Thanksgiv

11、ingThursday, November 23HalloweenTuesday, October 31Cyber MondayMonday, November 27ChristmasMonday, December 25Green MondayMonday, December 11Black FridayFriday, November 24New Year 2018Monday, January 13IntroductionAdoption and Engagement of Themed CampaignsPercent of brandswith themeAverageopen ra

12、teAverage uniqueclick rateAverage click-to-open rate (CTO)Averageconversion rate*Columbus Day7.9%13.0%0.9%6.7%7.6%Halloween38.9%6.9%0.4%5.4%5.4%Thanksgiving31.0%9.1%0.8%8.3%3.9%Black Friday37.3%14.0%1.3%9.2%6.4%Cyber Monday31.0%12.0%1.1%9.5%8.9%Green Monday7.1%13.2%0.8%6.2%6.5%Christmas38.9%14.8%1.2

13、%8.2%3.7%General Holiday*46.8%12.8%1.1%8.3%3.9%New Year29.4%11.5%1.3%10.9%4.6%BAU Average*13.9%1.2%8.4%4.8%*Emails that reference the holiday or winter season without specifying a particular holiday* Conversion rate is defined as the ratio of unique email clicks to purchases* Emails that did not hav

14、e a holiday theme and are not part of a triggered programIntroductionAdoption and Engagement of Themed Campaigns4The general holiday theme was the most widely used in Q4; it applies broadly to the winter holiday season and spirit ofcelebration without specifying a particular event. Alternatively, Gr

15、een Monday was the least utilized event, yet Green Monday emails generated the third highest engagement and conversion rates among all messages.In Q4 2017, messages referencing 7 out of the 9 most prominent holidays in their subject lines generated lower open ratesthan the 13.9% average for standard

16、 emails. Some possible explanations for this include:The unique nature of the holiday season means more brands are using the same 9 most popular themes in their deployments to compete for subscriber attention.End-of-year pressure to meet revenue projections can lead to higher mailing frequency, whic

17、h then translates to consumers being overwhelmed by similar-lookingmessages, and ultimately makes it even more challenging for each message to stand out.Marketers who dont have a clear understanding of their audiences demographic make-up and messagingpreferences lean toward sales-focused approaches

18、to their mailing programs. Even when incorporating a holiday theme, the traditional methods of batch and blast lack relevancy and are no longer enough to capture subscriber attention.Despite the lower engagement rates, themed emails for 5 of the 9 major Q4 holidays and events generated higher conver

19、sion rates than the average for BAU emails (4.8%).Combination of the right email content, offer and timing can significantly impact conversion rates especially when subscribers are ready to buy.Many of the themed emails with weaker conversion rates were typically not associated with persuasive call-

20、to-actions (CTA) prompting subscribers to buy. Examples include Thanksgiving and Christmas messages that centeredon sending subscribers well-wishes instead of driving purchases.Columbus DayMonday, October 9Columbus Day was the first Q4 holiday of 2017. Only 7.9% of brands participated, which also ma

21、rked a substantial drop from the 11% adoption rate in 2016. Although producing slightly lower engagement rates compared to standard emails, Columbus Day campaigns generated almost double the conversion rate of BAU messages with 7.6% of unique clicks resulting in purchases.Columbus Day 2016Columbus D

22、ay 2017BAUAdoptionrateOpenrateUniqueclickClick-to-openConversionrate11%13.6%1.3%9.5%7.4%7.9%13.0%0.9%6.7%7.6%N/A13.9%1.2%8.4%4.8%Columbus DayIntroductionGreen MondayChristmasHalloweenNew YearThanksgivingGeneral HolidayBlack FridayCyber MondayConsiderationsConclusion5Columbus DayDay of the week findi

23、ngsDay of the week analysis uncovered the following trends:- Columbus Day (Monday):Columbus Day was typically the last day of a 3-day weekend sale, so many brands sent out emails with prominent reminders and last chance notices on Monday. About a third of all Columbus Day-themed campaigns were sent

24、on Columbus Day. Despite having the most significant proportion of total volume for the week, that Monday still generated the highest open and click rates with 14.1% and 1.0%, respectively.- The day after Columbus Day (Tuesday):Brands deployed 14% of Columbus Day emails on the day after the holiday.

25、 They generated the highest day of the week conversion rates, most likely because all of these emails promoted a single day extension to their Columbus Day sale.Mon.Tue.Wed.Thu.Fri.Sat.Sun.33.8%14.3%n/a*5.2%6.5%23.4%16.9%14.1%11.6%n/a*9.4%11.0%13.3%13.8%1.0%0.8%n/a*0.5%0.8%0.9%0.9%6.9%6.7%n/a*5.4%7.

26、0%6.6%6.2%7.0%15.6%n/a*4.5%2.9%8.6%10.0%Email volumeDayOpen rateUnique clickClick-to- openConversion rate*Number of emails sent on this day was too low to be statistically significant.6Columbus DayOffer type findingsIn addition to deployment timing, our findings show that the presence of an offer an

27、d type of incentive offered can also impact campaign performance:For Columbus Day, emails with “% off” discount and ones without a specific offer in the subject line generated similar open rates. However, the “% off” emails produced conversion rates that were three times higher than the ones for ema

28、ils without an offer in the subject line.Emails that did not contain a specific incentive in their subject line featured words like dont miss, ends soon, hurry, limited time or other keywords which communicated urgency. These words were strong drivers of email opens. However, low conversion rates ma

29、y be due to underwhelmed subscribers who were not excited by the items on sale or the discount offered once they opened those emails.Emails with % off discount in their subject lines generated double-digit conversion rate (10.7%), indicating that emails with specific offers can effectively drive pur

30、chases fromsubscribers who are ready to convert. Moreover, many of these emails featured discounts that were significantly higher than the typical value promoted on Columbus Day some emails advertised discounts between 40% and 85%, which were likely hard for subscribers to pass up.OertypeOpenrateUni

31、queclickClick-to-openConversionrateDollar o12.4%0.7%5.7%3.8%Percent o13.1%1.0%7.4%10.7%No oer13.4%0.8%6.1%3.4%7Columbus DayKey takeawaysEvery year during the first week of October, Columbus Day becomes the subject of an ongoing debate about whether it should remain a federal holiday. As more and mor

32、e major cities opt to replace the holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day,3 brands should take note of the sentiment and educate themselves on the different psychographic attributes of their audience.Staying in tune with an audiences attitudes and beliefs can determine whether to opt for either theme. F

33、or example, observing activity from customers and brand followers on a brands social media page can help discern audiences views of this particular holiday.Once marketers determine whether to reference the holiday in their campaigns, they could take a number of steps to ensure they are communicating

34、 the right message.For example:Segmenting subscribers who are based in cities that do not recognize the holiday, and replacing Columbus campaigns with BAU emails.Avoiding the Columbus Day theme and instead emphasizing a summer clearance event or early peek into fall offerings.If appropriate, using l

35、ighthearted creative and copy to reflect the holiday theme but not overstate the clichs of the holiday.8HalloweenTuesday, October 31In 2017, the number of brands that used Halloween themes in their email subject lines increased by 45% year-over-year (YoY). Despite the increase, open rates dropped by

36、 almost a full percentage point whereas click and conversion rates remained unchanged.YoY Halloween emails continued to generate the lowest open rate among all Q4 holidays which was 50% lower than that of BAU messages. Despite low engagement, Halloween conversion rates still beat out standard campai

37、gns by 11%.Halloween2016Halloween2017BAUAdoptionrateOpenrateUniqueclickClick-to-openConversionrate27%7.8%0.4%5.1%5.3%38.9%6.9%0.4%5.4%5.4%N/A13.9%1.2%8.4%4.8%HalloweenIntroductionGreen MondayColumbus DayChristmasNew YearThanksgivingGeneral HolidayBlack FridayCyber MondayConsiderationsConclusion9Hall

38、oweenOverall findingsWhen comparing Halloween themed emails, a few differences stood out between the top and bottom performers.Top performers:Subject lines for these emails incorporated witty, original and out- of-box Halloween puns or references that were consistent with the marketers brand.See exa

39、mples on the right:Bottom performers:Halloween emails with weak open rates tended to incorporate the theme without specifying the value of their message or how it relates to their brand or products.The subject lines contained words like mystery offer, Halloween savings and spooky, but did not offer

40、any information onthe benefit associated with the message (a clear offer value, Halloween items on sale, etc.) or they lacked context and relevant details for the target audience. This may have contributed to these emails blending in with other run-of-the-mill campaigns.Subject Line: Dont be a Hallo

41、- weenie. Enjoy these spooky treatsTaylor Media10Subject Line: Are you ready for your Epic BREWS & BOOS Halloween House Party?House PartySubject Line: We Tried All The Natural-ish Halloween Candy We Could Get Our Hands OnOrganic Life MagazineHalloweenDay of the week findingsDay of the week analysis

42、showed that campaigns deployed on the Friday before Halloween generated the highest conversion rates, followed by campaigns sent on the day of the holiday (Tuesday).Since Halloween fell on a Tuesday in 2017, many consumers likely held Halloween parties on the weekend before. This timing may have con

43、tributed to the high Friday conversion rates as last-minute shoppers scrambled to purchase their costumes and party supplies. Emails with the highest conversion rates featured promotions for costumes and party food.Mon.Tue.Wed.Thu.Fri.Sat.Sun.14.4%28.7%12.6%12.6%8.8%11.8%11.1%6.1%7.8%5.7%7.6%7.9%5.6

44、%6.7%0.4%0.4%0.5%0.5%0.4%0.3%0.4%5.9%4.9%8.0%6.3%4.7%5.4%5.6%3.2%8.5%1.6%4.5%9.4%1.9%2.7%Email volumeDayOpen rateUnique clickClick-to- openConversion rate11HalloweenOffer type findingsDollar oPercent oFree shippingNo oer5.3%5.9%5.2%10.8%0.3%0.4%0.3%0.6%4.9%6.2%5.3%5.1%1.5%4.0%3.6%9.1%Oer typeOpen ra

45、teUnique clickClick-to- openConversion rateDespite getting lower open rates than BAU messages, emails that did not advertise a specific offer in the subject line generated the highest open and conversion rates among Halloween campaigns. This could be due to the urgent tone used in many of the promot

46、ional emails - the presence of words like last chance and today only (in the email body) likely helped spur action from subscribers.12HalloweenKey takeawaysWith the growing adoption and larger volume of Halloween emails, marketers need to carefully choose original subject lines that speak to the bra

47、nds personality.Beyond subject line, the following steps can help improve click rates:Make the goal of the Halloween campaign clear from the start: Marketers should get straight to the point on the benefits or discounts their message offers. It shows they value their subscribers time.Avoid content w

48、ith dense blocks of copy and multiple CTAs: Having a number of conflicting offers and CTAs can confuse subscribers and make them stray from the desired primary action. Instead, using mystery and intrigue would better fit the theme and attract more Halloween enthusiasts.Take advantage of the occasion

49、 to stand out: Halloween is a good time to go outside the box and get creativewith email campaigns. Marketers can use the occasion to experiment with more imaginative color combinations and bolder copy.13Creative Spotlight: HalloweenCreative spotlightFortnum & MasonSubject line: Is Fortnums haunted?

50、!Short intriguing subject line, great use of cliff hanger to prompt opensUsing brand heritage to tell personal spooky storiesColorful and non-standard layout, varying image sizes.14ThanksgivingThursday, November 23Thanksgiving emails often have a celebratory tone and are not designed to drive transa

51、ctions. In 2017, 30% of marketers sent Thanksgiving messages (up from 25% in 2016). The increase in email volume may have contributed to the drop in open rates. Despite having lower conversion rates than BAU messages, Thanksgiving email conversions increased by 2 percentage points YoY, perhaps indic

52、ating a shift towards more brands incorporating a sale into their Thanksgiving greetings.Thanksgiving2016Thanksgiving2017BAUAdoptionrateOpenrateUniqueclickClick-to-openConversionrate25%11.0%1.0%8.7%1.9%31.0%9.1%0.8%8.3%3.9%n/a13.9%1.2%8.4%4.8%ThanksgivingIntroductionGreen MondayColumbus DayChristmas

53、HalloweenNew YearGeneral HolidayBlack FridayCyber MondayConsiderationsConclusion15ThanksgivingDay of the week findingsTuesdays had the highest open and conversion rates with most of the emails sent on that day emphasizing thesubscribers last chance to take advantage of a sale or a free shipping offe

54、r prior to the Thursday holiday.Click rates were highest for Thanksgiving emails sent on Wednesdays. In fact, at 2.9%, these messages click rate was twice as high as the BAU average. Most of the emails that contributed to the higher click rates were from:- Retail brands that deployed Thanksgiving em

55、ails as early as 2 weeks before the holiday, encouraging subscribers to take advantage of upcoming flash sales and stock up early for the much-anticipated dinner.- Brands that sent themed emails on Thanksgiving Eve with last-minute holiday prep tips or previews for upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Mo

56、nday sales.Mon.Tue.Wed.Thu.Fri.Sat.Sun.13.5%7.6%19.3%31.6%9.4%2.9%15.8%7.4%18.3%16.2%9.3%7.3%4.1%15.1%0.4%1.4%2.9%0.6%0.5%0.3%1.4%6.0%7.5%17.7%6.1%7.2%6.7%9.0%2.1%7.8%2.1%7.7%1.5%0.9%0.8%Email volumeDayOpen rateUnique clickClick-to- openConversion rate16ThanksgivingOffer type findings80% of Thanksgi

57、ving emails did not include an offer in their subject lines. Instead, they highlighted a simple greeting or value-added content such as tips on turkey prep, recipes, and table setting. These messages adhere to an on-going trend to avoid hard-sell emails on Thanksgiving due to the nature of the holid

58、ay since consumers typically do not associate it with a sales event (unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday).The remaining 20% of Thanksgiving emails with offers in their subject lines included mostly $ off and % offincentives. In spite of the weak open rates they generated, these messages drove impre

59、ssive conversion rates of 8.6% and 9.4%, respectively. The higher-than-average discount values (ranging from 25% to 75% off) and the presence of a secondary offer in many of these emails (e.g. 30% off AND free shipping!”) imply that when these emails were opened, they were effective in driving purch

60、ases.OertypeOpenrateUniqueclickClick-to-openConversionrateDollar o7.4%0.4%6.0%8.6%Percent o11.5%1.1%9.3%9.4%No oer9.1%0.8%8.7%2.1%17ThanksgivingKey takeawaysInstead of focusing on a sales event, brands can better engage subscribers by sending emails that prioritize relationship-building content.Cons