April 2006

BY REGINA BRADY

How to successfully integrate email into your marketing mix

Email is a wonderful way to reach out to customers and prospects and engage them.  But email becomes even more powerful when you find ways to integrate all your marketing efforts. 

The customer is king and they hold the keys to the kingdom - the power to do business with you or not.  They are in control.  They will communicate with you and order from you through their channel of choice, which may change from moment to moment.  They also expect a seamless experience.  That means the look and feel of your emails, your website, your direct mail and your print ads should have some commonality.  Each channel is different and you must capitalize on the strengths of the channel, but an integrated approach needs to be the strategic underpinning of your marketing.

Integrated marketing is not easy, but here are some ideas and examples to stimulate your thinking.  The focus is on how to leverage email in your multichannel marketing mix.

Include your toll-free number
This should be a no-brainer!  Your toll-free number (if you have one) should be prominently featured in every email.  I just completed a not-so-scientific survey of my favorite direct marketers emails from my inbox.  Many don't include their phone number at all, some do - but it's in small type buried at the bottom of the email, and a few have it front and center.  One great example is The Wine Enthusiast.  Their toll-free number is featured in the upper right hand corner of every email.

Why is this important?  I've seen results from studies where marketers created a separate toll-free number to track email orders and up to twenty percent of revenues were generated via the phone.  That's a hefty percentage.  Some of your customers and prospects still prefer that personal touch, particularly if they have a question about your product or service.

And, before we leave this thought, many of you may have a toll-free number that does not begin with 800.  Not everyone realizes that other phone exchanges are toll-free.  In these cases it's a good idea to flag that there is no charge to call.

Email to your house list to reinforce direct mail
You have a large investment with any direct mail campaign.  If part of your mailing is to your house file it's a perfect opportunity for a one-two marketing punch.  Send an email timed to reach recipients either right before or after anticipated delivery.  And, be sure to include an image of your mailing piece or catalog in the email.  We all suffer from email clutter - but there's also mailbox and in-box clutter.  If you provide a visual cue, you increase the odds that your mailing will be eagerly sought out.   Sharper Image is an example of a marketer who does this well. 

You can also increase your effectiveness if there's something special for email recipients.  This can be as simple as a "sneak preview" so that recipients feel like they have the inside track. 

Does this work?  Measurement guru Arthur Middleton Hughes published a case study where he established test cells for a major mailer.  One group received only direct mail.  The second group received direct mail plus email.  He reported substantial increases in sales, orders and order size for those who received both direct mail and email. 

Email and web site supporting general direct mail  
Brooks Brothers has a great strategy in place to support direct mail.  If their catalog should arrive on a Monday, their Wednesday email features the catalog cover - and their web site home page also features the catalog. 

To extend the shelf life of their catalog the next week's email might feature an image from the back cover of the catalog followed by an image from one of their spreads.

Email's synergy with retail
Many nationwide retailers support their locations with email.  The simplest way to do this is to include a store locator feature in  emails that links to the website for information, maps and in-store events. 

Marketers with a limited retail presence also effectively use email to promote a specific location with details about in-store events and special offers.  Design Within Reach has a store near me and I receive solo email communications about events, sales and activities for that particular store.  This really has a one-to-one personal feel.

Email and print advertising
JC Penney spends significant advertising dollars on newspaper Sunday supplements.  To extend the mileage of their investment they often include in the design of their emails a "This week's store ad" link.  When the recipient clicks on the link they are brought to a reproduction of the offers promoted in their newspaper inserts.  

Multichannel offer redemption
Year's ago I enrolled in Staples "Business Rewards" program and also gave them my email address.  I got addicted to their emails.  Periodically I would receive an email from Staples that included a coupon for significant savings on any purchase over a certain dollar amount.  They clearly explained how I could redeem the coupon online, contact their call center with my coupon code, or print the email out and bring it into a retail location near me.   They were the first company that I thought did multichannel marketing really well.  They put me in control and let me choose how I'd like to deal with them.  Since then other companies have seen the value of similar activities.

Email and the web
Of course, email and your website have the closest tie-in.  Your recipients interact with emails and link directly to your website.  It makes sense to make sure the design of your emails complements that of your website.  One way to extend this value is to make sure that the design of your email or newsletter incorporates your site's major navigation features ... including a "search" function. 

The web and email
I saved my favorite examples for last.  An integrated web and email strategy is smart marketing and innovative marketers are using sophisticated tracking and database information to tailor and trigger highly relevant messages. 

One problem that plagues marketers is shopping cart abandonment.  Email can come to the rescue.  Smart marketers like SportsSection.com send automated emails to customers who have had items in their shopping cart for more than 24 hours.  They use a subtle approach and remind recipients they can easily continue their checkout process.  The company recoups up to twenty five percent of sales.  Other marketers offer a special discount on items they know the individual was interested in or picture the items in the abandoned cart and resell the benefits of those products.

Drugstore.com periodically sends me an email that includes all the items I've recently purchased online.  They make it easy for me to begin my re-order process directly from the email. 

I recently bought a printer from my favorite local office supplies company.  About a week later I received an email thanking me for my purchase that showcased the product I ordered.  Oh, and then they told me about all the peripherals, accessories and other products that will enhance my printer.  That's good marketing.