AM Inbox: Framing products with news events

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The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from our inbox this morning:

eBags, 6/16 — Luggage fees got you down? Save 20% + NEW solutions to pack smarter
EBags does a great job of watching the news in the travel industry and using that news to frame their product offerings. They do it here with the new luggage fees and have done it the past with the 3-1-1 requirements, which they also mention in this email. This similar to what the sporting goods retailers do in the wake of the Super Bowl, NCAA tournament, World Series, etc.

This email also features their new, greatly expanded navigation bar, which they debuted in a June 2 email. Here’s the new nav bar in yesterday’s email…



…and here’s the old one from a May 29 email:



Montgomery Ward, 6/16 — Furniture Sale + Trend Alert!
In the wake of launching the Montgomery Ward Blog last month, they’ve included a Trend Watch item in their emails that links to a blog post about it. In the May 12 AM Inbox I was critical of how they were using their blog, but they seem to be doing a little better now, using it to announce contest winners and share Montgomery Ward Memories from their customers.



Urban Outfitters, 6/16 — 50 x 100
This is perhaps even more cryptic than the “A+” subject line Urban Outfitters used a few months ago. Clearly they’re banking on subscribers opening it because (1) it’s from Urban Outfitters or (2) they’re curious to find out what the subject line means. My advice is always to look at things from the subscribers’ point of view: How well does this subject line convey the subject of this email? Graded on that, this one gets an F.

SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Cooking.com, 6/16 — American Desserts: Recipes from Red Velvet to Mississippi Mud
Nascar, 6/16 — Dale Jr gets his first win in his new ride
Coldwater Creek, 6/16 — Shop no-iron shirts in fresh styles. Suddenly life's less pressing!
Blue Nile, 6/16 — Reminder: Exclusive Offer from Blue Nile Ends Tuesday
Home Depot, 6/16 — Create Your Backyard Paradise + 20% Off Select Patio Sets
Sears, 6/16 — Win a Lifetime of Maytag Appliances
Victoria’s Secret, 6/16 — Ends June 19. Free Tank with a $50 DESTINATION SUMMER Purchase. Details Inside.
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