AM Inbox: Post-header text

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

Fingerhut, 10/22 — Fingerhut: Pick your Favorite Treat
I’ve talked a lot this year about preheader text and its value in preview panes, mobile devices and when images are blocked. Well, say hello to post-header text. This is HTML text that runs right below the header /navigation bar that supports the main message of the email. In addition to Fingerhut, Sports Authority has also used this design tactic, which helps convey the message of the email when images are off, as you see here:



Here’s the email with images on:



Using post-header text in tandem with alt text opens up some possibilities, such as having them play off each other or using the alt text to tease the subscriber into enabling images.

The other noteworthy element in this email is that Fingerhut gives subscribers three choices of incentives. Now I’m a huge proponent of giving subscribers options, but not in cases like this. For some customers this will seem like work: “Which one of these offers is worth the most to me. Hmm. Let me get out my calculator and see.” If you’re thinking of offering a deal like this, test it again a single incentive and see if your subscribers suffer from choice paralysis or not.

SmartBargains, 10/22 — Please accept our apologies.
This is around the time last year that I saw several apologies for site outages. Don’t put yourself in the position where you have to apologize to your customers going into the holiday season. Make sure you have the extra capacity in place that you can handle the traffic spikes that are so common in the fourth quarter.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Ralph Lauren, 10/22 — Home For The Holidays: Save 20% On New Arrivals
Bloomingdale’s, 10/22 — Bloomingdale's Exclusive: The Ultimate Beatles Collector's Gift + Enter To Win
Sephora, 10/22 — Look what Juicy Couture made!
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 10/22 — The ***iest $20 you'll ever spend.
J. Jill, 10/22 — Inspired style: the smocked cardigan. Plus, take 25% off markdowns!
Saks Fifth Avenue, 10/22 — Gucci Cruise: Shoes & Handbags
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