Apple Email Marketing - Review

http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com

What are Apple emailing their

customers?

A review of Apple’s email marketing

20th April, 2009


Overview of Apple emails

•  Whenever we ask a client for a competitor/company who is doing email marketing well or someone they aspire to be like, most answer with Apple.

•  The common reasons why Apple are perceived to be doing emails well are:

–  Design: a combination of beautiful imagery and a lot of white space

–  Content: it is always relevant to the consumer, single minded (about one product or event) and short

–  Exclusive: you feel like you are part of the Apple club as soon as you receive anything


Apple marketing emails sent January – April 2009

•  Apple have a fluid approach to sending emails & the frequency.

•  There is no rigid structure or routine to their sends

–  ie There isn't a monthly newsletter about a collection of products.

•  Their approach is to send an email focusing on a product, highlighting

the features of that product with strong calls to action.

•  They may send between 3 - 4 emails in a month depending on their

NPD cycle.


Apple marketing emails sent January – April 2009

•  Summary of emails sent:

–  March: 4 emails (3 x product, 1 x event: uni)

–  February: 1 email (1 x product)

–  January: 3 emails (2 x software, 1 x event: Valentines)


Types of emails sent

•  As part of Apple's ongoing customer communications, they send out

three different type of emails:

1.  Product: specifically relating to a new product launch or

upgrade

2.  Software: similar to product, these types of emails relate to a

new software launch or upgrade

3.  Event: these emails are around particular times of the year -

Post Christmas, Valentine's Day and return to uni.


1. Product email

•  Each of the product emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to all of them:

–  Logo: the Apple logo always appears at the top. It's only in the MacMini email that the logo appears as part of the computer screen. All other emails it appears either top left (majority) or top right with a lot of space around it.

–  Header: each header contains descriptive product text with a strong, clean product image. The MacMini email is the only one where the product image appears above the text.

–  Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action encouraging the user to 'BUY NOW' (in a button).

–  Imagery: each product email has a strong connection to the copy - all very large.

–  Content: under the header, the product content is displayed in columns. Each column having copy with an image that reflects what is written. The columns vary from 2 to 4, depending on the product.

–  CTA: each email has a clear call to action at the bottom of the email. Replicating the similar format of all other emails: two boxes both promoting purchase - one online and the other in-store.






2. Software email

•  Each of the software emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to all of them:

–  Logo: the Apple logo appears in the top left hand corner

–  Header: each header displays the name of the software in a very creative way and ensures the user knows what the email is about

–  Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action within it (button) either focusing on purchase or trial

–  Imagery: the MacBook Pro is used to bring the software to life via three separate computer, each featuring a different element of the software

–  Content: under each of the hero images there is some copy explaining the software. There are only a few lines, which are enough to read before moving down to the software feature

–  Features: the software features are highlighted with an image and then supporting copy. Both emails start with the image on the left hand side with copy to the right and for the next software feature it is reversed (copy on the left, imagery on the right).





Software header comparison


3. Event emails

•  Each of the event emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to all of them:

–  Logo: the Apple logo appears at the top of the email, either top left or top right

–  Header: each header is a little different, but it hero's the product

–  Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action (button) focusing on 'SHOP NOW', which is different to the 'BUY NOW' buttons used in the above emails. I'm assuming this is because there are multiple products being communicated in these emails rather than just one.

–  Imagery: strong product shots are used for each email.

–  Content: under each of the hero images there is some copy introducing other products that might be relevant for the user. In the Valentine's email, all of the content is iPod specific: Shuffle, iTunes Gift Cards and iPod Touch. In the December email, there is conent around the different product categories: iPod, Mac, iPhone and iPod & iPhone.





What are the Calls to Action?

Review of the different CTA

The similarities & differences


Email: Post Christmas

Type: Event

Date: 31st December, 2008


Email: iWork

Type: Software

Date: 16th January, 2009


Email: Valentine’s Day

Type: Event



Email: iLife

Type: Software



Email: MacBook Pro

Type: Product

Date: 26th February, 2009


Email: iMac

Type: Product

Date: 7th March, 2009


Email: iPod shuffle

Type: Product



Email: Mac mini

Type: Product



Summary of Calls to Action


What can consumers see before

they open the email?

Email preview panel


Why look at the email preview panel?

•  Majority of consumers are viewing emails in the preview panel

before making the decision whether to open the email or not.

•  This means that it’s really important to understand what is & isn’t

viewable in the preview panel.

•  The unfortunate thing is that every consumer can set their preview

panel to whatever size they want & it can either be a horizontal or

vertical panel.

•  Apple do a great job to ensure the key messages are displayed at the

top of the email & that there is some consistency across all emails.


Email: iWork

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong creative, clear CTA


Email: Valentine’s Day

Comments: Apple logo top right, strong creative, no text or clear

CTA


Email: iLife

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong creative, clear CTA

(similar to iWork)


Email: MacBook Pro

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline, clear CTA, image

invites scrolling


Email: iMac

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline & supporting

copy, clear CTA (button & test drive), image invites scrolling


Email: iPod Shuffle

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline, clear CTA, image

& copy integration invites scrolling


Email: Mac mini

Comments: Apple logo incorporated in product, no headline, no

clear CTA, image invites scrolling


Email: Uni

Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline (relevant to

event), clear CTA, double image invites scrolling


What are the learnings?

How can we learn from Apple’s email

marketing


What do Apple do well?

•  There are a number of things that Apple do well in their emails:

–  Frequency: Apple don't have a set frequency of communications. When they have something of interest they send it out, they don't wait to fill a monthly newsletter.

–  Focus: the emails are focused on one product or event. They don't try to include too many products into the email or tell the consumer too much. There is a focus on providing enough information about a product and then pushing consumers through to the website to find out more.

–  Strong CTA: at the bottom of every email there are strong calls to action that are consistent across all areas (see screen shots below). There are two elements: shop online and come in store.

–  Design: all emails have been designed so that all the information is displayed on screen if a user has opened the email. A post on this is in progress and will be live in the next few days.

–  Preview: there is enough information displayed in the preview window to encourage a user to open the email. Most emails have a headline and a strong email to encourage this. A post on this is in progress and will be live in the next few days.


What are the learnings?

•  There are six key learnings that companies can take from Apple

–  Different types of communications: Ensure that you have a framework that allows for more than just product emails. There needs to be a combination of emails that are sent to the consumer. The ideal combination is product and event. Both educating and pushing sales.

–  Be focused: don't try to put everything in one email. If there isn't a topic/theme to hold all products together it isn't worth forcing it. Be single minded and manage content around a topic/theme. If something doesn't work this month, try it again next month.

–  Set guidelines rather than templates: guidelines have more flexibility than templates, therefore it is important to set some guidelines for your email communications. These should details: logo treatments, header options, use of imagery, use of content, CTA, privacy, etc.

–  Set rules: rather than setting rules based on frequency, set them based on content and themes. It isn't essential to send a monthly newsletter, but it is to communicate regularly. What are your rules around communication?

–  Product shots are key: most clients don't have the budget to do a photo shoot for emails, but maybe they should. The key to all of these emails is the imagery and it's simplicity.

–  Understand your audience: don't box yourself in to sending a monthly email, know what products your customers have and talk to them personally. Use them to gauge how often they want to receive communications from them and get their feedback into what they actually want to receive.


Thank you

Dominique Hind


[email protected]

Apple Email Marketing - Review

Business