What sizzled, what stayed the same, and how marketers can plan for 2016

#HalloweenHow 2015 Halloween email campaigns got it right

Introduction

Halloween is pure fun for everybody. Whether it’s costumes, sweets, parties or decorations, Halloween is a happy way for marketers to engage with their customers. And a retail customer identified as having engaged with a brand at Halloween is more likely to do so again during the critical holiday period.

This Halloween “LookBook” analyzes 2015 Halloween emails from major brands. In collaboration with eDataSource, Inc., we share their subject lines, open rates and creative, and provide our own commentary on execution and opportunities for improvement.

#HalloweenKey insights

> Halloween isn’t just a retail event anymore. We found several ‘non-traditional’ Halloween mailers who creatively leveraged the holiday.

> Not surprisingly, four of the

six subject lines were highly promotional; three of those offered clear discounting. All cleverly stimulated interest.

> Animation is an effective creative tool. It helps to engage the reader and adds an element of fun.

> Social media CTAs (“Share the perfect pumpkin pic . . .”) are a powerful engagement method.

Subject Line:

Pic Your Pumpkin Flavor.

Read rate: 19.75%

Amy’s Quick tip

(take your pic.)

> Increase the sense of urgency by including an offer end date in the subject line and email content

> include a countdown timer until the beginning of the school season

#Dunkin’ Donuts

Pumpkin everything!

This email does a great job of a promoting Dunkin’ Donuts social campaign. Dunkin’ gets an A+ with its usage of the above the fold real estate. Inviting recipients to post their pics of the new DD pumpkin treats adds a fun element of gamification. Pink as ink!

I love the click button in the center of the email calling attention to the objective of the campaign. The imagery throughout this campaign has a strong correlation to the call to action.

Amy PeplerSr. Relationship Manager, Epsilon

>

Wait, is JetBlue reminding us that Halloween is on the 31st or are they truly offering a $31 one-way fair?

This email is a homerun in terms of hitting all of the emotional engagement points. The compelling offer along with the clearly branded CTAs is a great way to drive customer engagement. The messaging here is very focused and efficient and the placement of the primary message tests well on both desktop and mobile environments. I’m ready to book now!

Jason Witt Creative Director, Epsilon

JAsON’s Quick tip

> Consider shifting the main offer to the left-side of the email in alignment with the primary message

> Integrate HTML typography to help this email be more “bullet proof”

# JetBlue

Subject Line:

“Halloween fares from $31, one-way”

Read Rate: 26.47%

ONE DAY SALE!

Subject Line:

40%, 30% or 20% off? - The clock’s ticking on today’s spooky Mystery Offer!

Read Rate:14% lAureN’s Quick tip

MYSTERY OFFER

> Consider teasing the promo code in the subject line. For example: Mystery Offer! (Promo Code Inside)

> Add a countdown clock to increase the sense of urgency

#Kohl’s

Are ghosts real?

Kohl’s sure made the reader think so with their fun, animated Halloween themed ghost-spirited email. Marketers, animation can drive an increase in up to 40% in CTR! A fun, engaging and playful animated email captures attention. Cleary, Kohl’s spent a lot of time planning their Halloween emails as the design is well thought out and reiterates the mystery offer at the top of the email, so those customers with limited or no animation support can still view the offer.

Lauren Gentile VP, Executive Creative Director, Epsilon

Subject Line:

“Halloween spook-tacular pass mem-bers sneak peak

Read Rate:28.57%

Wait, are the sea animals dressing up for Halloween?

Receiving this email in my inbox was a pleasant surprise, but not a typical Halloween email which I would have expected. The color choices selected really makes the imagery pop! I love the mystery effect of this email. It certainly grabs attention. What are the spook-tacular savings I’m able to receive? I love the mystery affect here! I’m ready to click and learn more.

Amy CrouchAccount Manager, Epsilon

Amy’s Quick tip

SNEAK PEEK

> Add live content features to further engage with consumers

> A reminder to alert folks as to when the ticket sales are open

Night time vision while trick-or-treating?

Oh wait, it’s not about me, it’s about the kids on Halloween. An email from VisionDirect is not one I would have expected to see in my inbox during the Halloween season. I love the creative application of the different types of contact lenses (theatrical lenses) displayed in this email. Wait! Do I have to be in a theater production to wear these lenses? I’ve always wanted “black wolf” colored eyes.

Ben ArditoVice President, Digital Client Services, Epsilon

beNs’s Quick tip

> Add a level of personalization along with simple animation to the primary image to gain attention

> Include a countdown clock to enhance the visibility of the offer expiration date

#Staples

Subject Line:

Back to school savings in store and online

Read Rate:15.52%

Subject Line:

“20% off theatrical lenses – scary good Halloween savings”

Read Rate:24.67%

#VisionDirect

EntEr codE:scary20

Goblins, Ghosts and Witches, Oh My!

I love everything about this fun and spirted Halloween email. The subject line is not only a clever and relevant pun, it’s the perfect character count and sentence cased appropriately. The fun, engaging and animated creative definitely gets the reader to want to view the full email. The simple illustrations and relevant content clearly stand out. Nice job Uber, at addressing (in a playful manner) the surged prices critique.

Allison WoodfordCreative Manager, Epsilon

AllisON’s Quick tip

> Integrate a time of open content strategy for the daily deals clock

> Include campaign personalization by leveraging demographic data of the recipient’s first name, children’s names, etc. (also, subject line testing)

#Staples

Subject Line:

Back to school savings in store and online

Read Rate:15.52%

Subject Line:

Don’t ghost home alone

Read Rate:24.67%

SHARING ISN’T SCARY

#Uber

the role of email in holiday

Conclusion

As demonstrated, a lot of great creative work went into the Halloween holiday planning. And, it’s in no doubt due to the fact that marketers are in planning mode months ahead of time. Marketers begin with their Halloween holiday planning strategy in the early part of Q1. Keep this ebook handy to help you with your planning for next year. It will be here before you know it!

Want to hear more from our experts about the holiday season and beyond? please visit our epsilon blog site, a brand New View.

☛

You had me @ email. Pre-Black Friday ‘Deals & Steals,’

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday. – These

are all individual holidays email marketers continue to

market, promote and participate in. Why? – “Now that

shoppers are online all the time anyway, the 10-year-old

shopping holiday has lost some of its luster as online

sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday pick up. But