Email design and strategy are being shaped by five major trends: (1) a growing need to personalize content, (2) greater sophistication for triggered messages, (3) rendering that’s optimized for the platform, situation, person, and time of open, (4) a unique voice that’s more helpful than promotional, and (5) a continued evolution of fundamentals. Chad White, ExactTarget’s Lead Research Analyst, and Andrea Smith, Design Lead of Content Marketing & Research discussed these critical trends and how they guided our selection of the 20 emails in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File.
5. The 5 Design Trends
behind the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Andrea Smith
Design Lead, Content Marketing & Research, ExactTarget Marketing Cloud
@andreasmith77
Chad White
Lead Research Analyst, ExactTarget Marketing Cloud
and Author, Email Marketing Rules
@chadswhite
@ETSwipeFile
6. Five Key Email Marketing Trends
On their own, the examples on the following pages are inspiring and thought-
provoking. But together, they illustrate five trends that are shaping the future of
email design and savvy marketing strategy.
Advanced Personalization
Triggered Sophistication
Smart Rendering
Unique Voice
Inspired Fundamentals
@ETSwipeFile
7. Advanced Personalization
In the era of email engagement, greater relevancy is
critical. Personalization that goes far beyond first-name
merges is one way that marketers can make messages
more relevant to individual subscribers.
@ETSwipeFile
8. Six Factors
1 Who They Are
2 Who They Care About
3 What They Did
4 What Others Did in Reaction
5 What They Have
6 Where They Are
@ETSwipeFile
11. Zulily
Send Date
November 13, 2013
Subject Line
Toys!
Progressive profiling email
@ETSwipeFile
Progressive profiling email
12. Zulily
Send Date
November 28, 2013
Subject Line
Strider Sports is on zulily tomorrow!
Brand alert email
@ETSwipeFile
13. Triggered Sophistication
Triggered emails are among the most effective
emails you’ll ever send. Their outsized ROI has driven
marketers to explore ways to make triggered emails
ever better—with longer campaigns, smarter content,
and better triggers.
@ETSwipeFile
19. Smart Rendering
Emails must adapt to and thrive in a variety of
environments. Rendering tactics can ensure that
your message is optimized for the platform, situation,
person, and time of open.
@ETSwipeFile
31. Unique Voice
Influenced by content marketing and social media
engagement, marketing communication is undergoing a
shift from promotional, corporate, and detached to helpful,
conversational, and timely.
@ETSwipeFile
35. Inspired Fundamentals
While marketers are constantly gaining shiny, new tools,
they shouldn’t forget the fundamental messaging and
design tactics that have been effective for years—like
email content that’s on brand, focused, and sharable.
@ETSwipeFile
38. The Most Popular Selections
Since releasing the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File,
we’ve been tracking reader response to the selections
and have observed an interesting trend: The four most
popular selections all involved other channels. In other
words, they were all cross-channel campaigns.
@ETSwipeFile
39. Starbucks
Send Date
November 6, 2013
Subject Line
An offer just for you:
50% off your handcrafted
espresso drink
@ETSwipeFile
43. Download the full report and get inspired:
exacttarget.com/2014-best-of-email-swipe-file
2014 Best of the
Email Swipe File
• 5 Design Trends
• 20 Emails
• 47 Related Pins
• All pins: pinterest.com/exacttarget
@ETSwipeFile
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