The Email Wars

With the pain at the pump being in the top of the news each day we are all tracking and feeling the effects of shopping, travel and driving. But now I have started to see email campaigns tied to this messaging. In my opinion it is effective. It made me stop and think about shopping online and maybe changing my travel habits to west coast instead of so many east coast trips. Now I say this as I am about to book 3 east coast trips here for work very soon. 

Even tonight on the news I heard that Amazon has reported record sales. Is this all part of the GAS effect?

What is interesting is that it is a great marketing tactic. I have seen others that are offering gas cards at Expedia (dot commmmm - tribute to DJ’s latest brontofire) and still others that are giving gas cards if you drive to stay with them. All part of a marketing cost of acquisition it seems in today’s world. So would this work for you or your brand? Could you use real world events to drive your subscribers to start thinking more about making a purchase with you based on factors that are out of their control and that make sense? I think so. 

This first one is from Timberland (whom I love their email creative and messaging every time) which leads with GAS and drives the message home in the copy and creative. Nice work. 

The other is from Crowne Plaza, of whom I typically stay with when not on the west coast so it is nice to see that they are doing some geographic segmentation of their house file based on my home address or work address. I salute them for this segmentation effort. All of the ones that I have seen make me laugh a little as the other day when I was filling up my car at the local gas station the attendant (note in Oregon you are not legally allowed to pump your own gas, odd huh?) brought me my receipt and said “It has been a pleasure robbing you.” I was shocked and at the same time amused that he would say this. But then again, it is close to the truth.