The Email Wars

I have seen this email “trick” used over the years as a great ploy to make you think that you are part of a secret insiders only group and that this discount is one that only you are privy to. Not this being said it is a good trick that works. 

If you were to just tell me 30% off it would feel like another ploy to tap my wallet. But when you put it out like this we seem to feel that it is something that we MUST take advantage of. To the typical consumer an insider discount that ONLY the employee gets is a great campaign in the making. 

I love that not only did they make it online but also bar coded it so that you could take it in, use it, pass it to others, print it out and make copies for friends, etc. Well executed and well done. And guess what, you don’t need to get that holiday night and weekend job to get the “employee” discount. Now when it fails is when you do it more than once. If this becomes a once a year deal or even twice a year fine, but you cannot run this promo more than once in the same season. It loses it’s implied value. Sure it might drive some more sales, but you are just making it another couponing event that makes us numb. 

I think that more companies can use this idea, especially when I am seeing early reports of people not spending as much, shopping early (we are still not even to early November folks and retailers are scared) is down and brands are nervous that we are all going to be giving hand drawn coupon books for back rubs and doing the dishes. 

So could you use this idea? Sure. Will it or could it impact or cannibalize your sales totals? Sure. But if you are seeing early trends already forming in your sales, time to pull out the proactive big guns now before we all head to Costco for socks and gum this holiday season.