It’s great to have a set email delivery schedule. But is your email program flexible enough to take advantage of unexpected macro events to drive engagement, relationships and sales? We’ll look at case studies of companies that have used email to leverage outside-their-industry events (including snow storms!) to their advantage.

1. Leveraging Macro Events to Drive Engagement, Relationships and Sales Jeanne Jennings Consultant, Email Marketing Strategy Author, The Email Marketing Kit: The Ultimate Email Marketers Bible Columnist, ClickZ Experts

2. Introduction: Jeanne Jennings Independent consultant specializing in all aspects of email marketing strategy and tactics Experience in online and email marketing: 20+ years Former Head of Email Product Development for Reed Business Information US, a division of Reed Elsevier, then the largest B2B publisher in the US Independent consultant since 2001 Clients include Hasbro, Mayo Clinic, National Press Club, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Verizon, Weight Watchers International Sought-after Writer and Speaker on Email Marketing Issues

3. Email is Dead.

4. Reality Email offers the highest ROI of any direct marketing channel $43.62 for each dollar spent in 2009 Internet search advertising was second at $21.85 Non-catalog direct mail returned just $15.22 Projection for email in 2010 is $42.08 Source: Annual Economic Impact Study, The Direct Marketing Association, October 2009

5. Reality Spending on email marketing in the US is expected to expand to $2 billion by 2014 A nearly 11% compound annual growth rate At least $144 million of this will be spent on email messages that aren’t delivered and/or acted on To be successful, email marketers need to learn how to overcome inbox clutter and increase relevancy Source: US Email Marketing Forecast, 2009 to 2014, Forrester Research, June 2009

6. Reality Relevance continues to be the biggest challenge to email success Source: 2010 Email Marketing Benchmark Report, MarketingSherpa, page 14

7. Relevance = Segmentation and Targeting4 Types of Variables Behavioral Data Observed behavior Website clickstream, email metrics, coupon redemption Computed Data Create from two or more variables Distance from brick-and-mortar location, macro events Endemic Data Usually collected at opt-in Contact and demographic Transactional Data Data pertaining to transactions Date of opt-in, recency-frequency-monetary information Source: Best Practices in Email Marketing Handbook (2009), MarketingSherpa, pages 455-463

8. Relevancy vs. Privacy “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” Scott McNealy, CEOSun Microsystems 1999

9. Solution: Leverage Macro Events Segmenting and targeting based on macro events is a win-win It only requires a zip code, which most people are happy to share It allows you to increase relevancy while minimizing red flags about privacy

10. Macro Event: The Blizzard of 2010

11. Sales We’re open 2% off your tab for each 1” of snow Only email I received from a Georgetown restaurant offering a blizzard deal

12. Sales The Show Must Go On! Discount Pricing

13. Sales Hope you are safe Apology for local stores being closed Post-blizzard in-store discount

14. Engagement Key Messages Three products to help you weather the next storm Drive traffic back to WashingtonPost.com Paid placement? If so, advertising revenue for WP

15. Relationships / Sales Suspension of all late fees Just call us Suspension of cancellation fees Make your plans – if the snow keeps you from driving, just call us Be safe – winter driving tips

16. Relationships We’re open Our staff is dedicated

17. Engagement We’re still on the air Some of our dedicated staff made it in yesterday to keep the programming going Your favorite shows will be back today

18. Relationships Sorry for the inconvenience The office will be closed today Limited access to email due to power disruptions Will try to re-open on Friday

19. Relationships We Care Protect your windshield Prepare your car to drive after the blizzard Cold weather safety tips

20. Blizzard Bikini? Aspirational? Not for me Discount offer good, but… How about featuring winter sale items Sweaters Jeans Boots Or a “now and later” message

21. Where was Amazon? They were my lifeline for things I could not get during the blizzard Delivery was delayed but was more reliable than trying to find local stores open with “high demand” items in stock

22. Leveraging Macro Events Isn’t New… …But Segmenting by Zip Code Adds Relevancy

23. Pop Quiz: Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

24. Pop Quiz: Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

25. Pop Quiz: Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

26. Pop Quiz: What’s Wrong Here?

27. JeanneJennings.com, Inc.An Email Marketing Consultancy Client List (partial) Hasbro Mayo Clinic Museum of Science, Boston National Association of Realtors National Press Club Network Solutions Union Privilege The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Verizon Vocus Weight Watchers International Helping organizations large and small become more effective and more profitable online Focusing on email, landing pages and Websites Growing email lists via opt-in Developing new email strategies, campaigns and programs Optimizing performance of existing email and Websites Project-based, hourly, workshop and mentoring engagements

28. Leveraging Macro Events to Drive Engagement, Relationships and Sales Thanks for Attending! Additional Questions? Jeanne Jennings Consultant, Email Marketing Strategy Author, Author, The Email Marketing Kit: The Ultimate Email Marketers Bible Columnist, ClickZ Experts 202.333.3245 | Twitter:@jeajen | LinkedInJJ@JeanneJennings.com www.JeanneJennings.com