Leveraging Macro Events to Drive Engagement, Relationships and Sales

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

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

Email is Dead.

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

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

Reality

> Relevance

continues to be the

biggest challenge

to email success

Source: 2010 Email Marketing Benchmark Report,

MarketingSherpa, page 14

Relevance = Segmentation and Targeting

4 Types of Variables

1. Endemic Data

> Usually collected at opt-in

> Contact and demographic

2. Transactional Data

> Data pertaining to

transactions

> Date of opt-in, recency-

frequency-monetary

information

3. Behavioral Data

> Observed behavior

> Website clickstream,

email metrics, coupon

redemption

4. Computed Data

> Create from two or more

variables

> Distance from brick-and-

mortar location, macro

events

Source: Best Practices in Email Marketing Handbook (2009),

MarketingSherpa, pages 455-463

Relevancy vs. Privacy

> “You have zero privacy

anyway. Get over it.”

> Scott McNealy, CEO

Sun Microsystems

1999

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

Macro Event: The Blizzard of 2010

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

Sales

> The Show Must

Go On!

> Discount Pricing

Sales

> Hope you

are safe

> Apology for

local stores

being closed

> Post-

blizzard in-

store

discount

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

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

Relationships

> We’re open

> Our staff is

dedicated

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

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

Relationships

> We Care

> Protect your windshield

> Prepare your car to drive

after the blizzard

> Cold weather safety tips

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

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

Leveraging Macro Events Isn’t New…

…But Segmenting by Zip Code Adds Relevancy

Pop Quiz:

Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

Pop Quiz:

Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

Pop Quiz:

Ideas for Leveraging This Event?

Pop Quiz:

What’s Wrong Here?

JeanneJennings.com, Inc.An Email Marketing Consultancy

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

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

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 | LinkedIn

JJ@JeanneJennings.com

www.JeanneJennings.com