On the Fourth of July, your BBQ guests weren’t the only ones filling up. Because this past weekend, online shoppers also received a stuffed inbox with special holiday sales and offers.
That said, any retail marketer knows that not all emails are created—or received—equally. The messages that truly stand out are the ones you personalize. Because customers always prefer relevant, engaging, and interactive content over one-size-fits-all promotions.
After all, 73% of shoppers engage more with the brands that treat them like individuals across every interaction. Especially if you’re using first-party data to elevate your email’s relevancy and boost ROI.
So, which three brands stood out this Independence Day for their ability to deliver engaging, real-time personalized email experiences to every shopper?
For businesses everywhere, Fourth of July sales are a favorite tradition. While it’s technically America’s birthday, that doesn’t stop millions of shoppers from taking advantage of the opportunity to save money and buy themselves a midsummer gift or two.
But for brands like Zoro Tools with thousands of different products to choose from, a generic sales email experience does little to drive results. Most customers are only interested in a handful of items from any retail brand, meaning that if they don’t see discounts on those items right away they’re likely to ignore the entire message.
Zoro’s Independence Day email caught our attention because it was one of the few holiday sales promotions this weekend attached to specific product categories. Rather than alerting email subscribers of a discount or percentage off their purchase and leaving them to figure out how it applied, this email targeted customers most likely to buy household essentials with specific items and a simple, one-click transaction experience.
Plus, this email was the only one we noticed that featured a unique digital coupon code for each customer. Making it easy for buyers to take advantage of the promotion and Zoro Tools to track the effectiveness of this unique campaign.
What’s more popular on the Fourth of July than fireworks, traveling, or attending a public event? Grilling! In fact, almost 60% of U.S. households hosted a barbeque at some point over the holiday weekend. Giving the brands paying attention to this trend plenty of fuel for their email personalization fire in 2021.
Grocery retailer H-E-B used the momentum of grilling season to deliver a list of trending products and shopper faves to its Fourth of July email recipients. But the brand didn’t stop there—because it wouldn’t be on this year’s list if that were the case.
What we loved most about this brand’s Independence Day email experience was the inclusion of a handpicked selection of items specially chosen for each recipient. Whether a new subscriber simply received a list of hot sellers or a long-time customer enjoyed a selection of product faves and brands they’ve browsed in the past, this small touch helped H-E-B deliver big results and unbelievable digital customer experiences over the weekend.
Summer is the season for social media. With the world opening up once again, millions of Americans are traveling, spending time outside, and making Fourth of July memories that they want to capture, post, and enjoy forever on their favorite online platform.
Herman Miller used this trend to take its email engagement and customer experience to a new level this Independence Day. By featuring photos and user-generated content posted to buyers’ social media profiles rather than its own professional photographs, this luxury brand was able to personalize its sales promotion and make products more accessible to every household.