What are Apple emailing their
customers?
A review of Apple’s email marketing
20th April, 2009
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Overview of Apple emails
• Whenever we ask a client for a competitor/company who is doing
email marketing well or someone they aspire to be like, most answer
with Apple.
• The common reasons why Apple are perceived to be doing emails
well are:
– Design: a combination of beautiful imagery and a lot of white
space
– Content: it is always relevant to the consumer, single minded
(about one product or event) and short
– Exclusive: you feel like you are part of the Apple club as soon as
you receive anything
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Apple marketing emails sent
January – April 2009
• Apple have a fluid approach to sending emails & the frequency.
• There is no rigid structure or routine to their sends
– ie There isn't a monthly newsletter about a collection of products.
• Their approach is to send an email focusing on a product, highlighting
the features of that product with strong calls to action.
• They may send between 3 - 4 emails in a month depending on their
NPD cycle.
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Apple marketing emails sent
January – April 2009
• Summary of emails sent:
– March: 4 emails (3 x product, 1 x event: uni)
– February: 1 email (1 x product)
– January: 3 emails (2 x software, 1 x event: Valentines)
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Types of emails sent
• As part of Apple's ongoing customer communications, they send out
three different type of emails:
1. Product: specifically relating to a new product launch or
upgrade
2. Software: similar to product, these types of emails relate to a
new software launch or upgrade
3. Event: these emails are around particular times of the year -
Post Christmas, Valentine's Day and return to uni.
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1. Product email
• Each of the product emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to
all of them:
– Logo: the Apple logo always appears at the top. It's only in the MacMini email that
the logo appears as part of the computer screen. All other emails it appears either
top left (majority) or top right with a lot of space around it.
– Header: each header contains descriptive product text with a strong, clean product
image. The MacMini email is the only one where the product image appears above
the text.
– Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action encouraging the user to 'BUY
NOW' (in a button).
– Imagery: each product email has a strong connection to the copy - all very large.
– Content: under the header, the product content is displayed in columns. Each
column having copy with an image that reflects what is written. The columns vary
from 2 to 4, depending on the product.
– CTA: each email has a clear call to action at the bottom of the email. Replicating
the similar format of all other emails: two boxes both promoting purchase - one
online and the other in-store.
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2. Software email
• Each of the software emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to all of
them:
– Logo: the Apple logo appears in the top left hand corner
– Header: each header displays the name of the software in a very creative way and ensures
the user knows what the email is about
– Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action within it (button) either focusing on
purchase or trial
– Imagery: the MacBook Pro is used to bring the software to life via three separate computer,
each featuring a different element of the software
– Content: under each of the hero images there is some copy explaining the software. There
are only a few lines, which are enough to read before moving down to the software feature
– Features: the software features are highlighted with an image and then supporting copy.
Both emails start with the image on the left hand side with copy to the right and for the next
software feature it is reversed (copy on the left, imagery on the right).
– CTA: each email has a clear call to action at the bottom of the email. Replicating the similar
format of all other emails: two boxes both promoting purchase - one online and the other in
-store.
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Software header comparison
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3. Event emails
• Each of the event emails is slightly different, but there are some common elements to
all of them:
– Logo: the Apple logo appears at the top of the email, either top left or top right
– Header: each header is a little different, but it hero's the product
– Header CTA: the header has a strong call to action (button) focusing on 'SHOP
NOW', which is different to the 'BUY NOW' buttons used in the above emails. I'm
assuming this is because there are multiple products being communicated in these
emails rather than just one.
– Imagery: strong product shots are used for each email.
– Content: under each of the hero images there is some copy introducing other
products that might be relevant for the user. In the Valentine's email, all of the
content is iPod specific: Shuffle, iTunes Gift Cards and iPod Touch. In the
December email, there is conent around the different product categories: iPod,
Mac, iPhone and iPod & iPhone.
– CTA: each email has a clear call to action at the bottom of the email. Replicating
the similar format of all other emails: two boxes both promoting purchase - one
online and the other in-store.
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What are the Calls to Action?
Review of the different CTA
The similarities & differences
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Email: Post Christmas
Type: Event
Date: 31st December, 2008
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Email: iWork
Type: Software
Date: 16th January, 2009
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Email: Valentine’s Day
Type: Event
Date: 27th January, 2009
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Email: iLife
Type: Software
Date: 30th January, 2009
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Email: MacBook Pro
Type: Product
Date: 26th February, 2009
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Email: iMac
Type: Product
Date: 7th March, 2009
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Email: iPod shuffle
Type: Product
Date: 13th March, 2009
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Email: Mac mini
Type: Product
Date: 19th March, 2009
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Summary of Calls to Action
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What can consumers see before
they open the email?
Email preview panel
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Why look at the email preview panel?
• Majority of consumers are viewing emails in the preview panel
before making the decision whether to open the email or not.
• This means that it’s really important to understand what is & isn’t
viewable in the preview panel.
• The unfortunate thing is that every consumer can set their preview
panel to whatever size they want & it can either be a horizontal or
vertical panel.
• Apple do a great job to ensure the key messages are displayed at the
top of the email & that there is some consistency across all emails.
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Email: iWork
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong creative, clear CTA
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Email: Valentine’s Day
Comments: Apple logo top right, strong creative, no text or clear
CTA
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Email: iLife
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong creative, clear CTA
(similar to iWork)
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Email: MacBook Pro
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline, clear CTA, image
invites scrolling
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Email: iMac
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline & supporting
copy, clear CTA (button & test drive), image invites scrolling
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Email: iPod Shuffle
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline, clear CTA, image
& copy integration invites scrolling
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Email: Mac mini
Comments: Apple logo incorporated in product, no headline, no
clear CTA, image invites scrolling
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Email: Uni
Comments: Apple logo top left, strong headline (relevant to
event), clear CTA, double image invites scrolling
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What are the learnings?
How can we learn from Apple’s email
marketing
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What do Apple do well?
• There are a number of things that Apple do well in their emails:
– Frequency: Apple don't have a set frequency of communications. When they have
something of interest they send it out, they don't wait to fill a monthly newsletter.
– Focus: the emails are focused on one product or event. They don't try to include
too many products into the email or tell the consumer too much. There is a focus
on providing enough information about a product and then pushing consumers
through to the website to find out more.
– Strong CTA: at the bottom of every email there are strong calls to action that are
consistent across all areas (see screen shots below). There are two elements: shop
online and come in store.
– Design: all emails have been designed so that all the information is displayed on
screen if a user has opened the email. A post on this is in progress and will be live
in the next few days.
– Preview: there is enough information displayed in the preview window to
encourage a user to open the email. Most emails have a headline and a strong
email to encourage this. A post on this is in progress and will be live in the next
few days.
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What are the learnings?
• There are six key learnings that companies can take from Apple
– Different types of communications: Ensure that you have a framework that allows for more than just
product emails. There needs to be a combination of emails that are sent to the consumer. The ideal
combination is product and event. Both educating and pushing sales.
– Be focused: don't try to put everything in one email. If there isn't a topic/theme to hold all products
together it isn't worth forcing it. Be single minded and manage content around a topic/theme. If
something doesn't work this month, try it again next month.
– Set guidelines rather than templates: guidelines have more flexibility than templates, therefore it is
important to set some guidelines for your email communications. These should details: logo treatments,
header options, use of imagery, use of content, CTA, privacy, etc.
– Set rules: rather than setting rules based on frequency, set them based on content and themes. It isn't
essential to send a monthly newsletter, but it is to communicate regularly. What are your rules around
communication?
– Product shots are key: most clients don't have the budget to do a photo shoot for emails, but maybe
they should. The key to all of these emails is the imagery and it's simplicity.
– Understand your audience: don't box yourself in to sending a monthly email, know what products your
customers have and talk to them personally. Use them to gauge how often they want to receive
communications from them and get their feedback into what they actually want to receive.
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Thank you
Dominique Hind
http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com
dominique.hind@leoburnett.com.au
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