A holiday outlook in email for 2014. Examples, statistics and best practices included.

1. HOLIDAY 2014
Approach + Recommendations
09. 12.2014

2. YOUR GUIDE TO HOLIDAYS – ALL YEAR LONG!
• Introduction
• The Numbers
• Strategy
• Hot Technology
• Inspiration
• Services
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3. THE HOLIDAYS ARE AROUND THE CORNER
• Strategic planning often begins – or should – following the
previous Holiday Season
• When that doesn’t happen, the late summer/autumn scramble
occurs
• Add to that there’s only 26 days between Black Friday and
Christmas, and the pressure is on!
• 1 more day that 2013, but 5 less than 2012
• The frenzy of worried brands is precisely why this was created –
to help take the madness out of the season
• Included are recommendations, examples and ideas on how to
approach the upcoming holiday season with a smile and bring
that bottom line into the red zone
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4. JUST THE STATS
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5. HOLIDAY EMAIL MARKETING BY THE NUMBERS
• Retailers make 40%+ of their annual revenue during the holidays
• With so much at stake, retailers need to pay attention to the changing
shopping landscape
Of all US email volume occurred during the
2013 holiday season
Holiday volume increased over 2012
A 35% increase during the final 10 days before Christmas
Total transactions from email campaigns
An 18.4% increase in overall revenue
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28%
12.8%
9%

6. SEND TIMES SHIFTING TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT
+41%
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50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
12AM-4AM 4AM-8AM 8AM-12PM 12PM-4PM 4PM-8PM 8PM-12AM
2012
-74% +29% 2013

7. AN INCREASINGLY MOBILE HOLIDAY
• During Q4 2013, mobile accounted for almost 35% of online traffic,
up 40% YoY
• December sales on smartphones and tablets were up 3X from 2011
to 19.1%
• 52% of online smartphone shoppers used their phones art multiple
points in the shopping process in 2013 holiday season
• 40% of Black Friday's online shopping was on mobile
• 70% of smartphone shoppers used a store locator to find shop
locations
• Over 55% of the "I want it now" crowd who use mobile to research
want to make a purchase within the hour , 83% same-day
SOURCE: Think With Google, “Five Holiday Shopping Trends Marketers Should Watch”, August 2014
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8. HOLIDAY SHOPPING HABITS
• Up to 29% of shoppers will begin their holiday conquest prior to
Halloween
• The rest - 19% launch on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but a vast
majority, 48%, will wait for early December
• Don’t dismay that your efforts for Black Friday/Cyber Monday
emails are wasted – consumer interest in 2013 was up 27% YoY
• Black Friday remains the #1 in-store shopping day of the
season
SOURCE: Think With Google, “Five Holiday Shopping Trends Marketers Should Watch”, August 2014
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9. CLICKS = TIME = MONEY!
• Consumers purchase more online YOY to the tune 9.3% more in
November and 13.0% in December over 2013
• Purchase average amounts are increasing as well from $108.39 to
$122.46 last December
 Increasing personalization efforts and creating a seamless omni-channel
shopping experience is paramount
• On average, consumers are spending less time on retails sites due to
mobile and tablet use
 7:40 minutes average
 7 average pages viewed
 34.5% is a 1 page bounce rate
 If they can’t find what they want, they’ll move on and fast!
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10. WHERE SHOULD YOU FOCUS?
• If you haven’t already, move now to mobile-friendly email design
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• Websites should be Responsive
• Personalization is KEY! (More details here)
• Develop cart abandonment and/or browse abandonment email(s)
• Test online email signup forms
• Review email opt-in calls-to-action for your stores and call centers
• Identify opportunities to improve your holiday messaging
• Don’t be afraid to think – and plan – BIG!

11. HOLIDAY 101
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12. APPROACHING HOLIDAY PLANNING STRATEGICALLY
• Begin planning with the key holidays and event you’re looking to focus
on
• For example:
1. Halloween
2. Thanksgiving
3. Black Friday
4. Cyber Monday
5. Festivus
6. Christmas
7. Chanukah
8. New Year
9. Valentine’s Day
• Are some holidays/events stronger performers than others?
• Determine which to keep and which to cut from the plan first
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13. REVIEW PREVIOUS FINDINGS
• Part of cultivating the holiday list to focus your marketing efforts
is reviewing previous analysis
• Historical performance can be quite telling in determining what
to cull – for example, drop Thanksgiving as a marketable holiday,
but focus on Cyber Monday – as the analysis supports this
concept
• Or, perhaps you find blips in the historical metrics, that show
efforts for a certain holiday have underperformed due
specifically to a missed opportunity (ex. For instance, the inclusion of an
underperforming segment, etc.) – Test it in 2014!
• Hone your list, check it twice, and proceed with planning!
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14. HOLIDAY STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
• With your list of key holiday opportunities, what won in the past,
and what would you love to test in the future?
• Determine if the findings mesh with current trends in your
industry/product/service and apply those insights appropriately
• “Trends” means what your brand/product/business is doing and what fits with that,
i.e. major product change may not equate to previous findings, not what other
brands are doing in their marketing
• Plan your timelines in conjunction with your ultimate strategy as
you may determine something is not worth the effort to complete
in time for launch
• Discuss with all key stakeholders to ensure buy in early on so you
don’t waste time on anything that you can’t sell to your business
partners/clients/team
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15. HOLIDAY TEST PLANNING
• No matter how you scope your testing for the year, always create a
test plan
• We highly recommend a testing calendar as that will allow you to
organize and keep track of key dates
• Create the plan for buy-in with key stakeholders and then finalize
the plan post-buy-in
• Get a free template here
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16. HOT TECH TO
PUSH THE LIMITS
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17. GREAT TECH OFFERS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
• Email technology has experienced some great advances in the last
few years allowing for some significant opportunities for greater
ROI
To name a few:
1. Live Content
2. Video
3. Real-Time Personalization
• Several vendors now exist in the Live Content space providing both
choice and competition – both are great for marketers!
• The following will showcase each of the above by sharing the
opportunity as well as key players
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18. LIVE CONTENT
• Live Content is a real-time, dynamic technology that allows content
to be served at the time of open
• Live Content can be adjusted with each open, depending on logic
parameters, and serve new information as needed
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19. HOW DOES “LIVE CONTENT” WORK?
• This technology can take cues from the time of open, current geographic location
at open, social networking cues, etc. and offer the appropriate response
• For example, a countdown timer used for a specific event that has now ended
can show a notice that the event is over, or offer up some other default
messaging

20. WHY LIVE CONTENT IS HOT
• Over 60+% of email now opened on mobile devices
• Fewer than 15% of all emails are optimized for mobile devices
• Users will give no more than 2-3 seconds before hitting delete, most
common action
• Introduction of advances with email clients, such as Gmail tabs,
causing shifts in when emails are read
• Relevancy – while the volume of emails sent is increasing,
CTR/CTOR continues to fall overall (specifically in less-optimized email
programs, which are predominate regardless of industry)

21. LIVE CONTENT PROVIDERS

22. VIDEO IN EMAIL
• Video in email can be a HUGE
driver of both engagement and
conversion – got a new awesome
product – show a video on it!
• Vendors, most are also Live
Content providers, can provide an
edge delivering the most optimal
experience depending on device
of open
• In this example* from Bare
Escentuals, they’re click rate
doubled with the video:
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* Example and analysis provided by Liveclicker.com

23. GAME OF THRONES PROMO
• What better way
to use video than
with TV and
Movies
• The Game of
Thrones promo
played in the
center
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24. REAL-TIME PERSONALIZATION
• Many Live Content providers also offer real-time services to create
truly personalized emails
• Personalization is more than using the recipients Name, Account
information, or even previous purchases
• A truly personalized email will deliver relevant content based on
historical analysis, all conducted in real-time
• For example, Content A is relevant for your most active segments, but
Content B is tailored towards less active. In turn, Content C is catered
to the highest purchasers and Content D is for lower purchasers
• Powerinbox and SimpleRelevance both offer these services
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25. TAKE IT FURTHER
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26. BUILD ON HISTORY, BUT CARVE THE FUTURE ANEW
• It’s important to build upon the findings of historical data; however,
don’t lose site of making big changes for big impact
• Seemingly crazy changes can still be developed via historical
findings, it’s simply pushing that next step a bit more than before
• Use new technology, or perhaps try a new design concept. The key
is sound testing so you know what works and what doesn’t
• Also, keeping it simple can have a solid – or even better – result.
Make sure to consider your brand and core audience when
developing your strategy
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27. EMAIL
EXAMPLES
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28. HOLIDAY EMAIL EXAMPLES
• The following slides have examples categorized by the specific
holiday
• These examples are not an endorsement nor do they all of them
meet best practice; however, sometimes seeing a good variety can
help make your emails more exceptional
(If a subject line is available for the specific example, it may be noted in the slide title.)
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29. HALLOWEEN
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30. SL: SHOP IF YOU DARE. MWAHAHA.
• Let’s be honest,
who doesn’t
love “mwahaha”
in a subject line?
• Great example
of Halloween
with style
• Subject line is
eye-catching as
well as topical
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31. SL: SPOOK-A-RIFIC FARES FROM $59 + 14% OFF
• Even airlines can get in the
spirit!
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32. SL: 84 LAST-MINUTE TRICKS AND TREATS FOR A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN
• Martha Stewart
brands do a great
job with seasonal
subject lines with a
play-on-word
• With that said, be
cautious to test
new SL’s, especially
longer such as this
example
• 50 characters or
less is best practice
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33. SL: 84 LAST-MINUTE TRICKS AND TREATS FOR A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN
• Dunkin does a
great job in social
channels
encouraging
participation
with Instagram
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• This effort extends the
reach of their email
campaigns into additional
channels (social, in-store,
sweepstakes, et. al.)

34. THANKSGIVING
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35. MORE THAN TURKEYS!
• Nice example complete
with a contest to
encourage engagement
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36. THE GREAT INDOORS AND
COOKING.COM
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37. SL: TOMS IS THANKFUL FOR…
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• An honest “Thank
you” from a
company that is
based on giving
and a nice
reminder of the
season
• Spreading the
spirit of the season
can bring positive
vibes to your
brand, when it’s
meaningful and
true-to-brand

38. SL: THANKSGIVING TIMING TIPS
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• A fun email
infographic that
quickly answers
everyone’s
thanksgiving
questions like,
“When the heck
should I put the
bird in the oven?”
• A special add -
links to additional
videos and articles.

39. SL: GIVE THANKS
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• Uncommon goods
support artists
from around the
globe
• Similar to Toms,
they’re taking the
opportunity to give
thanks to their
customers and
recognize their
gratitude

40. BLACK FRIDAY
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41. THE DARKEST DAY CAN BRING SO MUCH LIGHT!
• Often starting on
Thanksgiving, Black
Friday has grown
immensely over the past
few years
• “Sneak Peeks” are a
typical strategy that can
work, but unique offers
tend to work even
better
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42. SEPHORA
• Sephora does a great
job of offering
“Exclusives” which catch
the eye of the faithful
VIB (Very Important
BeautyInsider)
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43. SL: THE COUNTDOWN TO OUR BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS ON
• Even financial sectors
can take advantage of
Black Friday
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44. CYBER MONDAY
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45. BIGGER WITH EACH YEAR, DON’T IGNORE MONDAYS!
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46. MLB, JCP, + GNC
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47. SL: CELEBRATE CYBER MONDAY - $25 OFF YOUR ORDER!
• Cyber Monday is for
more than just retailers
too!
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48. CHRISTMAS
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49. ‘TIS A HOLLY JOLLY SEASON
• There’s a few things not
optimal in this email, but
what’s right is spot on
• They provide an easy Gift
Guide by gender
• Wish Lists at a single click
• And specific tech in the
wish list function that
involves sharing – great
email list building!
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50. SL: GIFTS UNDER $50 + 20% OFF SITEWIDE: WHO'S LEFT ON YOUR LIST?
• Closing in on the
Christmas deadline,
Fab offers a great gift
guide for the fiscally
conscious
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51. BED, BATH & BEYOND
• Again, a few updates to
optimize this, but the
concept is great
• Basically, they’re
promising something for
everyone at whatever
price – great tactic
• Providing options that
make sense to the price
point and season
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52. CRATE & BARREL
• Hurry, time is running
out!
• This email would be
stronger with a Call to
Action more distinct, but
it sure is pretty
• Not to mention the easy
gift card option
• Applicable mobile app ad
very relevant
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53. SL: HOLIDAY HUSH DEAL JUST FOR YOU!
• The first in my inbox on
10/23/13 proving it’s
never too early to think
about the holidays
• Preparing the recipient
for the holiday rush
coming their way
• Very subtle Christmas
icons
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54. SL: PLAY THE RETURN OF THE REINDEER GAME
• Swatch used
gamification to
extend the reach of
their email
campaigns
• Tying in the imagery
from their limited
edition holiday
watch
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55. CHANUKAH
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56. 8 DAYS OF GIVING AND SHARING
• There seems a surprising
lack of Chanukah emails
out there
• There’s 8 days, rather than
one, that are giving days –
perhaps an opportunity is
being missed by many!
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57. SL: HAPPY HANUKKAH!
• Etsy got it right.
In the celebration of
Hanukkah, the online
shopping site added some
creative flair to resonate with
its audience
• Using appealing creative,
there’s no uncertainty
regarding the intent of this
email
• The message format cleverly
breaks down gifts by category
and provides helpful price
points to guide shoppers in
their gift buying decisions
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58. SL: TRY ALL THE FALL FIXIN'S + YOUR THANKSGIVUKKAH MENU
• A clever way of
addressing all the
holidays in one
newsletter
• The first headline is a
play on festival of lights,
perfectly timed for the
send near Hanukkah
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59. NEW YEAR
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60. SOME AULD LANG SYNE
• They can be about the New
year, or in this case, about
New Year Sales
• No matter the angle, some
smart marketing can go a
long way to success
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61. SL: EVERYONE'S OPENED THEIR GIFTS, NOW IT'S YOUR TURN
• You bought all your
holiday gifts, now take
advantage of awesome
deals and get yourself
something nice for the
New Year
• Simple, clear, and all
about the recipient
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62. SL: DON'T GET CAUGHT SLEEPING! MAKE A DONATION TO HELP HOMELESS PETS
TODAY!
• Tugging at your post-holiday
heartstrings as well as
combining the practicality of
the upcoming tax season
• Start the New Year off on a
philanthropic note and shows
support for causes close to a
brand’s heart
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63. VALENTINE’S DAY
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64. SL: TIRED OF CUPID?
• The anti-Valentine’s email
• Uncommon Goods did a superb job reminding people who
might not be into the mushy stuff to still be good to
themselves
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65. SL: WE LOVE YOU. WHAT DO YOU LOVE? TELL US TO WIN.
SL: We Love You. What Do You Love? Tell
Us to Win.
• Love AND Free stuff – who doesn’t like
that?
SL: Your last-minute Valentine's Day gift
• Simple and fast appeal to the last
minute shopper
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66. GENERAL
HOLIDAY
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67. THE MORE THE MERRIER
• This example is a great
one from Zappos
• Not only do they measure
expectations for the
recipient by sharing how
frequent their emails will
be, they warm them up
with festive holiday cheer
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68. PIPERLIME
• Not only timely, there’s a
discount too!
• Sometimes, the ladies
need help coming up with
guy gifts, and the
opposite also applies
• As long as segmentation
is solid, this is a great way
to reach greater
relevancy
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69. SERVICES
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70. ONE-STOP FOR AMAZING DIGITAL MARKETING
• Epsilon has made our mark with Email Deployment Platforms and
Data, but we’re so much more
• We’re comprised of a variety of excellent services second to none,
including:
• Strategic Services
• Creative Services for Email, Web, Print, Commercial – you name it!
• HTML Development for Email, Web and everything in between
• Analytical Services
• And so much more!
• Reach out to your Account Representative at any time for more
information and share how Epsilon can help make your marketing
bright

71. THANK YOU!
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* Example and analysis provided by Liveclicker.com