The First Impressions
Email Marketing Study
Ciceron Report, March 2013
Sole property of Ciceron, Inc.

You have only seven seconds to make a first
impression. This is why we try to look our best
when meeting someone new, or why brands
create amazing customer experiences. So why
should your email marketing program be
treated any different? The answer is, it
shouldn’t.
Look at your email strategy like dating. When
a subscriber says, “Yes, I want emails from
you” (or, “Yes, I’ll go on a date with you”)
the next step is the first date. Or as we call it,
the “welcome message.” Sending a welcome
message shows the subscriber that you’re
“into them” and eager to make a good
impression. So don’t be that guy (or girl) —
the one that doesn’t even show up.
83% of brands did
not make a good first
impression, or any
impression at all
What’s in a First Impression?

Ciceron has conducted “The First Impressions Email Marketing Study,” an independent
research project set up to analyze the experience a new email subscriber has with a brand.
Ciceron selected 70 companies in varying industries and assessed the first 21 days of their
email program experience.
41%of brands did not send any
messages within the first 48
hours of subscribing
27%of brands did not send a
single message over the
whole 3 week period
39%of brands sent a welcome
message; 15 of 27 did not
make a good first impression
About the Study

Confirmation
20%
Welcome
39%
Nothing
41% 41% of brands did
not send any messages
within the first 48
hours of subscribing
Subscribers are the most engaged within those first 48
hours. It is critical that you start to build that relationship
by sending an immediate welcome message to set
expectations and ask them to take the next step.
If you are in the 41% sending nothing, you’ve just stood up
your first date – and that is not acceptable.
What Are Brands Sending? In First 48 Hours
27% of brands continued to send
nothing over the whole three week period

How often should you be sending messages to your
audience? Unfortunately there is not a standard benchmark
we can provide, because the frequency is dependent on
your audience and content. To learn what is best for your
audience, you should test frequency, offer subscription
options or just ask them what they want.
What Are Brands Sending? Over First 3 Weeks
1email per week
was sent, on average,
over the whole three
week period

ere is a right and
wrong way to execute a
confirmation message
The Wrong Way
Is to use a confirmation message simply to say “Thank
you” for subscribing, instead take that opportunity to send
a branded welcome message. It will create a stronger
impression with your subscribers.
!
Confirmation
20%
The Right Way
Is to use the confirmation message to have a subscriber
confirm their subscription, complete their profile or set
interests. However, once the subscriber says “Yes,” they
should still be sent a welcome message. This is no different
then confirming a time and place for a first date.
What Are Brands Sending? Confirmation Message

Famous Dave’s was the
only brand that sent a
confirmation and
welcome message
Confirmation message
1
2 Welcome message
What Are Brands Sending? Famous Dave’s Example

39% of brands sent
a welcome message,
all within 24 hours
of subscribing
It’s time for your first date. So how do you make a
great first impression with your subscribers?
Execute these four welcome message must-haves
and you will be assured a second date.
Welcome
39%
Immediate
Gratification
Brand Your
Message
Set Expectations
Include a
Call-to-Action
What Are Brands Sending? Welcome Message

Only 4 of 27 brands
had a great welcome
message; incorporating
all of the must-haves
What type of impression did brands make?
GreatKey: Fair Poor
What Are Brands Sending? Welcome Message

What Are Brands Sending? Examples of Great Welcomes

What should you be collecting about your subscribers? Again, the answer is dependent on your
audience and content. But it is important that you only collect information that you will be using to
provide subscribers with relevant content. If you don’t need it, don’t ask for it.
Name
Zip Code
Personal Interests
Birthday
State
Gender
What Are Brands Collecting?
Account
76%
64%
37%
33%
33%
11%
10%

Only 37%of brands
asked subscribers for
personal interests
and/or subscription
preferences
Collecting personal preferences from your subscribers not
only ensures you are delivering content that is relevant to
their interests, but has also proven to increase
engagement metrics. You can also use this information for
dynamic content and segmentation.
Good Examples from Visit Florida and Hormel
What Are Brands Collecting? Personal Preferences

4 of the 23 brands
that asked for the
subscriber’s birthday
actually sent them a
special birthday
message
If you have something to offer them for their birthday, this is a
great value add to your program. But if you ask for their
birthday and send nothing it can damage the relationship you’ve
worked to build.
What Are Brands Collecting? Your Birthday

Conclusion
Remember, first impressions are critical to building lasting
relationships; and a welcome message is that important touchpoint
for your email marketing program. You want to entice your
subscribers by sending them a welcome message that encourages
them to take that next step or “second date.”
Having conducted thousands of email marketing and
communications programs, we know that even the most simple
endeavors can have a huge impact. You can also apply many of the
recommendations in this study to your other digital programs. Use
these key takeaways and you too can make a great impression on
your audience.
ü Collect data that you can use to delight subscribers
ü Make sign-ups and conversions easy for your subscribers
ü Send an immediate welcome message with all the must-haves
ü Be timely. And then follow-up again…quickly
• ACME Comedy Club
• AmericInn
• Arctic Cat
• Bloomington CVB
• Bluefin Bay
• Brainerd Lakes Chamber
• Breezy Point Resort
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Canterbury Park
• Caribou Coffee
• Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
• Choose Chicago
• Christopher & Banks
• Como Zoo
• Cragun’s Resort
• Dacotah Ridge Golf Course
• Dairy Queen
• Enjoy Illinois
• Explore Minnesota
• Famous Dave’s
• Fitger’s Brewhouse
• Gander Mountain
• Grand Avenue BA
• Grand Casino
• Great Clips
• Guthrie Theater
• Hennepin Theatre Trust
• Holiday Stationstores
• Hormel
• Houlihan’s
• Lake Superior Zoo
• Las Vegas CVB
• Lutsen Resort on Superior
• Madden’s Resort
• Mall of America
• Maurices
• Mill City Farmer’s Market
• Minnesota Children’s Museum
• Minnesota Historical Society
• Minnesota Science Museum
• Minnesota Sea Life Aquarium
• Minnesota State Fair
• Minnesota Swarm
• Minnesota Zoo
• Mystic Lake Casino
• Napa Valley CVB
• Red Wing CVB
• Running Aces
• Rush Creek Golf Course
• Saint Paul CVB
• San Diego CVB
• Sleep Number/Select Comfort
• Spam
• Summit Brewing Company
• Surly Brewing Company
• Target Center
• The Depot Minneapolis
• The Preserve at Grand View
Lodge
• The Saint Paul Hotel
• The Wilds Golf Club
• Toro Company
• Treasure Island Casino
• Valleyfair
• Valspar Paint
• Visit California
• Visit Duluth
• Visit Florida
• Walker Art Center
• Willingers Golf Club
• Zubaz
Companies included in the study:

About Ciceron
Ciceron is a full service digital marketing, insights, and brand advocacy firm based in
Minneapolis, MN. Since 1995, we’ve been helping clients use data and consumer insights to
identify the right digital strategies and tactics to meet their business goals. Whether those
goals are intended to build brand awareness, generate leads or ultimately, drive revenue and
ROI, we’ll help you uncover the opportunities to meet the needs of your potential customers
by celebrating and scaling the positive experiences of your current advocates.
This study was conducted by: Julie Verhulst and Kristina Epping
Contact Us Today
info@ciceron.com Ÿ 612.230.3901