Email design and strategy are being shaped by five major trends: (1) a growing need to personalize content, (2) greater sophistication for triggered messages, (3) rendering that’s optimized for the platform, situation, person, and time of open, (4) a unique voice that’s more helpful than promotional, and (5) a continued evolution of fundamentals. Chad White, ExactTarget’s Lead Research Analyst, and Andrea Smith, Design Lead of Content Marketing & Research discussed these critical trends and how they guided our selection of the 20 emails in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File.

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4. @ETSwipeFile

5. The 5 Design Trends
behind the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Andrea Smith
Design Lead, Content Marketing & Research, ExactTarget Marketing Cloud
@andreasmith77
Chad White
Lead Research Analyst, ExactTarget Marketing Cloud
and Author, Email Marketing Rules
@chadswhite
@ETSwipeFile

6. Five Key Email Marketing Trends
On their own, the examples on the following pages are inspiring and thought-
provoking. But together, they illustrate five trends that are shaping the future of
email design and savvy marketing strategy.
Advanced Personalization
Triggered Sophistication
Smart Rendering
Unique Voice
Inspired Fundamentals
@ETSwipeFile

7. Advanced Personalization
In the era of email engagement, greater relevancy is
critical. Personalization that goes far beyond first-name
merges is one way that marketers can make messages
more relevant to individual subscribers.
@ETSwipeFile

8. Six Factors
1 Who They Are
2 Who They Care About
3 What They Did
4 What Others Did in Reaction
5 What They Have
6 Where They Are
@ETSwipeFile

9. OpenTable
Send Date
January 10, 2014
Subject Line
Looks like you had a
delicious year, Andrea!
@ETSwipeFile

10. Related Pins
Fitbit & Reliant
@ETSwipeFile

11. Zulily
Send Date
November 13, 2013
Subject Line
Toys!
Progressive profiling email
@ETSwipeFile
Progressive profiling email

12. Zulily
Send Date
November 28, 2013
Subject Line
Strider Sports is on zulily tomorrow!
Brand alert email
@ETSwipeFile

13. Triggered Sophistication
Triggered emails are among the most effective
emails you’ll ever send. Their outsized ROI has driven
marketers to explore ways to make triggered emails
ever better—with longer campaigns, smarter content,
and better triggers.
@ETSwipeFile

14. Lifecycle Marketing: Usage
@ETSwipeFile
2014 State of Marketing

15. Lifecycle Marketing: Effectiveness
@ETSwipeFile
2014 State of Marketing

16. ModCloth
Send Date
July 2013
Subject Line
Celebrate 6 months with us -
& enjoy a li’l prezzie!
@ETSwipeFile

17. Pinterest
Send Date
March 2014
Subject Line
You qualify for a Pinterest
business account
@ETSwipeFile

18. Welcome email 1 Welcome email 2 Welcome email 3 Welcome email 4 Welcome email 5 Welcome email 6

19. Smart Rendering
Emails must adapt to and thrive in a variety of
environments. Rendering tactics can ensure that
your message is optimized for the platform, situation,
person, and time of open.
@ETSwipeFile

20. Smart Rendering
• Defensive design
• Responsive and mobile-
aware email design
@ETSwipeFile
• Live content
• Personalized images
• Video and video .gifs

21. @ETSwipeFile

22. Sony PlayStation
New Zealand
Send Date
April 20, 2013
Subject Line
Save Cybertron
with an exclusive
PS Store offer
@ETSwipeFile

23. Related Pins
Bendon Lingerie &
Mothercare
@ETSwipeFile

24. 2014 State of Marketing
Emails Read on a Mobile Device
@ETSwipeFile

25. Mobile-Friendly Disconnects
@ETSwipeFile
41%
of brands send mobile-
friendly emails

26. Mobile-Friendly Disconnects
@ETSwipeFile
75%
of brands use mobile-
friendly landing pages
However…

27. AT&T
Send Date
June 27, 2013
Subject Line
Your tablet. Our network.
Together, they’re better.
@ETSwipeFile

28. @ETSwipeFile

29. UGG Australia
Send Date
March 9, 2014
Subject Line
Tech News: Twinsole offers
twice the comfort
Video GIF: Select frames
@ETSwipeFile

30. Additional video
examples
ExactTarget
Marketing Cloud Spark
& Famous Footwear
@ETSwipeFile

31. Unique Voice
Influenced by content marketing and social media
engagement, marketing communication is undergoing a
shift from promotional, corporate, and detached to helpful,
conversational, and timely.
@ETSwipeFile

32. Jonathan Adler
Send Date
July 22, 2013
Subject Line
We’re Royally Excited
@ETSwipeFile

33. Related Pins
Marks & Spencer
& Bonobos
@ETSwipeFile

34. Boden UK
Send Date
December 25, 2013
Subject Line
A note for naughty
email readers…
@ETSwipeFile

35. Inspired Fundamentals
While marketers are constantly gaining shiny, new tools,
they shouldn’t forget the fundamental messaging and
design tactics that have been effective for years—like
email content that’s on brand, focused, and sharable.
@ETSwipeFile

36. Noun Project
Send Date
March 2014
Subject Line
Please verify your
Noun Project account
@ETSwipeFile

37. Democratic National
Committee
Send Date
October 1, 2013
Subject Line
This day in history
@ETSwipeFile

38. The Most Popular Selections
Since releasing the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File,
we’ve been tracking reader response to the selections
and have observed an interesting trend: The four most
popular selections all involved other channels. In other
words, they were all cross-channel campaigns.
@ETSwipeFile

39. Starbucks
Send Date
November 6, 2013
Subject Line
An offer just for you:
50% off your handcrafted
espresso drink
@ETSwipeFile

40. Sephora
Send Date
February 2014
Subject Line
Your Foundation Matches
@ETSwipeFile

41. Pinkberry
Send Date
March 2014
Subject Line
We Miss You!
@ETSwipeFile

42. Warby Parker
Send Date
November 27, 2013
Subject Line
Booked solid
@ETSwipeFile

43. Download the full report and get inspired:
exacttarget.com/2014-best-of-email-swipe-file
2014 Best of the
Email Swipe File
• 5 Design Trends
• 20 Emails
• 47 Related Pins
• All pins: pinterest.com/exacttarget
@ETSwipeFile

44. Questions?
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