Okay, New York City’s #Snowmageddon2015 was more like #FakeStorm2015. But a few feet of fresh snow overnight is still nothing to turn your nose at – even if the promised “hurricane-like gusts” of wind never really materialized.
Up and down the East Coast, there’s a lot of snow. This is the first biggest snowstorm of the year… did your company have a contextual email campaign ready for it?
We collected some of our favorites from the day of #FakeStorm2015. These are contextual emails that took the weather into account – either through clever geo-targeted segmenting or automated email personalization – and offered deals and great contextual content.
Here are eight brands that sent contextual emails based on the snowstorm:
1. Uber
Before the storm hit Boston in full, Uber (established expert of contextual marketing) sent an email updating customers about what they could expect. This included information about surge pricing and news about Uber’s partnership with American Red Cross.
2. David’s Tea
David’s Tea sent a contextual email about the storm with the subject line of “Sip the blizzard away.” The email included an offer for a tea blend that could help keep customers warm during the winter.
3. Steve Madden
Anticipating that a lot of customers would be home and shopping online during the blizzard, Steve Madden sent a discount code related to the weather.
4. Citi Habitats
Citi Habitats, which helps people in the New York area find apartments, sent an email with contextual context: the “Apartment Dweller’s Ultimate Blizzard Survival Guide.”
5. Alex and Ani
Alex and Ani sent an email with five suggestions about what to do to pass the time during the blizzard. The call-to-action was a donation button to help support the American Red Cross in storm relief efforts.
6. OkCupid
Just to stay in the conversation – and perhaps nudge members into checking out their profile – OkCupid suggested a very special someone to members during the blizzard… a storm named Juno.
7. LifeBooker
LifeBooker sent a special snow day sale email, with special deals that lasted only until midnight.
8. Hubspot
Even B2B companies got in on the #Snowmageddon2015 email action. HubSpot sent a “Sparknotes” eBook with tips from five different marketing books that could help subscribers pass the time in the blizzard.
9. Nick Jr.
One of Movable Ink’s clients, Nick Jr. sent an email on the snow day that was targeted to anyone where the weather was either rain or snow and also to anyone in the one of the most-affected states. It contained contextual content that offered kids (and parents!) something to do with the day.
Given the perfect timing and great content, Nick Jr. saw a significant lift in immediate click-through rates for this email.
Blizzards of Emails, in Real-Time
Contextual email marketing related to a subscriber’s location or current context (like a #Snowmageddon) can result in higher open rates, higher click-through rates, and more conversions.
By creating contextual marketing campaigns, these eight brands personalized content and made it that much more relevant to subscribers.
You don’t have to wait for a blizzard to send out a contextual email campaign. Check out our upcoming webinar with Bronto on Thursday to see how you can create your own contextually relevant emails!