All presentation content copyright ©2009 Premiere Global Services

Welcome to: The ‘Motivated Marketer’ Webinar Series

Creating the Perfect EmailHow to Optimize the Design &

Production of 1to1 Email Communications

Audio Dial-In InformationFor the audio portion of this presentation, you must use your telephone.  For North America Toll-free:      1-866-288-9872Toll:       1-913-312-2900Participant Code: 719596

For a list of international numbers please refer to the email invitation or go to:http://tinyurl.com/PGwebinar1  Technical Assistance For audio technical assistance, please call 888-334-0282 & reference participant code: 719596.

For web technical assistance, please call 888-334-0282 and reference the following URL:  www.livemeeting.com/lrs/vcsales_ccc, Meeting ID: marketer, and Passcode: imarket.

2

Part 4 of our “Motivated Marketer Webinar Series”

Creating the Perfect Email GOAL: To provide you with a thorough understanding and

recommendations for creating and delivering exceptional email.

Rest of Webinar Series:

#5 in June 5 Steps to Deliverability & Inbox Success

#6 in July Performance Measurement & Advanced 1-to-1 Practices

Info at http://www.premiereglobal.com/emarketing/resource-center/webinars.asp

Introduction to Our Webinar Series

3

Sara JohnidesSenior Creative SpecialistPGiMarket Strategic ServicesPremiere Global Services

Introduction to Our Presenters

Andy McCartneyVP of Strategic ServicesPGiMarket Premiere Global Services

From PGiMarket’sStrategic Services Team:

Lindsey SecordManager, Production ServicesPGiMarket Strategic ServicesPremiere Global Services

4

Today’s Webinar: Agenda

Introductions Part 1 – What is a Perfect Email?

Incorporating 1to1 Principles in Email Programs

Part 2 – The Process Understanding/Optimizing Campaign Workflow

Part 3 – Email Creative & Design Practices Goals, Creative Brief & Email Design Principles

Part 4 – Production thru Delivery Coding, Optimization, Testing, Scheduling & Throttling

Enabling Perfect Emailing via Outsourcing Q&A

5

Premiere Global’s Email Experience

Premiere Global Services Stats

• $630 million in revenues

• 95% of the Fortune 500

• 55,000+ customers

• 61 cities, 24 countries

PGiMarket ESP Stats

• 6,000 email customers

• 1 billion emails sent per month

• Wide range and sophistication of worldwide customers

6

Part 1

What is a Perfect Email?

7

A Perfect Email? Is there Such a Thing?

“The One”

What Constitutes“The One”

• It caught my attention• Professional, neat design• It is currently of interest• I am seeking that product• I learned something new• Like the personalized content• Great timing for my needs

So What’s the Formula?Perfect Email = Perfect Design + Content + Timing

All we need is perfect information: Demographics, Psychographics, Contextual Info & Behavioral Preferences. Plus a perfectly repeatable mechanism to create that email x 1,000,000

Subjective

8

1-to-1 Attempts to Create the Near Perfect Email

• 1-to-1 Origins: The “Old Way”

• Difficult with Traditional Mass Media Marketing

• 1-to-1 Marketing enables personalized interactions on a massive scale

• Creates Dramatic Lift when applied to Email

Source: JupiterResearch Executive Survey (3/05), n = 236 (e-mail marketers that currently use/plan to use at least one campaign, US only)

Conversion Rates of 1-to-1 Campaign Types as compared to ‘Broadcast’

Triggered 210% lift

Life Cycle 254% lift

Targeted 245% lift

Clickstream 355% lift

It Starts with Strategy

9

1-to-1 Marketing Reference Slide

• Email marketers must go beyond Broadcast campaigning• Aggregate increase in net profits from Triggered, LifeCycle,

Targeted and Clickstream is 18 times more than from Broadcast• Production needs, skills and resources will likely increase with

more sophisticated campaigning

Broadcast Campaigns

Which Campaign Types?

Triggered/Lifecycle/Targeted/Clickstream 1to1 Campaigns

Event

Online Behavior

Profile

1. IDENTIFICATIONHow well do you know your

customers/subscribers?

2. DIFFERENTIATION Can you differentiate customers based on their value to you and their needs from you?

3. INTERACTION How well do you interact with your customers? Can you scale & automate message creation & delivery?

4. MEASUREMENT How well does your company refine its email marketing programs based on feedback/analytics?

Fundamental Principles of 1-to-1 Marketing?

12

Strategy Conclusion

Commit to 1to1 principles/practices, and apply them to the campaigns that are right for your organization

Now on to the Process

13

Part 2

The Workflow Process

14

Process Overview

Idea for Campaign- Purpose?

Data/SegmentsRecipient Lists Design Messages (creative)

Coding, Test & OptimizationDelivery Scheduling

Throttling RulesPost Delivery

Reporting & Analysis

Refinement

15

Production Process - BEFORE

Benchmark the speed and quality of your overall process

16

Production Process - AFTER

Production Cost SavingAnnual production savings:Estimated Hours: 4,160Est. value: $416,000 *Assumptions: # of campaigns/week: 5 Hourly labor rate: $100 Existing hours per campaign: 20 Estimated current costs: $520,000 New hours per campaign: 4 Estimated new costs: $104,000

Efficiency Keys• Reduced # of steps• Reduced # of 3rd parties• Standardized templates• Standardized process & procedure• Superior consistent quality

Speed Improvement• Previous speed benchmark =

2 weeks per mail• Current speed benchmark =

24 hours [excluding creative] 2-3 days [including creative]

After Process Analysis and Streamlining

17

Part 3

Email Creative & Design Practices

[Sara/Lindsey]

18

Before we Jump to Creative

Messaging Strategy?Where is your needle.

Broadcaster or Sophisticated 1to1 marketer?

Data/Segmentation/Messaging tactics

Assumption for TodayYour needle is nearer broadcast, with some profiling

(personas), some segmentation, enabling some dynamic content and personalization

19

What is Email Creative?

What is Creative?Creative refers to visual design of an email template.

This can include, but is not limited to:- The Creative Brief- Design- Copywriting- Logo Design

The Creative ProcessStep 1: Creative Brief

Step 2: Concepting/ Comps

Step 3: Client Review and Concept Selection

Step 4: Chosen Concept Revised

Step 5: Client Review of Revised Creative

Step 6: Approved Comp(s) Sent to Production

20

The Creative Brief: Starting the Creative Process

It All Begins with the Creative Brief:

The brief is a 12-question document that:- Determines the objectives of the program- Helps establish expectations and timing- Establishes a brand look, feel and tone- Identifies mandatory elements and personalization/conditions

to be included- Identifies the deliverables, timing and expectations

21

Elements of Email Creative:The Header

Header Content:Make sure your logo is not too big and that there isn’t unnecessary white spacesurrounding it. It should be easy to see/read and link to thecompany’s website

This is where your pre-header snippet would go, as well as some housekeepinglinks, such as a microsite link, view in handheld and whitelisting link

22

Elements of Email Creative:The Navigation

Navigation Content:- Dedicated area for links that mirror your website

23

Elements of Email Creative:The Body

Navigation:- Dedicated area for links that mirror your website

Body Content:- The meat of your

message

- Insert Call-to-Action link towards the top

- If it is a newsletter, consider adding a left or right rail and a table of contents

24

Elements of Email Creative:The Footer

Footer Content:- Housekeeping

links: Unsubscribe, F2F, Contact Us, Physical Mailing address

- Keep small in size and a neutral color

25

Elements of Email Creative:The Finished Product

The Perfect EmailYou can create the perfect email for your client, but the ‘ideal’ email campaign changes from client to client, campaign to campaign

26

Elements of the ‘Perfect Email’ withReal Life Examples

What we like:- Nice, thin header with visible, easy-to-read

user

- Prevalent CTA (call to action) towards the top of the message

- Nice use of right rail to give more details on the event

27

Elements of the ‘Perfect Email’ withReal Life Examples

What we like:- A look that mirrors the website

- Good use of white space

- Coded for images being suppressed (navigation is backed up with a brown background and HTML text is used

- Bullet-proof buttons: coded with background color and with HTML text.

28

Elements of the ‘Perfect Email’ withReal Life Examples

What we like:- Simple, clean design

- Eye-catching Image that is brand specific

- Prevalent CTA button and light text that is broken up and manageable to read

29

Part 3

Production thru Delivery

[Lindsey]

30

Transitioning Creative to Production

You Have your strategy,You have your Photoshop fileWhat’s next?

Production =

• HTML coding• Dynamic content• Email Rendering Testing• Optimization

31

Production: HTML Tips…

Coding Buttons• Do not use an image.• Code your button using HTML text on top of a background image.• Always back-up background images with a similar background color.

Email tips for web designers • Width: 600-700 pixels• Above the fold: top 300 pixels• Code for lowest common denominator:

– Avoid Flash, JavaScript, CSS

32

Production: HTML Tips…

Alt Tags• Include a relevant alt tag in all header, and CTA images.

33

Production HTML Tips…

Text to Image Ratio• Keep it as low as possible• Reduces potential to be considered

Spam

34

Production: HTML Tips…

Style Sheets• No CSS!• Use tables to control layout and spacing.• Back-up inline styles where possible:

– <font face=”arial” size=”2” style=”font-size: 12px”>

Figure 1a: Big Rick’s Barbeque message created using CSS, prior to email send.

Figure 1b: Big Rick’s Barbeque message as rendered in the inbox. The CSS has been stripped, causing loss of formatting.

35

Quality Assurance Checklist

• Create and maintain a Quality Assurance (QA) checklist.

• Request a peer review.• Test for rendering and deliverability

across multiple browsers and mail readers.

• Keep a code library.• How compliant are you?

• Adjust your production timeline to allow for proofing and client review.• READ your email copy, don’t just spell check.• Don’t let your images convey your message.

36

Message Testing

37

W3C Validation - http://validator.w3.org/

• DOCTYPE: HTML 4.01 Transitional• Correct Character Set / Encoding• Include <HEAD> tag• Relevant <TITLE> tag

38

Testing your Perfect Email

Headline• Bullets• Bullets

39

Scheduling & Other Delivery Tips

Headline• Bullets• Bullets

40

Part 4

Enabling Perfect Emailing

via Outsourcing

41

Do You Have the Resources?

Market Changes• Tough economy, marketing headcount reduction• More orgs turning to email from other marketing channels• More competition in the Inbox, more reason for 1to1

Outsource? 1to1 requires more effort, and specialist skills• Advanced campaigning usually requires more production• Which aspect of your email lends itself to outsourcing?

Web ConferencesVirtual Event Promotion

Acquisition & Lead Generation

Web ConferencesVirtual Event Promotion

Acquisition & Lead Generation

Event PromotionsEvent Promotions

Outsourced Email Campaigns:Loyalty, Retention, Lifecycle,On-boarding, Re-activation

Outsourced Email Campaigns:Loyalty, Retention, Lifecycle,On-boarding, Re-activation

Marketing ActivitiesMarketing Activities

Partial/Complete Outsourced Email Function – Design, Create, Test,

Deploy, Monitor

Partial/Complete Outsourced Email Function – Design, Create, Test,

Deploy, Monitor

Email Production ServicesEmail Production Services

42

Your Strategy, Outsource just the Production Component?

• Focus on the strategic, select an experienced 1to1 ESP services provider to focus on the tactical, & under SLA

• What’s the operating model? SEGMENTED/CUSTOMIZED EMAILS: Invitations / Follow ups Promotions: Up-Sells / Cross-Sells Acquisition / Retention Newsletters / Branding Reactivations Drip / Lifecycle

You Provide Input• Goals/Targets• Requirements• Branding/Creative• Mailing List/Segments

Maximize DeliverabilityAuthentication, Monitoring, ISP RelationsRecovery from Blacklisting, Certification

Optimal Rendering on all Email Readers:

43

Q&A

44

Next Webinar

• Next Webinar:

“5 Steps to Deliverability & Inbox Success”June nnth, 1pm Eastern

• Bullets• Bullets

Info at http://www.premiereglobal.com/emarketing/resource-center/webinars.asp

45

Want More Information?

You will receive an email with links to:

A recording of this session A copy of this presentation

strategy@PremiereGlobal.com

www.premiereglobal.com