“Before you put on makeup – do this.”
This subject line from a recent Sephora email caught my attention. Not so much because I want to learn about makeup, but being a marketing fanatic I thought it was a compelling headline and wanted to see if the email creative was equally compelling.
I did a happy dance when I opened this email from Sephora – it epitomizes what I’ve been talking about here on Get Elastic about sharing product knowledge in email and attaching value propositions to featured products:
It even uses a clever play-on-words – a “primer” can be a tool to teach basic concepts, or something that is worn under makeup to “make makeup last longer and prevent smudging all day.” Sephora presents a primer-primer that makes the customer aware that primers for face, lips and eyes exist (I didn’t know that), explains their value proposition concisely and recommends products to satisfy the demand it just created.
The email also mentions its Beauty Insider loyalty program a few times – each mention offers a value proposition for becoming a member: exclusive products, personalized email recommendations in the future and rewards points.
Should retail email sell or inform? I think Sephora does a little of both.
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I think it would have been more effective saying ‘Build lashes you have always dreamed of.’
OR
‘Your lips will get noticed with primer and lip stick that will make you stand out in the crowd.’
Honestly most men are not detail people and do not remember what the woman is wearing, in general. What is in the package not how the package is wrapped is what is important to a man.
So this email really needs to market to women, which telling them what they can get by using the item may help drive their sales.
Just my 2 cents
I think Sephora misses an opportunity. While it’s enticing the reader to read more, it only “sells” and provides no valuable information that costs nothing. “Before you put on make up, buy this” is what happens.
Instead, it would be beneficial for it to share a tip of what to do before putting on make up that requires no specific product. Then it can suggest a product.
Newsletters need 80/20. 80 on free and useful information. 20 on sales. This is backwards.
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What a fantastic subject line. I’m guessing that they split tested the one you saw
“… do this”
against some others like
“… read this”
to turn a good line into a great line.
Make-up is an interesting industry – shoppers are making a complex brain journey in and out of emotional and rational decision making.
Last time I was in Sephora I clearly wasn’t thinking rationally, $180 later.