Comments on: Retail Email: Sell or Inform? How About Both

By: Linda Bustos

Linda Bustos — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:31:39 +0000

Last time I was in Sephora I clearly wasn’t thinking rationally, $180 later.

By: John Hyde (Site Doublers)

John Hyde (Site Doublers) — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:14:32 +0000

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.

By: LeAnne

LeAnne — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:52:06 +0000

Sharing can turn good ideas into great ones and Cisco wants to help make that happen through the new Cisco WebEx Pass the Ball program. Imagine being an entrepreneur and being able to run an idea by other people around the world to get feedback and grow that idea and then to make it a reality. Cisco is inviting global participation in an innovation contest and is asking people to visit a new idea-sharing website to share an idea, rate an idea, or add to an idea already on the site. In turn, this activity will trigger a donation to Teachers Without Borders. The input received can actually make the idea better and the entrepreneur can actually use the resources of a global, virtual team to add to their idea. At the same time, the activity generates a donation to a highly active, very influential non-profit organization. A year of free Cisco WebEx™ services will be awarded to the owners of the top-rated ideas, to help them collaborate to develop those ideas.

Go check it out at http://www.passtheball.com

By: Meryl Evans

Meryl Evans — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:49:12 +0000

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.

By: Audio Bible

Audio Bible — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:26:27 +0000

I think it would have been more effective saying ‘Build lashes you have always dreamed of.’

‘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