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“I love the subject line of this email because it is so unbothered: "Michal, your order is incomplete."”

"Obviously", you tried to make this purchase and pay for it because you wanted this item and we are just letting you know that it is not complete. Based on this, I added the word ‘notice’ to The Sak’s card abandonment emails. In an A/B test, this more transactional style subject line outperformed the existing one with +4% higher open rate and +1% higher click rate.

“These campaigns can run forever and I don't have to worry about inventory or seasons changing...”

A big initiative for The Sak was to send triggered campaigns based on the category and the color of item that the person abandoned. After allowing the customer to go through normal abandonment flows, we implement color- and category-retargeting. These campaigns are evergreen and are built using dynamic product catalogs. This means that they can run forever and I don't have to worry about inventory or seasons changing.

“In my inbox, the most relevant automated emails that I am getting are from Zillow.”

CRM is all about sending the right person to the right message at the right time. New property listing in my area of interest and in my price range. Right person? YES, Right message? YES! Right time? Not in this economy I look at CRM as a muscle and a practice that can be basically applied to any industry - if done correctly. I was inspired by the zillow campaigns to apply it to The Sak - based on customer's searches and browse categories, I created the Category-Retargeting-Triggers that are always displaying relevant styles that are in stock right after someone searched for them.

“Sure, maybe they are featuring my two fave scents front and center…”

Sure, everyone knows I love Snif, and sure, maybe they are featuring my two fave scents front and center (Sweet Ash and Vanilla Vice) but the clean monochrome color scheme paired with the easy to shop product blocks make this email so easy on the eyes. I also love how on mobile the entire email appears above the fold so you don’t have to scroll for content or to shop.

“This is one of those emails that demonstrates how less is more when it comes to copy.”

Here is one of my latest favorites from Hammies. I always love their emails, but this “French Edit” really caught my eye. The play on the “French summer aesthetic” is so on trend, plus the photography and layout itself is incredibly editorial. The small bits of text overlaid onto the image allow the shots to speak for themselves.

“I always look forward to Fashion Brand Company’s emails.”

They read like you are having a conversation with Penelope and her team. I love how this email goes from editorial shots to an almost catalogue style grid, then into some UGC and a fun, hilarious video from Penelope herself. FBC always brings a lightness to my inbox that I truly enjoy.

“I always leave their content ready to purchase from a brand I know aligns with my values.”

Working at a brand where sustainability and transparency are paramount, I'm constantly searching for those values in other products I consume. Davines emails once persuaded me to purchase from a very Italian-countryside focused 'about us' send years back, and they keep me opening with emails like this. I love the easily digestible statistics paired with the adorable hand-drawn iconography and soft color palette.

“They’re championing real rescue pets in a way that feels authentic to them as a brand.”

They are championing real rescue pets, donating 100% of profits to a rescue pet foundation, and still promoting their products in a way that feels authentic to them as a brand. It creates loyalty in a lovely way. Not to mention the email is incredibly designed, I always love when their bright colors and fun fonts show up in my inbox.

“Ripton is continuously reminding me I'm a sucker for plain text emails.”

It's reinforced by a subject line that you simply can't scroll past without opening up: Please Take Our Car (reply immediately). Pair that with their constant use of jort-focused language (see their fun unsubscribe at the bottom), and it's a forever fave in my inbox that feels like it's coming from an old friend.

“"...the perfect mix of wholesome and sweet, while still being educational!"”

As someone who loves love, this email made me smile! Papier did a great job tapping into the customer’s Ethos. I love the personal element of the “Something Old” feature, where Papier grandparents share their “secrets of love.” Additionally, the email is informative, explaining what the consumer can gain from using Papier in their wedding. This email is the perfect mix of wholesome and sweet, while still being educational!

“"The headline 'Want better skin, Hallie?' grabbed my attention right away."”

As someone who takes skincare seriously, the headline "Want better skin, Hallie?" grabbed my attention right away because yes, I do want better skin! I also love a personalization quiz, so any time I can take a quiz and find the perfect routine for me, I will do so. Lastly, when shopping for skincare, I always make sure the products are rooted in science. The scientific facts Prose provided were easy to digest as a consumer and gave me the final push to convert.

“"Jolie’s brand voice always shines through."”

In my opinion, the reason why Jolie’s marketing is so successful is because their brand voice always shines through. Jolie’s emails are educational, with a bit of a fun edge to them. The images Jolie uses are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, so opening this email almost feels like opening Pinterest. Additionally, this email was perfectly timed - it was sent just before the July 4th holiday weekend, when many people enjoy time in the pool.

“"Genius creative concept."”

Rhode's recent Pocket Blush launch. I'm admittedly a skincare/beauty obsessive so I am a tad biased. However, I thought the creative concept was genius and extremely creative. I love how they played with scale and that came across in all elements of the campaign. I admire this brand in general because they could easily just lean on celebrity, but you can tell they are really invested in both product and brand in a way that most celebrity-backed brands are not.

“"SET ACTIVE is killing it recently."”

I LOVED their recent campaign around the 'Spicy' restock. Everything about it was extremely compelling, and I love how integrated their content strategy was across all touchpoints including Email, SMS, and organic social. So impactful.

““They just GET IT.””

Pretty much anything from Reformation. Their tone of voice is spot-on (witty and culturally-relevant but concise). Visuals and product styling are consistently A+.

““I love the before and after concept for products that you may not be able to try before you buy.””

I love this email from Dae because it shows the effectiveness of their products using impactful imagery. The design and copy complement each other beautifully - showing that their products work. Dae also does a great job of keeping their emails consistently aligned with their branding and color scheme, which adds another dimension to customer trust. To me, this shows they know what they're doing when it comes to style and I'd trust them with my hair. Overall, I love the before and after concept for products that you may not be able to try before you buy. Great job, Dae!

““Subject line: It's Giving Modern Day Bridgerton””

I love this email in particular because they reference relevant trends to get your attention in the subject line (‘It's Giving Modern Day "Bridgerton"’), then connect the photos to the copy seamlessly. The imagery is stunning and the words are minimal. All you have to know is that this collection looks like the costumes in Bridgerton and whether you've watched the show or not, you’re immediately intrigued. This email aligns with my theory that simple copy and formatting are most effective, and beautiful imagery that adds meaning and depth to the messaging will take care of the rest. To me, this simple formula adds a layer of human connection to the brand or products and is what makes a good email great.

““I can't get enough Reformation emails!””

I love this email because it captures so much emotion in such few words. It's perfectly aligned with their brand personality: playful and fabulous without having to say much. The photos of their stunning dresses speak for themselves, which is another thing I love about them ---their emails are actually very simple and clean, further adding to their effortless tone and style. I'm a big believer that simple is often best when it comes to email marketing. Reformation has mastered this subtle art while also making me giggle at my desk.

“"I like that they don't play into the expected sense of urgency we've all started to see in really any Abandoned Cart flow."”

Instead, they lead with the customer benefit "final step to feel better". The CTA in an accent color is eye-catching and effective against the inevitable white background of the abandoned cart item. Lastly, what I really love about this email is the 3-block of benefits below the dynamic cart block: they start with overcoming a customer's main objection (a risk-free transaction), then a customer benefits from the product using simple, uncomplicated language, and finally a company value.

“"12 words that 100% resonated with me as a human."”

There's nothing worse than dragging home a bucket full of sand in your beach gear, and they know it. They commiserate with you, but also push a newly launched product. By not including the product name, it feels like an actual 'text from a friend' versus a marketing SMS: it's the perfect combination of super casual brand voice with problem-solving copy...and my new beach bag arrives on Tuesday, thanks for asking.

“"I have such a weakness for Reformation emails."”

This send specifically caught my eye: the hero headline perfectly captures *that* Ibiza lisp, the imagery is beautiful throughout the entire campaign and the copy is the definition of 'minimal with maximum effect.' What I really love about this send though, is the Spotify playlist link-out to at the very end - it's a unique touch to a very product-heavy send. Their emails always feel effortlessly cool, and this one hits it out of the park.

“"Sometimes short and sweet works best, but this longer form email kept me engaged!"”

I love this email because it keeps me scrolling. Sometimes short and sweet works best, but this longer form email kept me engaged! The drippy GIF header, seamless background, and variety of content is amazing! I also liked the recipe at the end, a fun way to remind purchasers what they can do with the product, or entice non purchasers to ALSO see what they can do with the product. And then (of course) shop buttons at the end for a more seamless conversion experience. So many good things going on here!

“"...they let customers write the email!"”

I've been a long time admirer of The Last Crumb's emails and branding, their copy is always SO on brand and often times makes me laugh out loud. As a writer of many emails a day, I love this one because they let customers write the email! It's a beautiful use of customer reviews, the design makes the reviews stand out, and they chose hilarious reviews to highlight. Next time I'm tired of writing, I'll be using this format.

“"This marketing play on pop culture was unexpected and well executed."”

I'm not big into pop culture or celeb events, but like everyone else, on May 6th the Met Gala it was all over my feeds. However, I wasn't expecting it to be in my text messages too. This marketing play on pop culture was unexpected and well executed. The timing of this SMS was perfect, it sent during the actual event which made it relevant to anyone who was on their phone that evening (aka all of us). It used a punny joke to promote a product during a real life (nationwide) event, PLUS the photoshop job on the asset is very well executed. It's also worth mentioning that Sleeping Beauty was my favorite Disney Princess growing up, so they hit the target market right on the head as well. You caught my attention with this one, Mixhers!

“"Their subject lines and pre-headers never miss!"”

This email from Reformation promoting their guest dresses for wedding season is clever and fun. Their subject lines and pre-headers never miss! If you're on Tiktok, you get it.

“"A hot take on a new product teaser!"”

This email is a hot take on a new product teaser. Moon Juice promotes their membership program and their new product with clever, pithy copy and minimalistic photography.

“"...the copy and design kept things interesting."”

Adanola utilizes motion and columns to show off their trending activewear products in this email. I love that the copy and design kept it interesting!

“"...makes me feel compelled to say 'yes!'"”

Presenting the low daily cost as a question of personal initiative makes me feel compelled to say "yes!" Nutrafol does a great job of highlighting the value of their products.

““Such a great way to gather customer feedback…””

Such a great way to gather customer feedback and positive reviews, while also setting expectations by describing what a "5" would look like. No messy links, either!

“"They leave questions unanswered so recipients have to click..."”

Saltyface leaves the questions unanswered in the email, so recipients have to click. Plus the design is a beautiful balance of simple and enticing.

“"...it communicates their efforts and advancements in sustainability and humanitarianism..."”

The #1 email I have received recently is Lucy and Yak's campaign highlighting their partners for Earth Day! I love the way it communicates their efforts and advancements in sustainability and humanitarianism, while still leaning into their brand aesthetic!

“"...it has everything I am looking for when deciding on buying a product!"”

My second email would be Girlfriend Collective's Find Your Perfect Fabric campaign! With clean visuals, charts, and reviews, it has everything I am looking for when deciding on buying a product!

“"Maybe it's because I am in the niche audience who appreciates the email marketing humor..."”

My third best would be Jackbox games "hey team I’m out the rest of this week" campaign. Maybe it's because I am in the niche audience who appreciates the email marketing humor, but I love the way this email stands out with such a simple and friendly attitude!

“"This fights against unsubs by communicating what you can expect from their future emails..."”

I really love their first Welcome email. It gives you the code you were after in the first place, but also really effectively fights against unsubs by communicating what you can expect from their future emails. The video links also brings in a human/behind the scenes element that connects the shopper to the brand in a really human way. Lastly, calling out the top categories and 1% For The Planet is really smart and gives the shopper some really helpful guidance.

“"This just screams high quality and luxury."”

I've always been a huge fan of Bite's emails. I've been a subscriber for years, even though I've never actually converted (shhh). The copy in this one is great and the reasons to buy the product are clear. Their emails are just beautifully designed, look different from most brand emails, and usually have a great GIF element included that captures the eyes. Their design just screams high quality and luxury.

“"The creative and their overall branding really pops."”

I love a good FAQ email, and this one really stands out to me. The creative and their overall branding really pops. Love their red. Love their font. Love the easily scannable design and the product overlays and imagery. And the CTA at the bottom inviting customers to reply is a really smart touch.

“"clever, laid back, and totally Ref customer-centric..." ”

Their brand voice is perfect. Copy is short + sweet (genius subject lines), clever, laid back, and totally Ref customer-centric. Plus, the consistency and specificity of execution is phenomenal.

“"Death Wish [delivers] their funny, on-brand tone but dialed-in extremely well for SMS..."”

These days it feels like a ton of brands are just re-purposing email copy for SMS rather than curating a unique SMS-specific copy experience. Death Wish isn’t doing that though. Their SMS marketing is spot on in terms of delivering their funny, on-brand tone but dialed-in extremely well for SMS so it feels like a different experience, even if it’s for something as simple as a discount promo or a re-purchase reminder.

“"Vacation embodies its' mid-80's retro vibe down to every last detail."”

From their incredible brand design to their trend-bucking and super clever long form copy, Vacation embodies its' mid-80's retro vibe down to every last detail. Their email experience is irreverent, cool, and totally unique. They are truly doing something fun and different and it really helps them stand out in the inbox.

“Engaging and fun!”

Replenish reminder; A segmented call to buy again in an engaging and fun way!

“Their texts are always so witty.”

Their texts are always so witty. I stay subscribed to texts because their brand’s humor and casual tone makes me giggle.

“Subject line: Not Full Of Sh!t”

Eye catching graphics, loyalty points header, simple education and value prop, price in the CTA, and the subject line was iconic and was the reason I opened the email. Subject line: Not Full Of Sh!t

“This email does beauty + education well.”

Gorgeous design, engaging movement, strong B&As and clinicals. This email does beauty + education well. Clinicals aren't sexy, but this email makes them strong and engaging.

“This email is mysterious, engaging...”

Product tease + giveaway + call to join VIP. This email is mysterious, engaging, and delivers multiple messages at once in a clear, succinct way.

“"Teaches you how to try a new look"”

Trend-based email that brings social and influencer content to email audiences to teach them how to try a new look.

““They share photos and stories from the designer..””

Floyd is one of my favorite furniture brands (I have their bed frame and it's the best). This email highlighted The Gere Easy Chair, made from a design originally created in the 70s. They share photos and stories from the designer with whom they partnered with to create this piece. Having a glimpse into the life and home of the designer shows the love for craft and thought that was put into this item.

““Amazing collaboration campaign.””

Another brand I love is Oddli! They just did a collaboration with a wine brand and created a wine bag with their own art on it. Amazing campaign.

““I generally love an opportunity to match or get a gift, give a gift.””

I loved Crap Eyewear's buy one, get one campaign's around Valentines day. Generally love an opportunity to match or get a gift, give a gift.

“An overall really seamless experience..”

I got an automated email from Chamberlain Coffee recently reminding me to stock up on a product I bought a few weeks ago. It was pretty straight forward but when I got another campaign a few days later, I loved that it also included a banner reiterating that same message I had gotten a few days before. Definitely felt really personalized/cohesive. They also get bonus points since when I clicked on the banner, it had already re-added my last purchase to my cart so I could easily checkout. An overall really seamless experience that I'm sure has great results!

“I love when brands send emails that show more of their personality..”

Loved this email I got from DedCool for International Women's Day. I love when brands send emails that show more of their personality as well as the team behind the scenes, it just makes it feel more human, and this email does just that. It also does a good job of highlighting products too so it doesn't feel like *just* a brand moment with low CVR, it also ties back to what the brand sells in an organic feeling way. Even if I'm not planning on buying more perfume right this minute, emails like this make me remember the brand long term so when I am in the market to buy, I'll think of them!

“Even though this text was only 8 words, it made me want to click and see more..”

This whole campaign was definitely a moment and I loved all of it! Reformation does a really good job being short and snappy with their copy (in the best way possible, in my opinion) and so even though this text was only 8 words, it made me want to click and see more of the campaign! Definitely felt different than other texts I get from brands too so for that, it really stood out to me.

“A feast for the senses, every darn time.”

I was recently introduced to Goldbelly emails and my god, they're gorgeous. A feast for the senses, every darn time. I recently got their Valentine's email and just everything about it was pulling me in: the beautiful pastel tones, the top down photography, the sheer dessert debauchery. They are long but they use email as more of a "show don't tell" kind of channel. And yes, I know they're image-based, which isn't best practice, but they're still email artists!

“ It's the brand voice that does it for me, it's so over-the-top luxurious that I can't help but chuckle to myself”

I love getting Aesop emails, and this one from Black Friday really tickled me. It's the brand voice that does it for me, it's so over-the-top luxurious that I can't help but chuckle to myself. They keep that consistent, and I respect that. It's one of the very few examples of OTT luxury that I have in my inbox - the thing that sells it every time is the passive voice; it's never "we're offering 15% off", but "a 15% reduction will be offered". I would've loved to be a fly in the room when they discussed their brand guidelines.

“This one's actually an email I've NOT received lately, and I have to admit I miss it.”

It's the famous Spam by Oatly, which was a series of emails so creative that I looked forward to them. They were just overtly silly and took self-aware marketing to the extreme. They called me FIRSTNAME LASTNAME in every email, and the writing was fantastic: verbose, like their train of thought that didn't go through a filter before it ended up in an email. I love it when brands step out of the ordinary in interesting ways, and are not afraid to take risks. I don't think I would've noticed a milk alternative otherwise, to be honest!

“Love the packaging, branding, and photography.”

An amazing view of super premium coffees.

“A beautiful email advertising one of the world's best coffees.”

No one does it like George Howell, and their storytelling and coffee education is really top tier.

“I love spotlighting the team behind the product…”

This tells a great story that gets you excited to try their coffee!

“Yes, I will usually stop and think if a question is presented to me in the subject line!”

I've been loving Dedcool's content on email, and their cheeky Valentine's Day email made me stop and giggle. Subject line: “Still Single?” caught my attention and the messaging made this holiday much more relatable to the masses, while introducing me to new product categories.

“Marketers aren't perfect and sometimes mistakes happen!”

Marketers aren't perfect and sometimes mistakes happen! I enjoyed how Dolce Vita turned this segmentation mishap into a celebratory purchase occasion for the rest of their customers.

“This simple numerical visualization was very effective…”

Like many others, I enjoyed Dry January with delicious Ghia products. This simple numerical visualization was effective -- tying in their main product benefit (clear-eyed mornings) while emphasizing the number of servings in their largest packs. Loved the added subscription push and emphasis on no automated renewal.

“Flower brand marketing often feels like a 64 pack of Crayolas spilled all over the place, but Bouqs’ marketing is elevated.”

Everything about their brand is so well done. The timing of their comms is huge; for example, I always order too late for Valentine’s Day and end up spending a lot of extra money. This year, Bouqs sent a super timely email to get ahead of the rush and avoid extra fees for fast delivery. They run promos and discounts in a very elevated manner. They also have many points along their purchasing journey where they remind you of their subscriptions offering. They make you want to join even if you can’t afford it!

“Everything flows very symbiotically in their emails without feeling corny.”

Each email features well-thought out designs that make you want to buy insoles. Bet you never thought you’d really want to buy insoles…

“Even if you’re not the ‘down the fairway’ person in the hero message, scroll and you’ll inevitably find a product that’s useful to you.”

Huckberry is a brand doing incredible community-building with an aspirational aesthetic. They do a great job of finding exit ramps for anyone who reads their emails.You might not be interested in one type of boot because you are not a deep sea fisherman, but there are products in every email to keep you interested. They have a really awesome Instagram presence, too.

“Our aim was to encourage customers to feel confident in their buying decision.”

I love this launch campaign we sent for our Neutralizer Pencils. We know complexion products are hyper-personal. We introduced the product by selling the problem it solves and addressing the need for it. Then we helped them find their shade using our quiz, and show the effectiveness of the product with a before and after. Our aim was to encourage customers to feel confident in their buying decision.

“They hit a potential objection without me even realizing that it was an objection.”

Brands like OLIPOP were smart to lean into Dry January to market their product. This text Olipop sent me hit a pain point of not knowing where to start when creating a mocktail. But what encouraged me to click was the line that read ‘with easily accessible ingredients you can find around your house.’ They hit a potential objection without me even realizing that it was an objection. Killer text.

“The click rate was 2x our normal click rate…”

We sent this ‘dry skin remedies’ email to a segment of customers that told us they had dry skin via our quiz. The click rate was 2x our normal click rate.

“I was actually inclined to send off a referral to somebody at work who was interested…”

You can't really open TikTok or Instagram these days without seeing Athletic Greens. After I got my second subscription order from them, I received a plain text email from their founder. It appeared highly personal and really reflected the heart of AG. It was powerful. I was actually inclined to send off that referral to somebody that I worked with who was interested. I also use plain text emails at Olipop!

“They educate you on how to care for your hair.”

Ouai sent me a post-purchase email with save 15% and a ‘build your own bundle’ where they listed things that you should do for your hair without specifically calling out their product. I liked that it was educational, beautiful and didn’t feel pushy.

“It was a really enticing offer.”

Saje sent me a really enticing offer for an abandoned cart. They sent what I had in my cart that I obviously had clicked away from and then similar products that I might like to add to the cart along with a 15% discount code. I think I clicked out of it because it was a little bit too expensive and I didn't want to buy it at that time.