Luxury Marketing through Email: Why Old-school is Still Cool!

At a digital marketing strategy meeting, the conversations usually revolve around some of the most throbbing social media platforms known to us today- Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so on. One might think that emails have battled hard, but have been kicked out. Have you ever wondered how these talks go about for a luxury brand? Take a look:

Instagram

“I’m ruling the social media game, legit winging it! I’m getting so much attention and love from my planning team, which is why I’m also loved by my users. #imthebest”

Facebook

“I am doing fine too, actually. The marketing team keeps on saying I’m not so young anymore, but I think people still like me. I’m quite proud of my child, Instagram though. Sometimes Instagram and I share the same posts, tags, and even people!”

Emails

“A few people believe I’m dead. On the contrary, I’m being called ‘the secret marketing tool’ by a few. Sounds cool, right? Anyway, as the oldest one here, I hope I’ll survive longer. The marketing guys are putting in a lot of effort, and there’s an entire story to this.”

Email marketing is here to stay.

Before digital disruption caused social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to take all the limelight, emails reigned the marketing arena with much flair. Today, a few people often debate whether email marketing is as effective as it was before, for luxury brands.

This debate largely dwells on the notion that luxury brands are quite popular and have a large following on social media networks, and that emails are becoming extinct for the purposes of promotion and interaction. But scratching the surface reveals something quite different.

Here’s why email marketing for luxury brands is still relevant:

1. Money matters: Email marketing is strong with RoI

For every 1 USD spent on email marketing, you can expect an average Return on Investment (RoI) of 42 USD (DMA, 2019). A 4200% RoI is undoubtedly tempting and unmistakably worth every penny. However, it’s important to understand that email marketing can be a hit only if the strategy is strong and fool-proof. From the right target audience, to creativity and technicalities, everything needs to be taken care of.

2. This way, please: Directing users to a specific web page

Every effective email crafted for promotion has an element of Call-to-Action (CTA), which enables users to visit the product featured on the brand’s website. According to McKinsey & Company, a customised landing page can help you increase your conversion rate by 25%!

3. The millennials are very much into emails

The millennials end up spending a lot of time on emails, which makes incorporating emails a key element of the overall marketing plan. Why millennials? Today, they make up the largest segment of the consumer base for luxury brands, and remain highly active on the email circuit- As per Adobe’s Consumer Email Survey report,

“workers between ages 25 and 34 spend 6.4 hours a day checking their email, with more than a third checking their work mail before they even get out of bed.”

Millennials spend a considerable time checking their emails.

4. Beyond the world of selling: Audience engagement

Typically speaking, community interaction is often at the centre-stage when it comes to occupying people’s hearts. Offering the best scope for practising CRM effectively, emails let a brand build a strong credibility image. Not just this, customers are more likely to repurchase from a brand if its visibility is constant.

Here are a few quick tips luxury brands can use for effective email marketing:

1. Don’t give me the full picture: A visually appealing email can work its charm, and help you reach your business goals naturally. However, it’s important to keep the text-image ratio in mind- spam filters forbid emails with an image-only or an image-dominant content with little text.

2. Don’t scream at me: To increase open rate, make sure you have catchy subject line. But there’s a catch- don’t write your subject in capital letters- your email would have higher chances of ending up in the spam folder.
3. Exclusively for you: Like a spilled secret recipe that’s been passed on from generation-to-generation, an important ingredient for stirring up an amazing email marketing campaign is the audience. Customise emails in a way so enticing, that the users look forward to more of them.

4. Technically speaking: Don’t forget that at the end of day, a business can be supported by its patrons, but survives on sales. Insert an attractive CTA to align your marketing with business goals.

5. There’s always room for more: Focus on growing your subscribers. Nothing works like a cleverly composed creative message on a brand’s website calling visitors to subscribe.

With customers getting bombarded with several emails, and a vast majority ending up in the much annoying spam box, the only way to market fiercely is to stand out. And now you know, why the old-school trick of email marketing works wonders for luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Prada, even if they are well-known.