With the school holidays here, bare legs in abundance and heat wave warnings threatening to be as commonplace as sunburns on holiday-makers, a marketer’s thoughts could easily turn to making the most of the British summer (especially if the weather continues to hold up). And yet, savvy marketers know that even as the temperatures rise, it’s time to turn their thoughts to what subscribers will be looking to fill their stockings with this December.

After all, most marketers plan their Christmas sales strategies months in advance, and this year is no different. However, 2009 does bring with it a greater set of challenges. The current economic climate is stagnant at best. While some financial experts predict signs of green shoots any day now, that hasn't translated to consumer spending and retail sales continue to be sluggish. Purse strings are tight and marketers are going to have to work harder than ever this year to stand out from the rest of the Christmas inbox clutter, resonate with their customers and provide relevant messaging that encourages brand loyalty and purchasing activity.

So what can a forward-thinking marketer do? The first step is to break free from the same type of ‘Free Shipping’ messaging that was sent last year (and possibly the year before that, and the year before that). While discounts and savings are certainly relevant this year, sending the same one-dimensional messaging throughout the Christmas season will only lead to subscriber fatigue (and possibly opt-outs and complaints) and won't differentiate your brand from the competition. Instead, consider implementing these tips to help you stand out:

• Take a look back before you move forward. Marketers are often so focused on the day-to-day tasks involved in getting emails dispatched that they have little time to analyse results or use those results to create a strategic messaging plan. With the Christmas season being a critical time of year for many marketers, especially retailers, you can’t afford to not approach this time of year with a clear plan of action. The best place to start is by analyzing your campaign and subscriber-level data from last year’s Christmas campaigns. What did your subscribers buy? When did they buy?  How often did they buy? What types of messages and offers were they most responsive to? How many unsubscribes did you receive? How many complaints? Did subscribers forward your emails? Knowing what worked (and what didn’t) will help you make better planning decisions for this year’s campaigns.
  
  
• If you don't know what your subscribers want to receive from you this Christmas, ask! The pre-Christmas season (basically now through early October) is a great time to send out a subscriber survey that gives you insight into how you can really resonate with your subscribers this year. What did they like (or not like) about your emails last year, in terms of content, offers, and frequency? What do they need the most help with? How much are they planning to spend, and on who? How can you help get them into the Christmas shopping spirit? Offering an incentive (like an entry into a Christmas-themed competition, prize draw or a coupon code) could improve response rates, and once you've received answers and feedback, be sure to actually use this data to make adjustments to your email programme strategy.
  
  
• Count down the season with a special Christmas email series. Ask subscribers for permission to send a new series focused on gift ideas for friends and family. Send the series once a day for a week or once a week for a month. Content can include suggestions for presents for her, for him, for the children, for a budget (£50 and below), for the hard-to-shop-for friend or family member, or feature non-traditional present or eco-friendly items. Track sign-up rates and subscriber behaviour across the series. Do all messages in the series perform well? Which ones get the most clicks and conversions? Which categories generate the most interest? The least? Start promoting the series in your autumn campaigns and make it easy to sign-up for. Be sure that you set clear expectations about what subscribers will be getting, when they’ll get it and for how long.
  
  
• Give a little something extra. While sending email is first and foremost about driving sales, show your subscribers that you can still embrace the true meaning of Christmas. Inspire them to tap into their Christmas spirit and connect with friends and family by featuring extra helpings of content in at least one promotion a week. Consider sending a favourite Christmas recipe (and give subscribers a forum for sharing theirs), instructions for a family-friendly craft idea, how subscribers can start a new Christmas tradition, ideas for festive activities, or a how-to guide for hosting a great party or mixing the perfect cocktail. The options are endless, and a little content (a few bulleted tips, a short checklist, a three-step guide) will go a long way to ensuring that your subscribers appreciate (and anticipate) your messages in their inbox this Christmas.

Margaret Farmakis
Senior Director, Response Consulting
Return Path