From the Desk of Jon Erdahl
Based on a Best Buy eBlast
Every once in awhile some marketing comes across my in-box that I have to open. Most ends up in spam land I must admit. However, I happened to open up this Best Buy email this morning and it struck me on many levels as a text book example of how to do marketing correctly and how to be aware of your audience in a world of noise and ad bombardment. I’ll dissect this one for you from my perspective and why it works.
First off, the engagement tactic was right on target. If Best Buy is like most email databases around the world, about 70% of its database lies dormant as about 20-30% engage with any sort of regularity. That is correct….70% never get opened and if your ISP keeps seeing those emails un-opened, you can bet that it is only a matter of time before they become spam and you will never see them again. Best Buy has taken wall paper (they blast out at least once per week) and turned it into something simple, clean, and attractive. Where did it start? With a very engaging subject line that read “A Note From the CEO from Best Buy”. You bet I opened this one.
The email is short and sweet and gets right to the point by effectively making its Buy Back offer simple. The CEO makes a rare appearance (good to use sparingly as Best Buy timed this perfectly with their overall marketing strategy as you will see) and TALKS to me about what is coming up, how it works, and to watch the biggest event in US TV each year, the BIG GAME (you know what I am talking about).
The next brilliant step is that he not only announces the new Buy Back program but that you can see and hear all about in the BIG GAME which is superb cross-marketing. He also drops some of the talent that will be in that spot (Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber) so just the thought of those two even being in the same spot has me wondering and of course, as I watch the game, I will be looking out for that spot. It doesn’t matter if it is the best, the funniest, or just another spot. The important point and the only goal of any sort of advertising is awareness. I am hooked.
Also, look at the layout. Nothing fancy (in fact some might say boring) but it matches a no-nonsense message coming out of a CEO that we can all assume is fairly straight forward…..dare we say honest? Remember, it is vital to know you audience whenever you communicate and to make your message match the voice. This email delivers on all of those accounts.
Finally, what a great concept that creates customer loyalty in a category (electronics) that is all about who has the cheapest deal. It also keeps in mind the new consumer of the 21st century. How so? By following the trends over the last two years and how tough this economy has been for everyone. They have come up with a plan here, the Buy Back program, which creates value for your old gear. But here is the subtle yet brilliant part, the younger consumer is highly aware of waste and our “throw it out” consumer focused society. By “buying back” you gear, Best Buy is sending a Green recycle message that will appeal to those that just don’t feel right about putting their old 70″ Plasma screen on the curb to head to the dump. That just seems wrong.
The bottom line, with this simple but very effective messaging, the consumer can take away many benefits and Best Buy has utilized their database and email communication channel in a most effective manner. They peak interest, offer a cool deal, tell you about an ad that will be playing on the largest TV stage of the year, and have figured out a way to add real benefit to your technology purchases without adding to the clutter or our environment. Look it over carefully and see how you can adapt some of these concepts to your own messages.
Because you’re a valued Best Buy® customer, I want to personally tell you about a program we’re launching during the “big game” this Sunday, Feb. 6. It’s called the Buy Back Program and we’re announcing it in a commercial during the third quarter, with stars like Justin Bieber and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.
Buy Back is essentially “future-proofing” your technology. You purchase the technology you want today, and we’ll buy it back at a set price when you’re ready to upgrade to something new. You’ll know upfront what your gear will be worth, and you can conveniently redeem your Buy Back at our stores and immediately receive a Best Buy Gift Card.