The First 2 Weeks – Sports Apparel: Part 1 of 2
Posted by Nic Winters on July 17th, 2009
Welcome again to The First 2 Weeks, where we analyze 3 competitors’ email marketing strategies when it is most crucial… the opt-in process, welcome message, and first few campaigns as these marketers attempt to establish relationships with subscribers.
For this edition of The First 2 Weeks, we have chosen 3 competitors in the sports apparel segment: Nike, Reebok, and adidas.
OPT-IN PROCESS
The opt-in process for all 3 competitors has been fairly well constructed. Nike takes the most simplistic approach – collecting additional fields of zip code, birthdate, and gender. Nike highlights email signup very well on their main page as it stands out in the middle of their website with only a minor scroll downward to reach this area.
Reebok could use an improved wording on their opt-in link, currently displaying only a link in the top right that says “Register”. However, they collect a great amount of information in a two step opt-in form while still keeping the process fun for the subscriber. They allow the subscriber to specify their interest level in each of the sports Reebok apparel may apply to, favorite colors, and supply a rating on how you use these products (on the field/off the field).
adidas features an “eMail Sign Up” link at the top-center of their website – a great location and clear wording. Their opt-in page goes above and beyond those of their competitors as they display sample emails to show you what you can expect as a subscriber – setting expectations for a solid relationship. Their form collects useful segmentation information including which types of adidas retail newsletters you would like to receive along with your sport and style interests. Finally, the opt-in page also includes the ability to sign up for mobile alerts regarding new products, events, and downloads.
WELCOME MESSAGE
Greetings from both Reebok and adidas arrived around 2 minutes beyond opt-in – a very timely response to begin the email relationship… whereas Nike failed to send any confirmation or thank you via email.
Reebok has crafted their welcome message to be very well formatted for images being disabled, as the email is mostly text that lets the subscriber know what to expect and providing a link to access your account. However the from address of no-reply@service.reebok.com is not very inviting and they do not provide any notice on the message to add them to your address book to ensure future delivery.
The welcome email sent by adidas has text visible above the fold but carries more brand styling than found in the Reebok message. However, adidas could have coded their call-to-action links within the body using background images with blocks of background color and text so they were not lost with images off. This email includes a link to begin shopping and also provides the subscriber with a chance to join an “Insiders” group to be the first to see new products – a great way to increase the perceived value of future emails.
These 2 competitors fail to provide any true discount or offer in their welcome messages to entice the new subscriber to begin shopping right away – clearly a missed opportunity, but still a step above Nike, which didn’t send a welcome at all!
Watch for Part 2 in the coming weeks in which we will evaluate campaigns sent beyond the welcome message and preference editing options.
