SAN BRUNO, CA — (Marketwire) — 07/26/11 — (NASDAQ: MKTG), the leading provider of email and cross-channel marketing solutions, today announced the release of the , which provides strategic advice and tactical insights, discusses trends, and includes extensive benchmarks to help retailers and other B-to-C companies maximize their email and digital marketing revenue during the holiday season.
Based on the holiday email activity of the more than 100 top U.S. online retailers tracked by the and the insights of Responsys- Strategic Marketing Services team, the 51-page 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season includes benchmarks and advice such as:
When marketers should begin planning their email marketing campaigns;
The frequency of the campaigns;
Which days to send the marketing campaigns;
How to make an email campaign stand out in the inbox; and,
Which messaging tactics to use throughout the holiday season.
“Email marketing is becoming increasingly vital to retailers- holiday success,” said Ed Henrich, Senior Vice President of Professional Services at Responsys. “Responsys- retail client data shows that 2011 open rates are up 23% over last year and click-to-open rates are up 11%. This is a positive sign that the 2011 holiday season could be very strong. We look forward to working with our retail customers to maximize the performance of their interactive marketing programs this holiday season.”
The 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season also uncovers new challenges and opportunities that will require marketers to adjust their holiday email marketing strategies.
“The emergence of -Black November,- the continued growth in mobile email readership, and increasing cross-channel sophistication will all have a major effect on marketing campaigns this holiday season, when email volume is on track to reach new all-time highs,” said Chad White, Research Director at Responsys and author of the 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season.
Other topics covered in the 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season include:
Retailers are trying to attract shoppers earlier in the holiday season by promoting “Black Friday” deals and pricing as early as November 1, a trend Responsys refers to as “Black November.” As a result, last year the number of references to Black Friday between November 1 and Black Friday increased 68% vs. 2009.
Cyber Monday is living up to its hype as “the biggest online shopping day of the year,” with online sales breaking the $1 billion mark for the first time on that day last year. Email marketing is a prime contributor to that success, with 77% of major online retailers sending at least one promotional email to their subscribers on Cyber Monday, up from 71% in 2009. It was the fourth consecutive year that Cyber Monday was the most popular day of the year for retailers to send emails.
Black Friday check-in campaigns and last-minute gifts delivered via Facebook were both nascent trends last year that Responsys expects to grow this year.
Examples of the “22 Phases of Holiday Messaging,” the 22 messaging tactics that retailers use at various points during the holiday season, are also covered. Those tactics include “12 Days of Christmas” campaigns, season-s greetings, and urging gift card redemptions.
For information on how to obtain a copy of the complimentary 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season, please visit .
Responsys is the leading provider of email and cross-channel marketing solutions that enable companies to engage in relationship marketing across the interactive channels customers are embracing today — email, mobile, social and the web. With Responsys solutions, marketers can create, execute, and automate highly dynamic campaigns and lifecycle marketing programs that are designed to grow revenue, increase marketing efficiency, and strengthen customer loyalty. Responsys- New School Marketing vision, flexible on-demand application suite, and customer success-focused services aim to deliver high ROI, increased levels of automation and fast time-to-value. Founded in 1998, Responsys is headquartered in San Bruno, California and has offices throughout the world. Responsys serves world-class brands such as: American Family Mutual Insurance Company, Avis Europe, Continental Airlines, Deutsche Lufthansa, Dollar Thrifty, Lands- End, LEGO, Newegg, Qantas, and Southwest Airlines. For more information about Responsys, visit .
Responsys 2011 Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season –
Like Responsys on Facebook –
Follow @responsys on Twitter
Kimberly Canedo
Responsys, Inc.
(650) 745-1720
You must be logged in to post a comment Login