Abercrombie & Fitch, a brand in young fashion, excels in email marketing by incorporating advanced tactics that engage and convert. Here's a deeper look into how Abercrombie leverages heavy split testing, hype drop marketing, and past purchase data.
Heavy Split Testing
Abercrombie & Fitch takes a rigorous approach to email marketing through heavy split testing. They test various elements of their emails—from subject lines to call-to-action buttons—the brand fine-tunes its messages to resonate with different segments of its audience. This allows Abercrombie to determine which email components perform best, ensuring that the final content is optimized for engagement and conversion rates.
For instance, they have been testing subject lines of promotional emails for summer wear, such as shorts and dresses to see which yields the highest open and click-through rates.
Key takeaway: Don’t get stuck thinking you need to have the same subject line just because they email has the same content. Split out your audiences into different segments and play around with different subject lines and monitor the results.
Hype Drop Marketing
Hype drop marketing is another powerful strategy employed by Abercrombie. This technique involves building anticipation for a new product or collection before its release. Abercrombie’s emails often tease upcoming launches with sneak peeks and countdown timers, creating a buzz among its customers. By the time the product drops, there's already significant demand.
For example, the brand send a weekly email on Thursday the has link to the new product drops of the week. This helps to engage customers and start to train their brain to be on the lookout every Thursday for new emails.
Key Takeaway: Consider creating a sequence of emails leading up to the launch of a new product or feature to generate anticipation. Alternatively, you can establish a regular schedule, training your customers to expect specific updates or content from you every each week.
Leveraging Past Purchase Data
Abercrombie’s use of past purchase data to tailor email content is a testament to its customer-first approach. They analyze what a customer has bought in the past, to craft personalized email recommendations that are more likely to appeal to the individual’s tastes. This not only enhances the relevancy of their emails but also increases the likelihood of repeat purchases.
For example, after the purchase of a pair of shorts, Abercrombie sends follow up with email highlighting some of the new jeans and jackets.
Key takeaway: Don’t think of a purchase as the end of communication with your customers, but rather the begin of a new chapter. It’s always easier to retain existing customer than get new ones. Look for ways to personalize emails to the customers desires.
By constantly evolving its email strategies and adopting innovative marketing tactics, Abercrombie sets a high standard for what effective email marketing should look like in the retail industry.