Spam

Background

Deliverability of emails is becoming an issue for interactive marketers. ISPs change the way they label and define spam on a daily basis, so it is extremely difficult for businesses to devise a hard and fast rule to prevent their emails from being blocked. However, one way to limit the number of emails blocked by ISP spam filters is to get customers to add the sender to their contact list, thereby ensuring that they are labelled as 'safe senders'. This is what Eurostar briefed Proximity London to do, to ensure that their emails would get through to their customers.

Idea

Proximity’s solution stripped the problem down to its bare bones and delivered a fun, quirky piece of creative to existing customers. They emailed them a ‘real’ piece of spam – pointing out that it was the only piece they’d get – and telling them how to add Eurostar to their safe list.

Results

While it’s impossible to track how many customers added Eurostar to their safe list, high deliverability (98%) and open rates (26%) illustrated the success of the email in getting into inboxes and getting noticed. Although there was no promotional trigger, the email nevertheless managed to generate £10,000 worth of revenue.

Target Audience

Existing Eurostar customers.

Size

Test batch of 30,078 sent initially. Ultimately the plan is to communicate this message to Eurostar’s entire database.

Our Thoughts

Eurostar want to be able to send emails regularly to their key customers, build the relationship and so forth. Only trouble is, how to make sure those emails don’t get caught in spam filters? Solution: charm the key customers into making a positive decision to keep receiving the messages. And this jokey email certainly does charm. Our only question was, wouldn’t it be filtered out before it gets through?