400+ emails over 3 months, 3 leading activewear brands, and an independent analysis. What did we uncover about the email marketing strategies that keep customers clicking?
Spoiler alert: There’s more to it than catchy offers.
In this blog, we’ll dive into strategies used by Lululemon, Ten Thousand, and Uniqlo, breaking down what works (and why). So you can optimize your email marketing strategy and campaigns to boost your eCommerce revenue via email marketing.
This independent study explores insights & strategies to help you optimize your campaigns and win the inbox war.
1. Subject Lines: Make It Open-Worthy
Email subject lines can make or break your email campaigns. Right from the right subject line length to which emotions to target, tone of voice, and emoji usage, subject lines directly influence your open rates.
For example, Lululemon saw a 38.5% email open rate by optimizing its subject line for mobile devices in 2017. We dug deep into the subject line of this email marketing strategy analysis.
What We Found
Lululemon: 25% of emails used “new” in the subject line. Words like “gifts” and “sale” appeared in 9% of emails, emphasizing exclusivity and holiday shopping.
Ten Thousand: 26% highlighted discounts or urgency, with phrases like “30% off” and “Last Chance.”
Uniqlo: 24% emphasized deals and affordability, with terms like “price” and “new.”
Key Takeaway
Your subject line sets the tone. Focus on customer intent and find what resonates with your customer the most. You may create intrigue, emphasize urgency, or highlight value. For Lululemon, emotionally resonant lines (e.g., “An instant mood boost just arrived”) appeal to a positive experience. This approach makes your subject lines remain engaging and brand-aligned.
2. Preview Text: Support Your Subject Lines
While subject lines grab attention, preview text reinforces it leaving no room for second thoughts. We noticed that not all brands but Uniqlo maximized this opportunity.
What We Found
Lululemon: 40% of emails emphasized new product features.
Ten Thousand: 30% reinforced urgency, using phrases like “last chance.”
Uniqlo: 52% promoted specific categories (e.g., “Shop women,” “Shop men”).
Key Takeaway
Preview text is your second chance to back your subject line and earn the open. For example, Lululemon’s “New Scuba Velvet. Melt into it.” with “Softer than whipped cream on hot cocoa.” underlines the customer experience.
3. Email Frequency: How Often Should You Send?
Finding the right email frequency is a delicate balance. Overwhelm your audience, and you risk high unsubscribes; under-communicate, and you’re forgotten. Here’s how the three brands balanced it in their email marketing strategy.
What We Found
Lululemon: Sent 2-3 emails daily during peak weeks, with Black Friday accounting for 12% of all emails.
Ten Thousand: Averaged 1 email per day, maintaining a consistent cadence.
Uniqlo: Up to 3 emails daily during holidays, with 20% of their campaigns concentrated during Black Friday week.
Key Takeaway
Your frequency should align with audience expectations and seasonal demand. Test different volumes to find what works best for your store.
4. Timing Is Everything: Perfecting Send Times
When you send emails can be just as important as what you send. Timing directly influences open rates, especially when targeting different audience behaviors. This is why send times are a significant part of their email marketing strategy.
What We Found
Lululemon: Peak send times were 4 PM and 11 PM, each accounting for 17% of emails.
Ten Thousand: 81% of emails were sent at 12 PM, aligning with lunch breaks.
Uniqlo: Most emails were sent at 10 AM (30%) and 5 PM (24%).
Key Takeaway
Try different send times to understand your subscribers’ engagement behavior. Mornings work for productivity-focused audiences, while evenings may suit relaxed browsing.
5. Call-to-Actions: Drive the Clicks
CTAs guide your audience’s next step, to the purpose of your email. On the bigger picture of email marketing strategy, keeping your intent consistent from the subject line to CTA makes a huge difference. Clear, compelling CTAs directly impact click-through rates.
What We Found
Lululemon: “Shop what’s new” appeared in 31% of emails.
Ten Thousand: “Shop now” accounted for 28%, creating urgency.
Uniqlo: Gender-specific segmented CTAs (e.g., “Shop women,” “Shop men”) made up 62% of their total CTAs.
Key Takeaway
Write CTAs based on your audience’s intent. Short and consistent CTA texts are more effective. Keep it simple but segmented where possible.
6. Seasonal Campaigns: Make the Most of Holidays
Holiday campaigns are high-stakes opportunities to connect with customers when they’re primed to shop. The brands sent emails during the prime shopping season and we discovered a pattern in this area of their email marketing strategy.
What We Found
Lululemon: 40% of holiday emails focused on gifting.
Ten Thousand: 36% highlighted discounts and freebies.
Uniqlo: 56% of holiday emails emphasized affordability and deals.
Key Takeaway
Holidays are emotional and value-inclined. Tap into gifting, discounts, or value themes to resonate with your audience.
7. Gender and Product-Specific Strategies
Personalized emails generate 6x higher transaction rates. Segmentation is key to delivering relevant experiences. It may be in your email subject lines, heading, or CTAs.
What We Found
Lululemon: Gender-specific CTAs in 12% of emails, e.g., “Shop women’s cozy gifts.”
Ten Thousand: Minimal segmentation, focusing on tactical gear.
Uniqlo: Gender-specific CTAs made up 62% of total CTAs, showing strong segmentation.
Takeaway
Use segmentation to your advantage. Plan tailored email campaigns as specific as you can get to target individual needs.
Tips For Email Marketing Strategy
Across all brands, 25-30% of email subject lines featured key terms like “new” or “sale,” which directly impacted open rates.
Tip 1: Include customer-centric keywords to create intrigue and drive opens.
40-52% of preview texts were designed to reinforce subject lines, to help increase open rates.
Tip 2: Use preview text as a secondary hook to expand on the subject line’s intent.
Uniqlo’s high-frequency campaigns (up to 3/day) generate visibility but may risk unsubscribe rates.
Tip 3: Test customer tolerance for frequency to optimize engagement without overwhelming them.
Ten Thousand’s 81% midday emails were perfectly timed for their audience’s lunch breaks, maximizing open rates.
Tip 4: Analyze your audience’s daily routines and schedule emails during their most active hours.
Gender-specific CTAs dominated Uniqlo’s campaigns, accounting for 62% of total CTAs.
Tip 5: Use segmentation to craft targeted CTAs that resonate with your audience.
Black Friday and holiday promotions made up 36-56% of emails across brands, focusing on gifting and discounts.
Tip 6: Align your campaigns with emotional triggers and seasonal demand.
Personalized emails & CTAs tend to bring higher transaction rates. For example, Lululemon used gender-specific CTAs in 12% of emails.
Tip 7: Segment your audience by preferences, behaviors, or demographics for tailored messaging.
Ten Thousand’s steady 1 email/day will help maintain consistent engagement, while Uniqlo’s high volume caters to diverse segments.
Tip 8: Balance frequency and content quality based on your target audience’s preferences.
To Summarize
Analyzing successful brands, you get quick strategies that work without spending resources on trial and error. Pick the right strategy for your business, whether writing engaging subject lines, personalizing CTAs, or optimizing send times. Use these insights to get a head start on your email marketing journey and see the results for yourself.
If you liked this insightful blog, also learn the successful email marketing strategies behind Nike, Adidas, and more Activewear giants.
