Localized Target mail
In promotional emails directed to regular customers, retailer Target has begun testing localization features — meaning that, depending on where a recipient lives, s/he may see content specific to his/her local or preferred Target store.
"For instance, the emails feature the name of the subscriber’s local store in the header, complete with the store’s telephone number and store-specific links to its clinic, photo center and other departments," writes The Retail Email Blog.
Store name also appears in the subject line, as demonstrated by the May 31 email blast received by Retail Email: "New this week: Check out the deals at your Edina Target store."
Target's particular brand of localization targeting is contingent on the subscriber's preferred store — where s/he spent the most money — not necessarily the closest store. When that information is not available, localized emails will default to zip code.
Tests have suggested that subject line localization tends to be more effective than name personalization — that is, when the recipient's name appears in the subject line. In general, personalized ads have been known to draw spendier and more frequent shoppers; email in particular increases purchasing likelihood by 50%, according to Epsilon — provided, of course, that the emails are opt-in and relevant to users.
In May, Borrell Associates projected a 39% decline in direct mail efforts over the next five years, in part because of the efficiency, ease-of-entry and trackability of email marketing.
Image credit: The Retail Email Blog.
