
11 Sep, 2015The Science Behind Weather Marketing- Top 8 Fall Email Campaigns of 2015
The best and the worst fall themed campaigns-The power of seasonal marketing
This article is from the weekly series of posts about e-commerce Email Marketing Best Practices.
Weather is an interesting phenomenon that humans have zero control over, but marketers can correctly use and drastically improve sales. It is a fact that weather affects around $3 trillion worth of business in the private sector alone. (1)
Rain and cold snaps persuade people to stay indoors and activates the use of holiday gift cards for ordering online. (1)
The most fundamental sales strategy was always as follows- lawn seed sells well in early spring, sun products in midsummer, outerwear in the fall, snow shovels in the winter.
North American weather had the following effect on the sales of various products (1):
- When the temperature drops one degree colder – soup sales go up 2%.
When the temp goes up one degree – beer and soft drink sales go up 1.2%. - One degree colder in the fall equals a 4% increase in children’s apparel sales.
Just one degree hotter in summer translates to a 10% increase in sun care products. - Just one degree colder in the fall means a 25% increase in mousetrap sales.
And just one degree hotter in summer – just one degree – results in a 24% increase for air conditioners. - After a tough winter this March, Torontonians will welcome Spring showers – so rainwear sales will be up by 10%.
- By June, there will be a heat wave in Ottawa, so kids shorts and tee-shirts will be up by 16%.
- Warmer July temps in Vancouver will result in a modest 5% drop in lawn tool sales.
- Dry conditions in August in Montreal will push demand for lawn-watering equipment up by 15%.
- Winter will come early to Winnipeg in September, causing sales of outerwear to jump by 9%.
- And a chilly October in Edmonton will mean sweater sales will be up by 6%.
This week we are reviewing weather marketing based on examples of the fall email campaigns from the following retail brands: Old Navy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lowe’s, Neiman Marcus, Gymboree, Crocs, ShoeMe, Indigo
Rating
All emails will be rated from 1* to 5*, where 1 means poor and 5 is great.
We review on a weekly basis:
Design
- Colors – colors have good contrast, consistent
- Typography – fonts have readable size, clear titles
- Images – clear, visible, easy to understand
- Formatting – blocks follow each other in an easy to navigate pattern
- Mobile Optimized – all elements are visible and formatted correctly on the mobile phone
Content
- Subject line – signals urgency and clear main offer that will be found inside the email
- Clear offer – one main offer with clear call to action
- Urgency to purchase – time, stock, shipping that motivates the buyer to purchase
- Product highlights – clear description of the products to evoke the interest of the reader
Winer 1st Place- Old Navy – WEATHER RELEVANT
Email 1: Old Navy
Subject Line: Ready for a fall fashion makeover? Up to 50% off all jeans & shirts





Design
- Colors: 5*
- Fonts: 5*
- Images: 5*
- Formatting: 5*
- Mobile Optimized: 5*
Content
- Subject line: 4*
- Clear offer: 3*
- Urgency to purchase: 4*
- Product highlights: 4*
Overall rating: 4.5*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: YES
Best thing about the email:
Covers all segments
Worst thing about the email:
Too many offers
2nd Place – Saks Fifth Avenue
Email 2: Saks Fifth Avenue
Subject Line: Westward-Bound: Fall Shoes

Design
- Colors: 4*
- Fonts: 4*
- Images: 4*
- Formatting: 4*
- Mobile Optimized: 4*
Content
- Subject line: 4*
- Clear offer: 5*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 3*
Overall rating: 3.9*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: Maybe
Best thing about the email:
Images and product shots
Worst thing about the email:
No urgency to purchase
3nd Place – Lowe’s
Email 3: Lowe’s
Subject Line: Gear Up for the Cooler Evenings: Outdoor Heating Solutions


Design
- Colors: 3*
- Fonts: 3*
- Images: 4*
- Formatting: 4*
- Mobile Optimized: 4*
Content
- Subject line: 4*
- Clear offer: 4*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 5*
Overall rating: 3.8*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: YES
Best thing about the email:
Product Highlights
Worst thing about the email:
- Text over images makes it hard to read
- Snow blower is not appropriate for an early fall campaign
4th Place –Neiman Marcus
Email 4: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Chloe: Build your look for Fall


Design
- Colors: 4*
- Fonts: 4*
- Images: 4*
- Formatting: 4*
- Mobile Optimized: 4*
Content
- Subject line: 3*
- Clear offer: 3*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 3*
Overall rating: 3.6*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: YES
Best thing about the email:
Images
Worst thing about the email:
No clear offer or urgency to purchase
5th Place – Gymboree
Email 5: Gymboree
Subject Line: It’s ALL 40% off and going fast—like summer!


Design
- Colors: 5*
- Fonts: 3*
- Images: 3*
- Formatting: 4*
- Mobile Optimized: 4*
Content
- Subject line: 5*
- Clear offer: 3*
- Urgency to purchase: 4*
- Product highlights: 2*
Overall rating: 3.6*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: YES
Best thing about the email:
Subject Line
Worst thing about the email:
No specific link to products shown
6th Place- Crocs
Email 6: Crocs
Subject Line: New: see flats go from basic to beautiful.

Design
- Colors: 3*
- Fonts: 3*
- Images: 4*
- Formatting: 4*
- Mobile Optimized: 3*
Content
- Subject line: 3*
- Clear offer: 3*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 3*
Overall rating: 3.2*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: NO
Best thing about the email:
Layout
Worst thing about the email:
Confusing images and no clear product reference
7th Place – SHOEme
Email 7: SHOEme
Subject Line: New styles for getting back to the grind

Design
- Colors: 2*
- Fonts: 3*
- Images: 3*
- Formatting: 3*
- Mobile Optimized: 3*
Content
- Subject line: 3*
- Clear offer: 3*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 1*
Overall rating: 2.6*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: NO
Best thing about the email:
Catchy tagline
Worst thing about the email:
Terrible blurry image
Last Place 8th Place- Indigo – NOT really Fall Relevant
Email 8: Indigo
Subject Line: Trending This Fall: Dark Blooms For Home Décor, Style & More

Design
- Colors: 3*–
- Fonts: 3*
- Images: 3*
- Formatting: 3*
- Mobile Optimized: 1*
Content
- Subject line: 3*
- Clear offer: 2*
- Urgency to purchase: 3*
- Product highlights: 2*
Overall rating: 2.5*
Conclusion-BUYING FACTOR: MAYBE
Best thing about the email
Formatting
Worst thing about the email:
The offer is not really relevant to the subject line or to Fall season
Just for Fun
This is one of those tricky emails when you do not know what you are getting. Is it 40% of or 30%, or maybe 40 +30?
You be the judge.

FINAL REMARKS
How to prepare a perfect marketing campaign for fall of 2015, whatever you are selling!
Fall 2015
Drier pattern from southern Ontario to Quebec
The fall will be pleasant overall across this region with an abundance of sunny days. Rainfall will be slightly less than average. Current signs point toward a favorable season for viewing the fall foliage later in September and into October. (2)
Based on this predicted weather information marketers should plan their campaigns regardless of an industry, whether you are selling clothes, home hardware or coffee.
Here are some examples of how this season campaign could be structured:
Dry Fall-2015
If you are selling Clothes:
- Hold on to the umbrella and rain boots, promote more dry weather clothes such as suede and light sweaters.
- Lighter colors are definitely in style when the sun is shining
If you are selling home related stuff:
- Put emphasize on the dry weather by offering last minute deals on summer equipment clearance
- Lawn care equipment and fertilizers are good to advertise when the weather is good
Warm Fall
If you are selling Clothes:
- Ease on warm winter jackets and advertise more of the lighter styles.
- Extend summer dresses promotions
If you are selling home related stuff:
- Outdoor fire pit and warming equipment to help extend the outdoor season
- Outdoor projects such as painting and decks
Use something as simple as weather to get the most of your marketing dollar. All you have to do is read the weather almanac and watch the weather forecast.
References
- “How Weather Affects Marketing – Home | Under The … – CBC.” 2015. 11 Sep. 2015, http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/how-weather-affects-marketing-1.2801774
- “The 2015 Fall Outlook for Canada – AccuWeather.” 2015. 11 Sep. 2015, http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/the-2015-fall-outlook-for-canada/51788301