Every year is packed full of opportunities for marketers to get in touch with their audience.
And 2021 is no exception. The world has been recovering from a pandemic, have tensely watched the Euros, and have been inspired by the Tokyo Olympics.
And even though the year isn’t yet over, we just can’t wait any longer to showcase some of our favourite emails from 2021. And let you know exactly why we love them.
Deliveroo
Cast your mind back to January. Many were hopeful that the new year marked a fresh start after a fairly miserable (to say the least) 2020.
With this in mind, many kicked off their new year with Veganuary. It was an opportunity to eat healthier, be kinder to the planet, and try out some new recipes.
And for those who aren’t pros in the kitchen, Deliveroo was here to help.
There are lots that we love about this email. It’s simple but effective, focusing on a bright, attractive banner image, snappy and entertaining copy, and a clear CTA.
But what made us include this email in our top 10 is the personalisation Deliveroo use.
Because this isn’t just a generic email advertising Deliveroo’s support for Veganuary. Instead, all of the recommendations are tailored to the individual recipient’s location.
As soon as you click through, Deliveroo takes you to a personalised landing page promoting all of the top vegan-friendly restaurants in the recipient’s area. They include essential information such as ratings and delivery costs. But also they dynamically populate the page with delivery times for each individual restaurant. Impressive.
Beauty Bay
How can you not love this email from Beauty Bay?
Sent at the start of 2021, this email immediately catches your eye with bright and bold visuals.
But that’s not necessarily why this email made our shortlist. In the New Year, our inboxes are crammed with offers, sales, and promotions. All of which can be overwhelming to say the least.
Many of us are keen to spend our Christmas money. But just don’t know where.
Fortunately, Beauty Bay was here to save the day with their Best Beauty Products Guide.
With the use of content, Beauty Bay can showcase their top sellers from the past year. Guiding consumers to the best products to purchase. And using purchase data from other customers in 2020 to offer reassurance to those who are keen to splash their cash.
See other beauty brands bossing email marketing here.
Uber
Chances are your inbox is full of emails from brands and businesses letting you know they are “there for you” during these difficult times.
All of which we wholeheartedly applaud. But we must admit, these communications can become white noise after a while.
But Uber’s email stood out from the crowd. Not only does Uber show their support, but they actually do something about it.
Uber use this email to promote how they will cover trips to 45 vaccination centres across the UK, also offering a clear link so that recipients can see if their vaccination centre is included.
But Uber don’t stop there, this email ends up being a one-stop-shop for Covid information. Including their further discounts for rides for NHS and care home staff. And a handy checklist to promote the measures taken by Uber to ensure the safety of their passengers and drivers.
Yves Saint Laurent
For those who have lost their Dads, Father’s Day can certainly be a difficult time.
And it doesn’t help when brands are bombarding inboxes with Father’s Day promotions.
That’s why we were pleased to see that Yves Saint Laurent were one of the few brands in our inboxes that had paused to consider these individuals.
To show empathy and consideration for them, Yves Saint Laurent sent out a tasteful email offering recipients the opportunity to opt-out of Father’s Day emails.
This email is clear from the very start, with a direct subject line and header copy. Useful information that reassures that the recipient won’t be unsubscribed from other emails. And a clear CTA.
We would recommend that any brand considers this approach for occasions such as Father’s Day, to show their recipients a little compassion where needed.
Sports Direct
Euro 2020, now that was a wild ride!
Our inboxes were crammed full of football-themed promotions and offers. However, we noticed a lack of creativity in many of these communications. With brands simply tacking on ‘Euro 2020’ to a generic sale.
Sports Direct, on the other hand, when the extra mile.
They offered email content that was genuinely useful for football fans. Mapping out England’s potential journey to win Euro 2020, with the use of engaging imagery and copy.
This email is fantastic for nurturing purposes. Sports Direct aren’t going for the hard-sell, but simply engaging their audience with some fun and useful content.
Made
Everyone loves a cute cat photo. Right?
That’s likely why Made took the smart decision to jump on International Cat Day and show off how much their feline friends enjoy their furniture.
But there’s more to this email than just adorable balls of fur. Made used this opportunity to promote user generated content (UGC) from Instagram to celebrate how happy their customers are with their purchases.
Not only is this an easy way to create engaging content. But with 95% of consumers researching reviews before purchasing, it’s a subtle way to offer 
reassurance to potential customers.
Hobbycraft
Many of us are used to the standard Christmas, Easter, and New Year email campaigns.
That’s why it’s great to see brands celebrating other holidays such as Eid. Acting as a more inclusive communication for all of their audience.
And while we are big fans of any brand practicing inclusivity, another reason why we chose this email from Hobby Craft is the subtle promotion of their in-store offering.
With many stores being closed over lockdown, and more consumers now opting to shop online, the high street is in desperate need of a promotional push.
Hobbycraft achieve this by communicating to their engaged online audience, giving them the option to shop via their website. But also showcasing the efforts they are making to celebrate Eid in their stores. And some of the products consumers could purchase in-store to celebrate the occasion.
Thortful
If you’re regular readers of our content, you’ll know we’re big fans of email automations to personalise the customer experience.
One of our favourite, but lesser-used automations are replenishment campaigns.
These campaigns are great for reminding customers when they are due to purchase again, and are often used for items such as vitamins and medicines, beauty products, and groceries.
Thortful offer a more creative use of replenishment reminders. They utilise past purchase data to remind customers of cards they will likely want to purchase again this year.
This is perfect for occasions you don’t want to forget, such as Mother’s Day, anniversaries, and birthdays.
Glasses Direct
Remember when we said 95% of consumers research reviews before purchasing? Because it’s certainly a stat that Glasses Direct have taken onboard.
A key part of the nurturing journey is reassuring potential customers that they can trust your brand and product. And if a brand has spent time and effort gathering excellent reviews, then they should shout about it.
That’s what Glasses Direct do in this email that is full of reassurance and useful stats.
Not only do they celebrate their (impressive) 150k reviews on Trustpilot. They also provide an overview of some of the most popular elements of their offering. And further back this up with direct quotes from reviews.
Take a leaf out of their book and don’t be shy about celebrating your happy customers. Not only does it offer reassurance, but it shows your current customers that you value their thoughts and feedback.
easyJet
Last but not least, another example that proves that content is still king when it comes to email.
England’s traffic light travel list has left many confused, to say the least.
The regular changes to countries and rules can be overwhelming and frustrating for those desperate for a week in the sun.
easyJet’s email aims to make the process as smooth as possible for their recipients.
They start by reassuring their holiday-makers that their getaway can be booked in confidence with links to their Protection Promise and Covid Commitments. They then go on to introduce the countries which have recently been added to the Green List. Complete with enticing imagery, and links to flights and package holidays specific to that country.
Have you been inspired by our favourite emails?
Then we can help you create campaigns that are just as beautiful, engaging, and relevant.
Get in touch with our team of experts to find out exactly how.