E-Mail Marketing in the Time of Coronavirus

We’re all living through unprecedented times right now. The amount of uncertainty that surrounds the world’s future as a result of the coronavirus can feel overwhelming at times. We’re all seeking comfort in a myriad of ways, including reaching out and connecting with those we care about. But to that one brand I bought one thing from four and a half years ago on a whim: Your email about COVID-19 does not soothe me, and your random e-mail does not endear me as a customer; rather, you look opportunistic.

Fast Company recently highlighted the unfortunate trend of brands communicating with consumers around COVID-19 when they really didn’t need to. They outline three tiers of e-mail communications around the virus: The first (and most legitimate) tier focuses on messaging changes in services, policies, or discounts associated with responses to COVID-19 (like Gap closing its stores, or Geico reminding you to use its insurance app, or airlines communicating service changes). Those e-mails are responsible, and critical for building consumer trust with a brand.

But the next two tiers begin to teeter on unnecessary. Fast Company characterizes Tier Two communications as “the Brand Friend.” These communications are driven by a desire, or perceived obligation, to acknowledge the reality of COVID-19 in the lives of customers and communicate a spirit of “We’re all in this together.” Perhaps irritating, but not unforgivable. No, unforgivable is what Fast Company characterizes as Tier Three: “…the seemingly completely random, we-just-happened-to-have-your-email-thanks-for-buying-our-cat-food-three-years-ago message. Of all these branded emails, Tier Three emails are the ones that belong in inbox hell.”

That last line may seem strong. But it seems to hold true, if you take a moment to scroll through Twitter and read the many, many reactions to these kinds of e-mails. And I think the strong negative reaction exists because many of these Tier Three communications seem to be coming from brands that may not have engaged with their e-mail lists in a long time; they’re seeing COVID-19 as an opportunity to re-establish a connection. And while it isn’t the worst idea to follow the zeitgeist and seek new opportunities to re-engage with customers through topical e-mail marketing, the critical mistake these Tier Three brands make is assuming that random COVID-19 messaging adds value to either the brand or the customer experience. Re-engaging customers is, essentially, making a first impression all over again, and it’s well documented and researched that the “…initial and ongoing value a customer receives will determine their willingness to open and continue to engage with e-mail over the lifetimes of the relationship” (Kagan, p. 71). Unfortunately, that last piece of information – the importance of building a strong willingness to open and engage with e-mail – seems to have fallen off the priority list for those brands taking advantage of COVID-19 as a marketing ploy.

So, in other words, if your brand is considering a non-essential pile-on to COVID-19 communications, it may be prudent to, instead, take a step back and consider how another e-mail may provide greater value to customers.