To capitalize on early holiday shoppers, consumer brands should start using the term 'Black Friday' in email subject lines during the last week of October and the first week of November. This tactic can lift open rates by more than 25%, beating competitors who wait until mid-November.

Related Insights

From Nov 20th to Dec 20th, sending a personal letter-style email from a founder or executive to unengaged contacts can increase open rates by 40%. The key is changing the "from name" to a person, not the brand, and using a subject line that acknowledges their absence. This strategy works for both B2B and B2C brands.

Combine two specific audience identifiers in your subject line, like role and company attribute ("Mid-market CMOs") or interest and a pain point ("Beauty fans with sensitive skin"). This "double personalization" tactic reportedly increases B2B open rates by 24% and B2C by 29% by making the message feel hyper-relevant.

Personalizing subject lines with a recipient's industry or interests is a known tactic that provides a solid 20% lift in open rates. However, this should be considered a baseline, as more advanced psychological tactics like aspirational messaging can yield even higher returns of 24-28%.

BFCM customers buy on discount, not brand affinity, and rarely return. Brands must go overboard with post-purchase brand storytelling through multiple channels (email, ads, social) to reinforce the "why" and earn a second purchase from this transactional cohort.

Your email signature is valuable, underutilized real estate. Adding a simple holiday-focused message, a thank you, and a link to 'best of the year' content can increase CTRs by over 40% in December as you're reaching highly relevant business contacts.

To avoid skyrocketing CPMs and intense competition during the traditional Black Friday week, Comfort launches its holiday sales campaign on October 15th. The strategy is to be first to market, capture budget from early shoppers, and build momentum before every other brand starts their promotions.

Animated GIFs in emails see their highest performance during the November-December period. This seasonal lift is attributed to audiences being in a more receptive and festive mood, making it a prime time to test this tactic for increased engagement and to stand out in crowded inboxes.

Animated GIFs aren't just for flair; they are a proven tactic to increase email engagement. Data shows they can lift click-through rates by approximately 20%. Their effectiveness is particularly high during the holiday season from November through December, a period when audiences are more receptive to dynamic content.

In October and early November, B2B email open rates increase by over 30% when the subject line is personalized with the recipient's company name. This tactic is especially effective as businesses are in their planning cycle for the upcoming year, making them more receptive to company-specific messaging.

Brands running one static Black Friday deal all November see consumer interest wane. The most successful brands introduce a significantly better offer on Thanksgiving evening, creating a massive revenue spike by tapping into learned consumer behavior of waiting for the best deal.