Bronto Blog

Update 11/19 - The latest edition of BrontoFire was recorded live!

Chad White’s AM Inbox is a popular blog post on RetailEmail.Blogspot via the email experience council (EEC). Chad provides a daily scan of online retail subject lines under his “Subjectivity Scanner.” DJ and I decided to take Chad’s scanner a step further this week by adding a point counter point discussion around some of the highlighted subject lines.

Imagine Crossfire…Bronto style: DJ and I hunkered down in front of our laptops expounding on the strengths and weaknesses of each subject line. We were quickly immersed in a sparring dialogue, each Account Manager representing an opposite viewpoint. Here is a sample of the subject lines we scrutinized:

Harry & David, 10/23 — Scared? Don’t worry – there’s still time for Halloween gifts! Save 10% now!

DJ: “It asks a timely question for the season and answers the question – I like that it is different.”

Kimberly: “I don’t care for all the punctuation (someone likes their exclamation points). It is simply too long. The subject line was most likely truncated.”

KB Toys, 10/23 — Save on Halloween, Arts ‘N Crafts, and More

DJ: “It is timely, short and to the point and leaves something to the imagination”

Kimberly: “I would never know from this subject line that this company sold fun toys for kids. This subject line should scream fun by highlighting some seasonal toys.”

L.L. Bean, 10/23 — Free Shipping + “Wicked Good” Comfort

DJ: “Grabs my attention with a play on words for Halloween.”

Kimberly: “Would my father get this? Where is the comfort in the clothing, furniture? Hmmm I’m not sure my Dad would have even opened this message even though he has bought from L.L. Bean since I was a child.”

Victoria’s Secret, 10/23 — Swim 2008 Preview! Plus, Save Up to $150 Online.

DJ: “It works for me. I don’t need a discount or an offer, I just need to see the words ‘Swim Preview’ and I’m there.”

Kimberly: “As a female I wish it drew me in by bringing me to the beach, making me think summer in fall. They should customize the subject line based on gender.”

Throughout this showdown we laughed and we disagreed. However, in the end we both clearly agreed on one point - there is always room for improvement. Next time you’re deciding a subject line, try out this simple exercise with you and a coworker. It’s a fun exercise that helps you see a different viewpoint before deciding on that perfect subject line.

DJ Waldow and Kimberly Snyder
Account Managers at Bronto