Quick results – who used my birthday?

In follow up to the two earlier posts (it’s not my birthday, and it is my birthday)! about the opportunity to use date fields in your database to send personal and relevant eDM’s to your clients, I am here to report that a grand total of 2 organisations have used my birthday for an email campaign.

Robin Judkins is from New Zealand, the longstanding master of the Speights Coast to Coast.  Robin’s email is personalised in great detail (click on it to see detail), focuses on the fact that birthdays are a good time to review and set goals, and he reminds me that I haven’t re-registered for my second shot at the world’s most gruelling multi-sport race.  Simple, effective, personal and appreciated.  (P.S. I’m planning for a repeat in 2012 if you’re up for it?)


Banana Republic is from the USA.

I only subscribe becuase a lot of our clients are retailers and we like to get the best form the rest to be continually able to offer tips and advice as well as examples of best practise.  I haven’t ever purchased online from them, but they clearly have a triggered date program that sent this to me.

No personalisation as such other than they sent it in November which is my birthday month, but it’s better to do something than nothing, and this is a something.

I’m sad to say none of our own clients sent a birthday campaign, automated manual or otherwise, clearly we have a lot of work to do to convince them that this is worth doing or they would be doing it, surely?

Hey retailers? Suppliers? Ecommerce websites? Professional services?  You have my birthdate on file, why not use it and see how much money you can get me to spoil myself with – it’s only once a year and you might just find out that I’m worth it.

I’m so sure this is a great opportunity that I’m happy to talk to you and get something started as soon as you are ready – let m know.

Conversely – if you don’t do birthday or anniversary eDM campaigns and you think you have a good reason why not – tell us why in the comments below, please.

Lastly – there is NO linking or promoting to Social Media going on here… when I know for a fact that most people who do know its my birthday find our via a Facebook update.  There is the perfect and relevant opportunity to wish your customers the happiest of days, and also encourage them to share the wishes with their networks, allowing you a branding opportunity that will reach as wide as their peer group does.  Now that’s bang for your buck.  For other posts about this type of sharing see SWYN, and Free Money.

I’ve got a year to get some action round these parts – how hard can it be?


See this post in the same topic http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=151226



Posted by roanne parker | November 28, 2010
Email Best Practice and Deliverability,GetSMART,Hall of Fame - Great Email Campaigns,Hall of Shame/Fame,Retail E-Marketing,Welcomes and Email Automation          , , , ,          Comments (2)
  • Ian Howarth

    The Speight’s Coast to Coast example was a fantastic example of a relevant, personalised birthday email.

    But while good birthday mailings are often a good opportunity to communicate, for less personal services (like electrical utilities, for example) my birthday and personal celebrations aren’t really relevant. In fact sometimes they can verge on creepy.

    A good compromise is to shift from the birthday to the customer anniversary. That’s the sort of information that I know that you know, and that I expect you to know – and it’s totally relevant to the core relationship we have.

  • http://Smartmailpro.com roanne parker

    Yes I agree. In fact yesterday I was trying to convince a client to set up an automated edm that was sent to a piece of farm equipment on it’s birthday (date of purchase). When you are nice to someone human nature means that they want to be nice back – even if that costs you cash.
    And another way to use date triggers is to pre-empt the anniversary so it looks a bit less contrived.

    But the post just tried to say… all my favourite permission relationships with retailers and online stores, and the clubs, and special interest groups, seem to be missing a very simple fact – once you reach about 11 yo there isn’t much fuss about your birthday, and it’s a nice quick win – making an impact and being memorable isn’t necessarily anything more than good old fashioned manners. Please, thankyou, happy birthday.