Nike Email Marketing: Building Strong Customer Connections Through the Inbox
Can you believe that while various new media platforms have emerged, email marketing hasn’t become outdated? In fact, it remains the most effective marketing method today! When my professor, Joanne, told me this, I still couldn’t believe it because in China, I have never been accustomed to using email due to it being filled with various spam messages. However, after learning about how Nike utilizes email marketing, I have no doubt that it truly is effective!
Effortless Registration and Inspiring Welcome: Embracing Nike’s Brand Identity
I easily found the “Sign in” icon on the top right corner of Nike’s official website. Compared to other brands’ cumbersome registration processes (often requiring a lot of information, including nickname, address, etc.), I simply registered by inputting my email address and setting a password, which took less than 15 seconds. After registering, I received a Welcome email from Nike. I was instantly drawn to the style of the email — it wasn’t the traditional text-based format. Instead, it consisted of creative images featuring people of different body types and skin colors confidently engaging in various activities. This instantly made me feel the essence of Nike’s brand culture and philosophy of “just do it.” The email then succinctly combined brief headings, images, and messages to convey the benefits of being a member, which allowed me to intuitively grasp the information.
Nike’s Thoughtful Email Approach: A Delightful Surprise
Actually, before entering my email address, I had concerns because I believed that everyone has experienced the annoyance of receiving continuous emails from a brand after their email information gets leaked. It was similar to when I registered on Medium, where I received various messages from the brand every day. The constant stream of emails made me lose interest in subscribing to that brand. However, after becoming a Nike member, I don’t receive emails on a fixed schedule. Instead, they are quite random, and I might only receive emails from Nike every two weeks, each with different themes and content, always bringing unexpected surprises. This sporadic email sending rhythm actually makes me look forward to receiving emails from Nike and compels me to check the messages right away.
Nike’s Thoughtful Abandoned Cart Email Strategy: Rekindling Purchase Intentions
When we add products to the shopping cart and then abandon the purchase, Nike employs best practices using email. In typical cases, we might receive an abandoned cart email within 1 hour. However, with Nike, we receive the abandoned cart email after a few days, and it doesn’t push us to make the purchase right away. Instead, it seeks to understand if we encountered any issues and offers assistance from professionals. Additionally, it informs us about the benefit of Nike’s 30-day free returns for members and recommends more product choices based on our browsing history.
I believe Nike made the right decision in the timing of sending these emails because when I decide to abandon a purchase, it is usually due to specific reasons. If someone had urged me to make the purchase or provided similar options at that moment, it would have contributed to a negative shopping experience. However, this approach from Nike rekindles my awareness of the products I intended to buy and triggers my desire to make the purchase.
Perhaps one day, email marketing will be replaced, but Nike has successfully utilized email throughout various stages of our buying journey, providing us with personalized marketing services that reflect the brand’s positive and confident lifestyle. Through carefully chosen images and impactful messaging, Nike fosters a closer connection with us.
