Nowadays, permission-based e-mails is an increasing and important medium of marketing communications that enables companies to establish and build closer relationships with customers. E-mail marketing campaigns include benefits for the company such as low cost distribution of promotional messages, targeted distribution of promotions (discounts, coupons, events invitations and so on). Furthermore, e-mail marketing is a affordable form of marketing used by small and medium-sized businesses. According to Pavlov, Melville, and Plice (2008), e-mail marketing campaigns produce approximately twice the return on investment of the other main forms of online marketing such as Web banners and online directory adverts. Another advantage is that e-mail marketing is highly targeted and focused. Marketers can customise and personalise each email message.

Beside all these benefits for the company, on the other hand, there have been widespread consumer complaints about unsolicited e-mails (known as “spam”). Now, in most cases, the recipient provides explicit consent to receive direct e-mails and, in some countries, this is a legal requirement (Worthy and Graham, 2002). The most significant encouragement for users to “opt in” to a firm’s e- mailing list is the opportunity to receive information that matches their interests as receivers are more likely to open and read such messages. (Grunert, 1996; Gengler and Thomas, 1995).

There are different types of emails marketing that a company should consider such as Conversion / life cycle, E-newsletter, House-list campaign and Event triggered. A critical examination of one of these type of email is detailed next.

As an example I took the emails that Forever 21 sends me periodically. These emails can be classified as part of a House-in campaign, where Forever 21 have obtained my email address and is sending me promotional campaigns of launch of products or special offers. However in the case of this particular email (#HolidaysReady) it can be said that is a Event Trigger strategy.

Personally I would not open any of Forever 21 emails because I do not find them relevant, I might open it if I feel in the mood to do it, but there is something that i find annoying and is the frequency of which I am receiving these emails and this is one of the reasons of why I lost interested in opening them, it is just too invasive. However, I did not cancel the subscription, I just ignore them. Besides my personal case, the design of the illustrations are very attractive, the brand logo position is prominent, hyperlinks are well identified and message content is aligned with its subject and headline. No personalisation has been identified. The calls-to-action is also attractive, obvious and easy to find to access the landing page. The use of images reflects the purpose of the campaign by showing some clothing outfits included in the promotion.

It can be said that Forever 21 campaigns can work for people who is loyal to this brand or is looking for some seasonal offers, but I don not think they work for general customers, especially because of the frequency of the emails which I found them very invasive an as result unattractive. The subject of the email could also be more precise, direct and engaging.

The Landing page looks like a extended version of the messagel but offering more features, discounts, and options. Also the theme used (Christmas) is more related to the promotional seasonal campaign.

To conclude,in my opinion, Forever 21 should implement a deeper tracking of customers response to their campaigns in order to check who are responding positively and who are not and reduce the frequency of emails.