Think your Christmas emails hit the mark? Think again! While preparing this article, we noticed a striking disconnect between what marketers send and what subscribers actually want during the holiday season. Based on a revealing survey of marketing professionals and expert insights, we unpack the secrets to aligning your holiday email campaigns with customer expectations. Get ready to redefine your approach and truly connect with your audience in the festive season.
Survey results
For our previous article on Christmas email campaigns, we conducted a survey on what people expected to receive for the holidays. Now we invite you to find out what your fellow marketers actually sent this year. We asked 50 specialists about their campaigns. Thank you all for participating in the survey!
Now let's compare the results — what readers wanted the most vs. what they actually found in their inboxes.
| Type of email | How many subscribers expected it | How many marketers sent it |
| Offer with a discount or bonus | 70% | 24% |
| Personalized review for the year | 5% | 28% |
| Fun in the form of a game | 10% | 5% |
| Greeting card | 15% | 48% |
| 1 email instead of a series of emails | 59.1% | 63% |
| Time | How many subscribers expected it | How many marketers sent it |
| 2 weeks before the holiday | 31.8% | 24% |
| 3 days before the holiday | 54.5% | 24% |
| on Christmas day | 13.6% | 24% |
In addition, 16% of marketers sent emails at the beginning of December, and 12% sent them during the Christmas Eve weekend.
In at least one instance, a notable coincidence occurred: a single email proved more effective than a series. It's important to highlight that while many anticipated holiday discounts (70%), not everyone received them (24%). Additionally, a considerable number of individuals would have appreciated receiving entertainment content, particularly games (10%), yet such content was scarcely provided (5%). Concerning holiday cards, the low percentage of respondents showing interest (15%) doesn't imply a complete disinterest in greetings; rather, it indicates that discounts hold the most appeal.
The survey indicates that early December is too soon for holiday emails, and Christmas Day is too late, as people are typically engaged in celebrations with their loved ones and seldom check their email. It's advisable to begin email campaigns with attractive offers ahead of time, but without incorporating a holiday-themed design.
The ideal Christmas email combines a holiday spirit with festive designs and themed games, along with an attractive offer. It's best to send it one to two weeks before Christmas for optimal impact.
Interview with marketers
We spoke with representatives from Pokupon.ua and 11 Agency about the types of emails they sent during the holidays. Additionally, Stripo's email marketer will share insights about our Christmas newsletters. You may find these examples interesting.
1. What is your secret to diversifying annual holiday newsletters, and what strategies do you use to stand out among competitors who send the same type of email?
Expert
We know our readers well and understand what content is potentially interesting and useful to them. We do this through regular content surveys, analysis of previous campaigns, and segmentation. We also have a form in each email where users mark how interesting, useful, and informative the email was.
Additionally, some of our newsletters are designed to strengthen our brand, as it's crucial for us to demonstrate our affection for our users. To achieve this, we make it a point to extend heartfelt holiday greetings to them in a manner that is both beautiful and engaging.
(Source: Happy New Year email from Stripo)
Expert
Our approach to diversifying newsletters involves a deep dive into each client's brand ethos and customer data. We create tailored content that resonates with their specific audience.
To stand out, we focus on crafting unique narratives, employing high-quality visuals, and ensuring seamless integration with the client's overall marketing strategy. This bespoke approach sets our clients apart from their competitors.
2. What type of newsletters did you send to your subscribers for Christmas and New Year, and why did you choose this type? Can you share how the newsletter performed this year compared to last year?
Expert
This year, we sent a series of emails for the holidays, including an annual review of active users, our annual report, a greeting card, and two themed digests. We sent the same things as last year, plus new formats. In general, we chose the strategy of wrapping our communications into holiday newsletters and publishing them during the month. In addition to the typical greetings and reviews, we also featured top articles and a selection of our best templates for the year.
We initiated these changes because we observed a decline in reader activity during the Christmas season. Our strategy to enhance engagement involved a gradual approach. Initially, we simply sent out newsletters. Next, we explored new and engaging formats, including statistical reports on reader activity and creatively styled digests. We chose the content through testing and experimentation.
(Source: Annual review of Stripo users)
Expert
For the holiday season, our approach for each client was customized to their unique brand and audience. We concentrated on campaigns and campaign series that highlighted special offers with discounts and bonuses, which are particularly effective during this festive period.
While we recognize the value and creativity of greeting cards and interactive games, our focus this season was on direct engagement strategies that drive sales and enhance customer loyalty. Each campaign was crafted to resonate with the client's audience, ensuring relevance and appeal.
We maintained similar strategies to last year for clients with previously successful campaigns. The decision was data-driven, based on engagement and conversion metrics. For clients who saw significant improvements last year, we refined and optimized our approach to further enhance performance. Consistency in brand messaging, coupled with innovative tweaks, proved effective in deepening customer relationships and driving sales.
Focusing on one client in particular who experienced significant improvements last year, our refined strategies this year led to even more impressive results. For this client, we observed a 13% increase in conversion rates directly attributable to the email campaigns. Most notably, the revenue generated from our email marketing efforts showed a robust growth of 21%.
(Source: A promotional email from 11 Agency)
Expert
Pokupon.ua is a discount site for services, so this year, we curated a selection of offers for the winter holidays. This type of mailing takes into account the region and categories of promotions suitable for the winter holidays. Subscribers can see a selection of ideas for where to go, how to have fun, how to prepare for the holidays, and how to relax for the New Year or Christmas.
(Source: Email from Pokupon.ua)
As Ukraine is still going through hard times and the demand for tourist destinations has dropped significantly, we segmented our audience by preferences, previous purchases, and top sales in cities. The CTR of such emails increased by 2% compared to regular, non-holiday emails.
We also added a year-end review in a more festive color, which made it stand out more from our promo emails.
(Source: Annual review of Pokupon.ua users)
Each year, we send a final review to each individual user, but in the past, this email used to underperform because of a lack of direct personalization for the client. There was no number of coupons or amount of money saved. This year, however, we added specific statistics showing the savings our customers have made. As a result, the OR increased from 14% in 2022 to 17% in 2023.
(Source: Annual review of Pokupon.ua users)
Everyone likes to know how much money they have saved thanks to the service. If you have the ability to add and personalize such information, it will make every customer happy.
3. If you tried a new type of holiday newsletter this year, why did you do it? And what were the results?
Expert
As I mentioned earlier, this year we tried new types of emails for the holidays: the year's top articles and top email templates. Overall, we experienced a 10% growth in OR for this type of email compared to our regular digests. I think we used the right method, and our hard work on the subject and content paid off. I am satisfied with the new approach, and we will work in the same way next year.
Expert
This year, we introduced new newsletter formats for some clients to better align with evolving market trends and customer preferences. These included more storytelling-focused content and eye-catching elements, such as GIFs. The feedback and performance metrics have been encouraging, showing higher engagement and a positive impact on brand perception. For these campaigns, the average CTR increased by approximately 24%. This improvement indicates that the engaging content and visual elements were effective not only in capturing attention but also in encouraging active interaction with the email content.
Expert
The type of email that our users really liked was the game format.
(Source: Christmas game from Pokupon.ua)
We do this very rarely, primarily on Valentine's Day. The promo code was available for a limited period. But thanks to a compelling subject line and some gamification, we achieved an 8% increase in orders in that category and significantly higher OR and CTR.
in orders thanks to the subject line and gamification
4. The number of emails for the holidays: Is there a difference in total revenue if you send one email or a series of emails?
Expert
Based on our extensive testing and campaign analyses, we've found that sending multiple emails in a campaign series generally leads to greater cumulative revenue compared to sending just a single email. This approach allows us to build a narrative over time, keeping the audience engaged with a coherent and evolving message. Each email in the series serves a specific purpose, whether it's to create anticipation, provide valuable information, offer incentives, or make a final call to action. This strategy not only maintains consistent engagement with the audience but also creates multiple touchpoints for conversion, ultimately leading to a higher overall revenue impact for our clients.
Expert
Undoubtedly, each company decides its own optimal email frequency. This year, we did fewer but more effective emails, focusing on the diversity rather than uniformity of the campaigns.
A tip from Stripo
You can transform your promotional materials into captivating, game-like experiences with Stripo's game generator. This tool allows you to effortlessly create emails enriched with interactive elements such as quizzes and puzzles, making your communications not only more engaging but also more effective — no coding skills required. You can build this game with us through UI and embed it into emails that you design with Stripo, or use in any other platform out there that has support for AMP and HTML5.
The game module includes an AMP version for compatibility with Gmail, Yahoo, and FairEmail. For devices and email clients that support HTML5 and CSS3, like Apple Mail and Samsung Email, a rich interactive experience is provided. Additionally, a text fallback version is available for email clients lacking AMP, HTML5, or CSS3 support, such as certain Outlook applications, ensuring your message reaches everyone, everywhere.
Remember that the approaches covered in this article are relevant for all holidays except for Black Friday. Very soon, it will be time to prepare for the next big event of the year — Valentine's Day. The best email strategy for this holiday is combining a themed design, greetings, and a discount. You can also add games with promo codes, compatibility tests, and other entertaining content. You can find more tips on how to send Valentine's Day emails in our article.
Wrapping up
We looked at the gap between what subscribers expect from brands during the holiday season and what they actually receive in email marketing campaigns.
Our survey revealed a mixed picture. While the desire for holiday discounts was high among subscribers (70%), only 24% of marketers capitalized on this. Additionally, some respondents (10%) would have appreciated game-based entertainment, although it was scarcely provided (5%).
Personalized reviews and greeting cards were not as desirable as most marketers thought. As for holiday cards, subscribers' low preference (15%) doesn't imply disinterest in greetings, but rather a stronger interest in discounts. Still, in one aspect, the expectations were met: consumers agree with marketers that receiving a single Christmas email is preferable to multiple ones.
According to the survey results, the perfect Christmas email should blend holiday cheer, festive designs, and themed games with a compelling offer, sent 1-2 weeks before Christmas for the best effect.
Our discussions with marketing professionals from Stripo, 11 Agency, and Pokupon.ua allowed us to explore the topic from different perspectives and uncover a variety of strategies. These ranged from a mix of festive greetings and offers to personalized annual reviews, each tailored to their audience's preferences. The interviewees emphasized the importance of understanding consumer behavior, with adjustments made based on past performance metrics and current market trends.
Our research into Christmas email campaigns presents a landscape where understanding and meeting subscriber expectations is a work in progress. While not all expectations were met, there is evident effort and innovation in the industry. Marketers are increasingly leveraging data analytics and creative strategies to enhance engagement and gratification. The key takeaway is the importance of ongoing adaptation and personalization to create a more resonant and successful email marketing strategy during the festive season.
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