The first Father’s Day was celebrated in 1910 and falls on the third Sunday of June in most parts of the world. Fast forward a century and Father’s Day has become an important date in the marketing calendar, with the average amount spent on the occasion rising each year. In 2022, retail spending on Father’s Day in the UK was an estimated £986 million, up from £743 million in 2017.
To capture shoppers’ attention and showcase your Father’s Day fare, it’s time to bring your email marketing A game.
Here are 7 of our favorite Father’s Day emails to get you started.
Tip: click on the images to see the full emails.
1) Buyagift combines product recommendations and social proof to persuade shoppers
Buyagift pulls out all the email marketing stops with their Father’s Day email, including high-converting product recommendation and social proof tactics.
Shoppers in the research stage of the customer journey might need some inspiration to help them pick the perfect present for their Dad. Buyagift gives them a helping hand by suggesting a range of their experiences, adding popularity messaging and star ratings to show that these picks are highly rated by other shoppers.
Social proof tactics such as star ratings are an effective way to give customers peace of mind when making a purchase decision. Over half of consumers (56%) look for star ratings when making a purchase, so wear your trustworthiness with pride and encourage click-throughs to your website with star ratings in your emails.
In fact, Buyagift has seen a 13% increase in sales by adding social proof features to their marketing emails.
Buyagift also gives shoppers an extra incentive to purchase with them with a Father’s Day coupon.
Source: Buyagift email
For a smooth customer experience, make sure your coupons are consistent across all channels. Links to these deals should be updated in real-time when your customer opens the email or website. If the coupon has expired, the link should lead to a page that explains this to avoid frustrating your shoppers. After all, 1 in 4 customers say that a frustrating website experience hurts their opinion of your brand.
2. Etsy uses real people to resonate with shoppers
In marketing, authenticity matters. Using real people in your campaigns fosters trust and resonates with shoppers. Etsy have done this well, showcasing four of their employees along with how they’re planning to spend their special day (with the help of Etsy products of course).
Source: Etsy email
Try out user-generated content to build a loyal community of customers and foster trust with new shoppers.
3. Thorntons creates urgency with a countdown timer
Countdown timers are an effective tool to build excitement and urgency, especially for events and occasions such as Father’s Day.
Thorntons have used a countdown timer to encourage customers to make their purchases in time for next day delivery, ramping up the urgency factor for shoppers who don’t want to disappoint Dad with a tardy gift.
Source: Thorntons email
Learn more: Find out how Thorntons capitalizes on seasonal periods with countdown timers.
4. Molton Brown reminds shoppers of delivery deadlines
Similarly, Molton Brown places a prominent banner in their email to remind shoppers of their free standard delivery deadline. Again, this drives urgency and helps shoppers get their orders in on time.
Source: Molton Brown email
5. Card Factory targets shoppers’ price affinities
Not all shoppers have the same spending power, and shoppers might be less inclined to click through to your website if they see products outside of their price range. Give them options that suit their budget, such as this example from Card Factory. By adding clear price ranges, shoppers are more in control of the products they see.
Source: Card Factory email
This tactic is effective when used on your website too. For returning customers, use behavioral data to suggest products within the shopper’s most browsed and purchased price range. For new visitors, use a tool such as our Price Affinity Predictor to recommend products in the price level most likely to convert that individual shopper.
6. Bloom & Wild shows their shoppers sensitivity
Father’s Day isn’t a happy occasion for everyone, and brands are increasingly acknowledging this in their email marketing. Bloom & Wild give their shoppers the chance to opt-out of big calendar dates such as Father’s Day as part of their Thoughtful Marketing Movement, ensuring they avoid unhappy customers and showing they’re a company that cares.
Source: Bloom & Wild email
7. Hawthorne helps shoppers make a purchase decision with a gift guide and quiz
Cologne and self-care brand Hawthorne knows that selecting the perfect gift can be overwhelming. They’ve made their shoppers’ lives easier with their Father’s Day gift guide, helping people pick from different sets depending on their dads’ hobbies. The CTA button links to a quiz to help shoppers further, adding a touch of gamification to the present finding process while also gathering valuable zero-party data (data that a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand).
Source: Hawthorne email
You can get more Father’s Day email inspiration on our dedicated Pinterest board.
Download your copy of the Ultimate Ecommerce Marketing Calendar 2023 for practical web, email and social ideas to help you stay relevant throughout the whole year.
