Veterans Day is a US federal vacation celebrated each November 11 to honor army veterans of the US Armed Forces.
As such, it’s usually mistaken for Memorial Day, which is definitely a complete different occasion that particularly celebrates those that died in service.
Whether or not or not they absolutely perceive what it represents, three-quarters of Individuals assist Veterans Day being a nationwide vacation, whereas two-thirds deliberate to have a good time it not directly in 2022. Widespread methods to look at the vacation embody:
- Flying a flag (cited by 31 p.c of respondents)
- Attending a Veterans Day ceremony or parade (14 p.c)
- Visiting a veteran pal or relative (12 p.c)
- Supporting a veteran-owned enterprise (11 p.c)
Clearly, Veterans Day is a decidedly massive deal. However what does it imply for manufacturers?
It’s a troublesome one. On the one hand, you naturally need to be a part of the dialog. However on the flip facet, in case your solely contribution to the Veterans Day discourse is a coupon code, you threat trying fairly cynical.
To make your life simpler, I dived into Drip’s electronic mail advertising and marketing swipe file to spherical up 9 of the most effective Veterans Day electronic mail examples from the previous couple years.
1. Mugsy: Rejoice Veterans In Your Group
There are about 16.5 million veterans within the US, whereas greater than 1.4 million Individuals at the moment serve within the armed forces. Mixed, that’s about 8.5 p.c of the grownup inhabitants, so there’s a powerful probability that present and former army personnel make up a good chunk of your viewers.
So why not have a good time Veterans Day by honoring members of the armed forces from inside your personal neighborhood?
That’s exactly what Mugsy Denims did in my first Veterans Day electronic mail instance:
I like this strategy as a result of it’s not asking for something. No name to motion, no low cost code, no limited-time supply. As an alternative, it demonstrates that Mugsy cares about its clients and acknowledges the very important work of the armed forces.
This technique offers Mugsy a comparatively low-effort, low-risk option to be a part of the Veterans Day dialog, as a result of it shifts the main focus away from the model and onto its clients. There’s nothing salesy or cynical happening right here.
And truthfully, generally that’s the most effective you possibly can hope for.
2. Brandless: Encourage Coupon Code Sharing
Possibly you don’t have the posh of sending a non-salesy Veterans Day electronic mail. Maybe electronic mail advertising and marketing is the lifeline of your ecommerce enterprise and you’ll’t afford to ease off the promotional messaging.
In that case, you’re most likely making an attempt to determine methods to run a revenue-focused marketing campaign with out offending anybody (least of all veterans and their households).
Brandless provides one potential answer:
On this instance, the well being, magnificence, and homeware model facilities its particular supply on veterans themselves.
I significantly like how this electronic mail encourages clients to share the coupon code with veterans, which feeds straight into the entire objective of the vacation: honoring former armed forces personnel.
It’s a wise manner for Brandless to drive gross sales and income whereas nonetheless trying prefer it’s giving one thing again to the veteran neighborhood.
Proof suggests there’s an enormous urge for food for this kind of marketing campaign. In response to Shopper.com, two-fifths of ladies and one-third of males have helped pals or relations monitor down an acceptable on-line low cost code, whereas half of ladies and an additional third of males have shared codes they already possess with somebody they know.
3. Huckberry: Goal Reductions at Veterans
The entire level of Veterans Day is to make army veterans really feel particular; to honor their service.
For my part, you’re unlikely to nail that exact temporary by sharing a particular supply or low cost code that can be utilized by anybody, no matter whether or not or not they served within the armed forces.
If something, including the phrase “veteran” and some stars and stripes to a generic coupon code electronic mail will make you look calculated and uncaring. That’s positively the mistaken tone to strike on Veterans Day.
As an alternative, take a leaf out of Huckberry’s guide by operating a marketing campaign focused particularly at veterans (and their households):
By particularly requiring army ID verification to make the most of the supply, Huckberry makes it clear that it’s giving one thing again to the army neighborhood.
Importantly, the model isn’t simply utilizing this promotion to shift a bunch of previous, out-of-season inventory. As an alternative, it’s operating a sitewide sale for veterans and their households, giving them a considerable low cost on something they need.
4. Bombas: Assist Veterans In Want
As with all demographic or viewers section, “veterans” aren’t a homogenous group. Some have in depth assist networks; some are wholesome, rich, and joyful; others are struggling to get by.
In response to figures from the US Division of Housing and City Growth, greater than 33,000 veterans had been experiencing homelessness throughout its most up-to-date Level-in-Time depend.
Regardless of accounting for a large proportion of the veteran inhabitants, these individuals are simply ignored—and infrequently spoken about—by manufacturers. So why not make a distinction in your subsequent Veterans Day electronic mail marketing campaign by striving to assist these unhoused people?
That’s exactly what Bombas did in its most up-to-date Veterans Day marketing campaign:
There’s rather a lot to love about this technique.
Firstly, Bombas makes it clear that this isn’t simply one other gross sales promotion; it’s clearly consuming into its personal revenue margins by donating a pair of socks for each pair bought.
I additionally like how this marketing campaign isn’t all about Bombas. As an alternative, it shifts focus away from the model and onto the 200+ organizations working to sort out homelessness throughout the nation.
After all, that’s to not say Bombas is doing this for completely altruistic causes. There’s loads of advantages for manufacturers supporting charities and causes that resonate with their clients.
In response to analysis from Google Cloud, 82 p.c of customers choose to purchase from manufacturers whose values align with their very own. What’s extra, three-quarters of customers say they’ve stopped shopping for from manufacturers over a battle in values.
So it positively pays to place your cash the place your mouth is and provides one thing again—particularly on key dates like Veterans Day, when your viewers is already serious about what they will do to assist veterans in want.
5. United By Blue: Go Past Veterans Day
We’ve all turn out to be used to manufacturers talking out and doing good deeds round high-profile occasions and holidays. However for a lot of customers, this fleeting strategy is not sufficient; they need to see constant, sustained motion.
Delight month is arguably the obvious instance. Each June, manufacturers are fast to drape their web sites, social media profiles, and electronic mail newsletters in rainbow flags. However few proceed discussing LGBTQ+ points the second July rolls round.
Jean-Marie Navetta, director of studying and inclusion at LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG Nationwide, has spoken out about this short-term strategy to advocacy.
“One of many largest pitfalls is once we see corporations that solely need to have this dialog in June,” she instructed Bloomberg Legislation. “That’s problematic as a result of people who find themselves queer are queer each single day and each single month of the yr.”
Veterans Day isn’t any totally different. When you really care about supporting veterans, why confine your efforts and messaging to a single day?
Sustainable attire and equipment model United By Blue took a distinct strategy, as a substitute selecting to honor so-called “native heroes”—together with veterans, lecturers, and medical professionals—day-after-day of the yr:
Providing a everlasting low cost to veterans is a great technique—particularly in case you roll it out on Veterans Day, like United By Blue did. It’s a much more significant gesture than a easy one-day sale.
6. Chubbies: Stage Up Your Current Supply for Veterans
Okay, so we’re agreed: providing a year-round low cost to veterans means much more than giving them 10 p.c off on Veterans Day.
However why can’t you do each?
In my subsequent Veterans Day electronic mail instance, Chubbies doubled its current, year-round low cost for veterans and lively obligation personnel, giving them a beneficiant 20 p.c off for 10 entire days:
This can be a best-of-both-worlds answer. Chubbies will get to spice up gross sales for a restricted interval with a sexy particular supply, whereas additionally demonstrating the way it helps veterans all year long.
7. Dying Want Espresso: Assist a Veterans Charity
Always remember that you simply’re a retailer, not a charity.
Certain, you may be trying to do some good to your neighborhood and provides one thing again to veterans. That’s a good factor. However virtually talking, you most likely lack the assets and connections to make a significant distinction by yourself.
For that purpose, many manufacturers select to honor occasions like Veterans Day by becoming a member of forces with charities and non-profit organizations.
Dying Want Espresso is one model that clearly understands the worth of this strategy:
By donating a piece of all gross sales to charity and veterans service group the Gary Sinise Basis, Dying Want Espresso will get to assist veterans—and promote its ESG values—with out distracting from its day job: promoting espresso.
8. Mattress Tub & Past: Middle Veterans In Your Topic Line
When you’re going to ship a devoted Veterans Day electronic mail, it is sensible to reference veterans as early—and sometimes—as doable.
As a result of what’s the purpose in sharing a reduction for veterans if it’s tucked away beneath the fold in your electronic mail physique copy?
So far as I’m involved, it is best to positively point out the vacation in your electronic mail topic line. Keep in mind, nearly half of electronic mail recipients determine to open emails primarily based solely on the topic line, so in case you really need your messaging to chop by means of, it must be proper there within the topic.
Mattress Tub & Past will get it proper right here:
There are a pair issues I like about this topic line.
First off, it locations veterans on the entrance and middle of its providing, leaving no room for confusion concerning the contents of the e-mail. When you’re a veteran who’s out there for some fancy bedding or a brand new set of kitchen knives, there’s a very good probability you’d open this electronic mail.
Past that, I additionally like using related emojis right here. Admittedly, emojis aren’t for everybody, and they need to positively be used sensitively in relation to events like Veterans Day. However Mattress Tub & Past will get the stability proper right here.
Used successfully, emojis in topic strains will help your emails stand out amid a crowded inbox, with analysis from Marketing campaign Monitor exhibiting that manufacturers utilizing emojis get pleasure from a 56 p.c enhance in distinctive open charges.
9. The North Face: Lengthen Reductions to Household Members
Veterans Day has a distinctly family-oriented really feel, with 12 p.c of Individuals celebrating the event by visiting a veteran pal or relative.
So why not lean into this theme by providing your Veterans Day low cost to relations in addition to veterans themselves?
That’s precisely what The North Face did in my remaining instance:
It’s a easy however efficient tactic. Not solely does it show that The North Face cares about veterans and their households, however it additionally means extra folks can make the most of the supply.
And meaning extra gross sales and income.
Additionally, it’s value stating that The North Face is one other model to supply a army service low cost all year long, fairly than saving it for particular events.
Improve Your E mail Personalization With Drip
After all, Veterans Day may not be related to everybody in your viewers.
On a easy stage, totally different international locations have their very own variations of Veterans Day. So in case you serve clients in a number of places, it pays to section your listing to solely embody these primarily based within the US.
However that’s solely scratching the floor of segmentation and personalization. With Drip, you possibly can lower and slice your viewers lists nevertheless you see match, supplying you with the facility to ship laser-targeted messages to ever-more-niche viewers segments.
The extra area of interest your messaging, the extra related it turns into to particular person clients, and the extra income you’ll generate.
See for your self by signing up to your 14-day free trial.
