I had to tell a friend to go away. I assumed we were good for a while, but I guess we didn’t know each other as well as I thought.
One day, I reached out with a question and shared some information. Suddenly, I realized that I opened a can of worms. I got a non-stop barrage of pestering emails that quickly turned me off.
I cut off the relationship.
Has this happened to you? By this I mean, a ridiculous amount of email marketing from a brand that you thought you felt good about.
I’m now on my 2nd pair of Hoka’s – the most expensive running shoes I’ve ever bought. In quest to save a bit of money, I was checking out several on and offline stores to buy them. This included the Hoka.com store - direct from the manufacturer - where I was surprised to see that they are the same price as everywhere else.
While on the site, I put the shoes I wanted in my cart, and I signed up for "free shipping and offers." I wanted to see what offers I'd get, before being ready to purchase. I also decided to probably buy there since the price was the same everywhere, plus the possibility of discounts. I had heart for the brand and wanted them to benefit directly from my purchase.
Then, over the next week, I got 2 emails a day - as if the previous day’s reminders weren’t enough.
Go Away, I said, because…
→ They sent pressure-filled emails (ex: “The item in your cart can sell out” or “Last chance to get free shipping” or “Your cart is waiting”).
→ They sent me details about discounts that were not valid on the shoe I was considering and put in my cart.
→ They did not send me one email that tried to be helpful - only typical sales tactics that turned me off.
I unsubscribed from the Hoka store, and I bought the Hoka’s at Zappos (where shipping is always free). Also, be sure to check out the friendly and enthusiastic subject lines from Zappos vs. those from Hoka.
I really wished Hoka had shown a bit of emotional intelligence - that they took a cue from what was in my cart, that they perhaps gave me further incentive (not pressure) to buy, and that their brand voice and messaging made me feel like they cared about me as a customer.
Instead, every email was filled with sales pressure – no personalization, no clever copywriting, no attempt to make me feel good about the brand.
No Limbic Sparks… I’m out.
Great shoe, but I’ll buy elsewhere - please don’t contact me again.
If you want to create Limbic Sparks – to have people at hello and keep them coming back for more – a little emotional intelligence goes a long way.
Let’s talk, anytime.
Thanks for being here,
-Kevin
As the Chief Strategist & Founder of Limbic Brand Evolution, my focus is strengthening the emotional connections between brands and consumers with Limbic Sparks® Brand Strategy. It overcomes the limitations of traditional brand strategy by putting behavioral science understanding and emotional insight at the center of how brands spark desire. As the host of the Let’s Talk Limbic Sparks podcast (on Spotify, Apple and wherever you listen to podcasts), you’ll hear discussions I have with brand leaders who reveal how they’re driving business growth with emotional insights.