First4Figures: Using email to generate a buzz

Creating a buzz around your product ahead of launch is a tried and tested method of increasing consumer demand that's been around for years –although how you create the buzz changes as the marketing environment evolves.

First4Figures is an online retailer of collectible figures from top selling computer game and film titles with production runs that are often limited to a few hundred units.

This in itself increases desirability - but create enough excitement around a new product and the speed at which it sells increases dramatically, making future releases even hotter property.

Until recently, there was room for improvement. First4Figures simply made new products available on the website and a general press release went out.

Getting some outside help

Early attempts at email marketing to their customer database, however, didn’t produce the desired results.

Their email system wasn't able to report statistics so they had no understanding of what was working, what wasn't and how to improve their campaigns. It was proving difficult to justify the time and effort they were putting in.

They approached WhyCommunicate?, an online marketing agency with a history of working in the B2C area. Their brief: a joined-up strategy that would build anticipation and, of course, drive sales.

Shedding light on the issue

For WhyCommunicate? the first move was to implement their email marketing system (in this case PureResponse), which they'd used with many other clients and knew would be able to track every element of future campaigns.

Not only would this give them a clear picture of their performance, but in a niche sector - marketing to existing customers - the outlay required was low.

Ahead of new product launches, their objective was to gauge interest, ramp up the excitement and track the effect this had on sales.

Teasing the audience

Their starting point was a teaser campaign. An image of the product with little information other than its imminent launch appeared at the bottom of the next email newsletter.

Clicks on the image could be measured, although in a brave and controversial move, supporting information on the product was deliberately kept off the website. This unconventional tactic was designed to heighten anticipation.

The move paid off. Despite its relatively obscure positioning, the image gained the highest click-through rate of any item on the email.

Not only that, but within five days the email list database grew by 10%, through the send-to-friend option. They knew then that word of mouth was building expectation.

Delivering the goods

On the day the product launched an e-shot announcement went out, making it available directly from the email.

As a result of the strategic pre-launch campaign work, combined with a simple purchase process, around 3% of recipients bought the collectible immediately.

The high retail value and low outlay for their email marketing software resulted in an almost unprecedented 1200% return on investment.

The rest of the production run sold out very soon after, undoubtedly a result of the figure's increased desirability.

Shifting focus for success

This outright success has prompted some substantial changes in First4Figures’ new product launch strategy.

Gary at WhyCommunicate? elaborates: 'The success of this campaign has triggered a fundamental shift in the way First4Figures do business.

'Rather than simply launching a product online and putting out a general press release to various sites, they're going to make it an even more exclusive proposition.

'The next production run will be more limited than previously, numbered, and launched initially as a limited edition special offer to list members.'