{"id":6572,"date":"2015-12-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-recover-from-broken-personalization-in-email\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T14:42:09","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T19:42:09","slug":"how-to-recover-from-broken-personalization-in-email","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-recover-from-broken-personalization-in-email","title":{"rendered":"How to Recover From Broken Personalization in Email"},"content":{"rendered":"

How many times have you received an email that started with a variation of \u201cHey {First_Name}\u201d? The answer is probably a lot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Since testing personalization requires an extra step in the quality assurance process and varies across email service providers, it\u2019s often forgotten. This results in frequent errors, and broken personalization in email is one of the most common mistakes we see in our inboxes.<\/p>\n

What should you do if you send an email that contains a personalization fail?<\/p>\n

In our report, How to Recover From Email Marketing Mistakes<\/a>, we recommend not doing anything at all. Errors like this are often overlooked, ignored, and quickly forgotten, so why draw attention to it?<\/p>\n

However, if you choose to take action, then do it the right way.<\/p>\n

Magic Beans, a children\u2019s clothing and toy store, sent a Thanksgiving email with a personalization fail\u2014and responded to the mistake gracefully and personally. Let\u2019s take a look at how they successfully handled their error.<\/p>\n

Personalization error: Everyone is \u201cKate\u201d<\/h2>\n

To thank their subscribers for their continued support, Magic Beans sent an email on Thanksgiving promoting a $100 gift card for only $75. It\u2019s a great offer\u2014and it came with a nice note from Eli Gurock, the founder of Magic Beans.<\/p>\n

However, there was a pretty evident error in the message. The email started off with \u201cDear Kate\u201d in big, bold orange letters.<\/p>\n

\"magic-beans-email\"<\/figure>\nClick here to view full email<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Hmmm, that\u2019s not my name! The error is not offensive and didn\u2019t prevent anyone from partaking in the offer, but it is very noticeable. While no response was necessary, Magic Beans did so successfully.<\/p>\n

Recovering with grace<\/h2>\n

Hours after the original send, the following email was sent by Eli Gurock:<\/p>\n

\"email-2\"<\/figure>\n

Click here to view full email<\/strong><\/a>\n

This is a great apology email. Here\u2019s what we love about it:<\/p>\n

It was sent in a timely fashion<\/strong>: This apology email was sent only hours after the original send. Though sent quickly, it was well-thought out and didn\u2019t include any additional errors (yes, we\u2019ve seen that happen before\u2014more errors in an apology email!).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s plain text<\/strong>: When you\u2019re going for sincerity, plain text is the way to go because it makes the email look like a personal, one-to-one email. If Magic Beans had used the original email\u2019s template and just swapped out the content, it would have looked like another promotional email. By nixing navigation bars and other offers, the focus is on the content of the email\u2014which is a sincere apology.<\/p>\n

The content is sincere and lightweight<\/strong>: Our favorite aspect of this email is the content. By referencing his Thanksgiving plans with his family and showering their email marketing manager, Kate (hey, that name sounds familiar!), with such kind words, he brings a human touch to the email. There are actual people behind this mistake\u2014and they\u2019re genuinely sorry for it.<\/p>\n

In addition, it\u2019s the perfect length and the tone is casual, but respectful. Since the mistake wasn\u2019t offensive, there is no need to go into a deep apology, or be overly serious about it. He gets to the point and keeps it short and sweet. And, with the amount of emails subscribers are receiving over the holiday season, there is no time for them to read lengthy emails!<\/p>\n

It ties in well with the season<\/strong>: From the subject line, \u201cWhat I\u2019m thankful for and apology,\u201d to the content of the email\u2014referencing the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade and that he\u2019s thankful for Kate\u2014Magic Beans ties in the holiday season really well within the email. And, they do so without being over-the-top and cheesy. While the email itself is relevant due to the error made, it\u2019s even more relatable due to the tie-in with Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

Like we said, an apology email for a minor mistake like this isn\u2019t necessary, but the thought and sincerity put into this apology puts the Magic Beans brand in a positive light. It helps their brand image, it doesn\u2019t hurt it.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the response? Should they have responded? Do you have any other examples of great responses to errors in emails? Share them in the comments! We\u2019d love to see them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\n <\/td>\n\n

Recover from Mistakes<\/h2>\n

This free report shares advice and real-life examples that help you recover from any email marketing mistake quickly and with grace.<\/p>\n

DOWNLOAD NOW \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many times have you received an email that started with a variation of \u201cHey {First_Name}\u201d? The answer is probably a lot. What should you do if you send an email that contains a personalization fail? If you choose to take action, then do it the right way. Magic Beans sent a Thanksgiving email with a personalization fail\u2014and responded to the mistake gracefully and personally. 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