Target Coatings Email Campaign
Target Coatings had been relying on copy-heavy, outdated email promotions to market their high-end wood coatings products. We transformed their email program by leading with aspirational imagery and building a scalable template system — resulting in a 34.24% increase in email revenue year over year.
The Client
Target Coatings, Inc. is a formulating and manufacturing company dedicated to developing and selling high-quality, ultra-low VOC, water-based wood finishes for the fine furniture, architectural, and general woodworking industries. Since 1988, the company has been at the forefront of water-based wood finish technology — delivering the performance professionals expect from oil-based coatings, without the hazards of traditional solvents.
The Objective
Target Coatings’ products require substantial technical information to communicate proper usage, features, and benefits. Our goal was to preserve that technical depth while eliminating unnecessary, informal language — and to elevate the visual presentation to match the quality of the products themselves. These changes also needed to be implemented concurrently with the client’s revised discounting strategy.
The Strategy
We led with engaging, aspirational visuals paired with concise, purposeful copy. To keep communications fresh each month, we developed a flexible template system designed to accommodate multiple communication types within a monthly promotional schedule. Messaging is organized into six distinct categories:
- Product Promotions with Discounts
- Product Features and Benefits
- Shop & Product Safety Articles
- Blog Articles
- Professional Club Communications
- Brand and History Educational Pieces
The new templates are built from interchangeable modules, each tailored to a specific type of content. Certain modules direct subscribers to product education pages on the website to support purchase decisions. We also developed a dedicated Customer Service module, offering subscribers direct access to a representative for personalized guidance and product support.
The Results
FOR CUSTOMERS—A FRESH, ENGAGING INBOX
The varied cadence of email categories creates a dynamic, engaging subscriber experience. To put the numbers in context: in 2021, Campaign Monitor reported an industry-wide average open rate of 21.5% and an average click rate of 2%. Target Coatings’ open rate grew to 58% — nearly three times the industry benchmark — with a click rate of 5.54%, more than double the average.
For the Marketing Team — A Smarter Workflow
The template framework gives Target Coatings’ marketing team a clear, repeatable structure for planning. An à la carte approach to content selection and scheduling makes monthly campaign production significantly more efficient.
For TARGET COATINGS–substantailly Increased ROI
As of September 2024, email revenue was up 34.24% over the same period the prior year — even as discount usage was reduced by 31%. Email revenue amplified to account for 62% of all Target Coatings revenue.