Maybe I’m just hungry, but email strategy this time of year feels a lot like assembling a turducken. (Don’t worry, this one’s plant-based.) You’re layering value, proof, and desire until everyone’s gathered around the table like a totally normal family that definitely doesn’t have any problems.
The turducken might be the perfect metaphor for the lead-up to Black Friday (or not, but I'm the one writing this). It isn’t the turkey or the chicken that makes it special. It’s the duck, the outlier, the intentional layer that gives the whole meal that je ne sais quoi. Let’s unpack that a little.
You start with the smallest thing first. Let's call this part the brand reminder. 'Tis simple, understandable, and reminds people why you exist and why they should care.
Then comes the duck. The proof layer. The one most people don't include at their Thanksgiving meal. It’s the layer that feeds obsession and the Joneses. It's where social validation and FOMO slow-dance under the heat lamp. The reviews. The receipts. The look-what-they-did-for-someone-like-me moment. That’s when your audience stops reading and starts wanting.
Then the finisher. The thing they already expect. The offer. The drop. The reward for making it all the way through. By the time that final email hits, they’re not surprised; they are ready for it.
You can have a simple meal. Or you can be intentional and memorable, allowing each flavor to build on the one before. Honestly, now that I think about it, this probably would’ve worked better as a multi-course meal metaphor. But you get the point: focus on the whole experience, especially the middle part.
