Email marketing is alive, thriving, and more powerful than ever. With over 4 billion daily email users worldwide, this channel offers brands a direct line to their audience—a chance to inform, connect, and inspire action. But as inboxes become more crowded, it takes smart strategies to stand out and drive results.
The world’s top-performing brands know this. They go beyond basic batch and blasts, using personalized content, targeted segmentation, and powerful automation to create campaigns that feel both relevant and engaging. They go beyond simple selling, instead focusing on building relationships that keep customers coming back.
In this article, we’re sharing three standout examples of email marketing done right, featuring John Frieda, Puma, and AO. From driving 4x conversions to boosting opt-in databases by 14%, these blockbuster brands showcase how email can deliver incredible results when strategy meets creativity. Let’s dive in.
The Email Marketing Landscape in 2025
Email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for connecting with customers and driving ROI. According to OptinMonster, email marketing delivers an astonishing 3600% ROI—that’s $44 for every $1 spent. It’s no wonder businesses, big and small, rely on email as a cornerstone of their digital strategy.
Beyond its impressive return, email continues to be a preferred communication method for consumers. A MarketingSherpa survey revealed that 77% of people prefer receiving promotional content through email compared to other marketing channels. Why? Because email allows for more thoughtful, relevant, and personalized messaging.
When executed well, email marketing drives not just conversions, but also long-term customer loyalty. By embracing personalization, automation, and data-driven insights, your brand can subscribers into first-time customers, and first-time customers into steadfast brand advocates.
Best Practices for an Effective Email Marketing Strategy
Top-performing brands don’t leave their email strategy to chance. They combine creativity, data, and technology to craft campaigns that resonate. Here are the core practices driving their success:
1. Personalized lifecycle marketing
The best brands use personalized lifecycle marketing to engage customers at every stage—from acquisition to retention. By delivering tailored messages based on behavior, preferences, and past interactions, they ensure every email feels relevant and valuable. This approach builds stronger relationships and increases conversions.
2. Advanced segmentation and automation
Generic, one-size-fits-all emails are no longer effective. Leading brands leverage advanced segmentation techniques to identify key audience groups and send content that resonates. Pairing segmentation with automation ensures emails are delivered to the right people, with the right message, at the right time.
3. Customer insights inform strategy
Successful email campaigns are grounded in data. Top brands actively gather customer insights through surveys, feedback, and behavioral tracking. By understanding their audience’s motivations, challenges, and needs, they refine their messaging to address what truly matters to customers.
The following examples from John Frieda, PUMA, and AO demonstrate how these best practices come to life, driving tangible results.
John Frieda: Personalized Lifecycle Marketing Done Right
When John Frieda launched their Ultra Filler Plus haircare line, they turned to email marketing to build awareness and drive conversions. But instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, they leveraged personalized lifecycle marketing to connect with their audience at the right moments.
What John Frieda did:
- Incentivized surveys for customer insights: To understand their audience’s needs, John Frieda offered a $5 incentive for customers to share feedback. The result? A flood of valuable insights that shaped their messaging.
- Targeted, multi-touch campaigns: Using Emarsys’ automation tools, John Frieda created email campaigns tailored to customer behavior. They highlighted key benefits—like delivering 200% thicker hair in one use and addressing pain points like thinning hair—while incorporating social proof with reviews and before-and-after imagery.
- Optimized content for engagement: Eye-catching visuals, strong subject lines like “200% Thicker Hair: New Ultra Filler Plus”, and clear CTAs drove impressive engagement.
The Results:
- 4.2x higher conversion rate compared to average campaigns.
- High engagement, with customers raving about results and sharing positive reviews.
- Greater understanding of their audience through survey feedback.
By combining customer insights with personalized messaging, John Frieda proved that targeted email campaigns don’t just boost sales—they strengthen relationships and build trust.
PUMA: Scaling Personalization to Drive Triple-Digit Growth
PUMA’s challenge was clear: they needed to connect with a diverse customer base across 27 markets while ensuring each interaction felt personal and relevant. With such a vast audience, segmentation and automation became the key to success.
What Puma did:
- Hyper-personalized emails at scale: PUMA created dynamic email campaigns where every single email—whether sent to thousands or millions—was unique to the recipient.
“If we send half a million emails, we’re sending half a million different emails,” said David, PUMA’s CRM Manager. - Advanced segmentation: Using Emarsys, PUMA identified customer segments based on behaviors like past purchases, browsing history, and regional preferences. This enabled them to send highly targeted product recommendations.
- Send time optimization: PUMA ensured emails landed at the perfect time for each customer—whether during a morning commute or late-night shopping—boosting open rates by 5-10%.
The results:
- Triple-digit revenue growth from email marketing campaigns.
- A 5x increase in email revenue share over the past 12 months.
- Improved engagement rates thanks to timely, relevant messaging.
PUMA’s success highlights the power of combining automation, personalization, and timing to create campaigns that truly resonate at scale.
AO: Turning Website Traffic into Engaged Subscribers
As a leading online electrical retailer, AO faced a unique challenge: how do you keep customers engaged when purchases are infrequent? The answer? A laser focus on lead generation and automation to maximize every customer interaction.
What AO did:
- Lead generation with web channel: AO introduced strategic web pop-ups to capture emails from site visitors, particularly those browsing but not yet purchasing.
“We saw a 14% uplift in our opt-in database just by launching the email sign-up,” said Ellie Quacquarelli from Emarsys. - Automation to drive Rrevenue: AO automated key email touchpoints, including:
- Welcome programs: Tailored based on early customer behavior.
- Cross-sell journeys: Highlighting complementary products like energy-efficient appliances.
- Targeted promotions: Sharing relevant deals and content to keep audiences engaged.
- Optimized email templates: AO revamped their email templates, incorporating up to 9 clickable CTAs showcasing social proof, product features, and savings.
The results:
- 45% of total email revenue driven by automation.
- A 14% increase in email opt-ins, expanding their reach to more potential customers.
- Higher click-through rates and engagement with visually optimized emails.
AO’s approach proves that with the right tools and strategy, even infrequent buyers can become long-term, loyal customers.
Conclusion
These three brands—John Frieda, Puma, and AO—showcase the true potential of email marketing when backed by personalization, segmentation, and automation.
Key takeaways:
- Understand your audience: Use surveys, behavior, and insights to craft messaging that resonates.
- Leverage automation: Deliver timely, relevant content without overwhelming your team.
- Focus on personalization: Tailor every interaction to build trust, engagement, and loyalty.
Whether you’re launching a new product, scaling globally, or capturing leads, these strategies prove that smart, customer-centric email marketing delivers measurable success.
About the author
Kirk Donlan is a content marketing manager at Emarsys where he uses his marketing, customer success, and copywriting experience to develop engaging, industry-specific content for marketers and marketing leadership.
Connect with Kirk: LinkedIn
Kirk Donlan
Product Marketing Manager
