Hey, it's Chase and Jimmy here.

Be honest… are you really an email marketer if your inbox doesn’t have 15,883 unread emails?

All from brands you swear you’re studying “for inspiration.”

Yeah, we’ve been there. That’s exactly why we built Inboox.ai 👻

It’s an AI-powered database packed with 1M+ real ecommerce emails and deep insights; everything you need to research, analyze, and get inspired without digging through your inbox.

We went live on Tuesday and didn’t want you to miss out! Get in early and start gaining the advantage.

Now onto today’s goods:

✔️ (Live Session) Keep your Q1 revenue flowing
✔️ Breaking down Tropicfeel’s adventure driven Black Friday funnel
✔️ What's the difference between a good retention marketer and a great one?
✔️ AI Power-Up: The post-holiday nurture engine

Let’s jump in👇.

(Live Session) Keep your Q1 revenue flowing

Don’t start the new year fixing broken email systems.

Join our Omniend to learn how to patch retention gaps, refresh your automations, and re-segment post-holiday shoppers before engagement drops.

You’ll learn:

✅ The key automations every brand needs for Q1
✅ How to segment and re-engage holiday buyers
✅ How to maintain steady performance after peak season

Dec 11 @ 7 AM PT >> Register free

Breaking Down Tropicfeel’s Adventure Driven Black Friday Funnel

Black Friday kicks off tomorrow

Focus: Driving early excitement and waitlist sign-ups

Why It Works:
✅ Minimalist layout directs all focus to the single CTA (“Join Now”)
✅ “Private Sale” language creates exclusivity and curiosity
✅ Strong hierarchy with bold headline and early access incentive

What Needs Work:
❌ Lacks a clear date or countdown to build urgency
❌ Could have used imagery showing the products in use for stronger lifestyle connection

Black Friday is coming. Get ahead.

Focus: Expanding early access and incentivizing referrals

Why It Works:
✅ Smart framing of Black Friday around “dream trips” keeps messaging on-brand
✅ Referral reward mechanic (up to 1000€ in store credit) gamifies early access
✅ Visual consistency builds recognition between emails

What Needs Work:
❌ Referral details feel buried mid-email; leading with “Win 1000€” could drive higher engagement
❌ The long scroll and multiple CTAs (“Join Waitlist,” “Refer Friends”) dilute focus

BLACK FRIDAY PRIVATE SALE IS LIVE

Focus: Official sale launch with password-protected exclusivity

Why It Works:
✅ “Private Sale” framing creates FOMO and VIP experience
✅ Single bold password (TROPICBLACK) makes access easy and memorable
✅ Clear reminder that “everything is discounted” simplifies the message

What Needs Work:
❌ Repetition of the “Join Now” button before and after password can confuse user flow
❌ Could spotlight top products or bestsellers to guide decision-making

Save now. Explore later.

Focus: Lifestyle-driven sale framing

Why It Works:
✅ Hero image reinforces adventure and exploration values
✅ Smart copy ties discounts to purpose (“Save on your gear so you can do more on your dream trip”)
✅ Staggered product visuals show variety without overwhelming

What Needs Work:
❌ The long vertical layout pushes CTAs too far down
❌ Adding pricing or savings callouts to each product section would improve conversion clarity

Your Black Friday code is waiting inside

Focus: Mid-campaign reactivation with personalized urgency

Why It Works:
✅ Subject line personalizes the experience without feeling gimmicky
✅ Visual consistency with dark adventure photography keeps the brand tone strong
✅ Prominent password placement keeps the path to purchase simple

What Needs Work:
❌ Could segment returning vs. first-time customers for more tailored CTAs
❌ Repeated imagery risks fatigue; alternating background colors or layouts could help

PRIVATE SALE ENDS TODAY

Focus: Final urgency and conversion push

Why It Works:
✅ Countdown timer instantly communicates scarcity
✅ Minimal design with “Last Hours” hero keeps focus on urgency
✅ Clean typography and dark tones maintain brand identity through the finale

What Needs Work:
❌ Missed opportunity to highlight remaining inventory or “almost gone” items
❌ Ending message could tease the next event or membership benefit to retain momentum

What Tropicfeel Gets Right

Adventure as a Sales Hook: Every email ties discounts back to purpose; helping customers explore, travel, and live adventurously.
Consistent Visual Identity: The torn-paper aesthetic, outdoor imagery, and black-and-white palette make the campaign unmistakably Tropicfeel.
Exclusivity Without Gimmicks: Password-gated access adds intrigue while reinforcing the brand’s community-first positioning.

Where They Miss the Mark

Repetition in Layout: While cohesive, the creative barely evolves throughout the campaign, reducing engagement by mid-series.
Product Context Missing: Strong storytelling but weak on practical shopping guidance; no price contrasts, featured items, or “bestseller” highlights.
Limited Personalization: A simple segmentation by past product type (footwear vs. gear) could have made offers more relevant.

Final Takeaway

Tropicfeel’s Black Friday campaign is a masterclass in brand alignment. Every touchpoint reinforces the company’s core ethos of exploration and sustainability, turning a typical sale into an immersive brand experience. But with a few tweaks (more variation, stronger product storytelling, and targeted personalization) it could evolve from visually striking to commercially unbeatable.

Key Takeaways for Brands

✔️ Anchor discounts to your brand’s purpose to maintain identity during peak season
✔️ Use exclusivity (like password-gated access) to elevate the sale experience
✔️ Balance storytelling with practical purchase cues like pricing and product spotlights
✔️ Refresh creative mid-campaign to maintain excitement and avoid repetition fatigue
✔️ Segment your audience to personalize urgency and improve final conversions

Meme of the week

If you saw me click on my own email... no you didn't.

What's the difference between a good retention marketer and a great one?

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AI Power-Up: The post-holiday nurture engine

The 6 weeks after Christmas might be the most overlooked revenue window of the year. Shoppers are flush with gift cards, returns, resolutions, and fresh interest… and most brands go silent.

This is where AI can take over the heavy lifting.

Use AI to build a dynamic Post-Holiday Nurture sequence that adapts in real time

Instead of blasting the same message to everyone who bought in December, feed your data into AI and have it create personalized sequences based on:

• Who purchased vs. who browsed

• Gift buyers vs. self-buyers

• Return initiators vs. satisfied customers

• VIPs vs. one-time shoppers

• Cold subscribers who didn’t convert

Then have AI dynamically build:

• Product recs based on purchase behavior

• Resolution-themed content tied to categories

• Gift card reminder + how to spend it

• Upsell or refill windows based on reorder timing

• Review + UGC collection automations

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me. Always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

PS - Your next best customer might be reading this right now. Want in? Email Jimmy to sponsor this newsletter and more.

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