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- Mon 8/10 | Ed 389 | Email Breakdown: Amika's Quiz-First Welcome Email
Mon 8/10 | Ed 389 | Email Breakdown: Amika's Quiz-First Welcome Email
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Personalization has become one of those words every brand throws around.
"We personalize."
"AI-powered recommendations."
"Built just for you."
Very few actually make you believe it.
This welcome email caught our attention because it doesn't start by selling products. It starts by selling the value of personalization first. It's a smart approach, but as the email goes on, too many competing paths start pulling attention away from the one action that matters most. Let's dig in.
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Most welcome emails start with products or a discount. Amika takes a different approach by leading with a personalized hair quiz, positioning itself as a guide before asking subscribers to shop. It's a refreshing strategy that fits the category well, but the execution leaves a lot competing for attention.
Goal: Get subscribers to complete a personalized hair quiz before they start shopping.
The Big Idea: Instead of leading with products, Amika positions itself as a guide. The email promises a routine built specifically for you, making the quiz the entry point into the shopping experience.
What They Got Right
They give subscribers a reason to engage
The email doesn't simply ask subscribers to take a quiz; it explains why it's worth taking one.
Instead of saying, "Complete our hair quiz," Amika promises a personalized routine that's built around your specific concerns. The conversational chat interface makes the experience feel less like filling out a form and more like talking to a stylist.
Why it works:
- Frames the quiz as a solution, not another task.
- Makes personalization feel tangible before the click.
- Creates curiosity around what recommendations you'll receive.
The creative reinforces the message
Every element in the hero supports the same story. The virtual hair expert, chat bubbles, and conversational copy all reinforce that this isn't a generic shopping experience.
It's a good example of matching the creative direction to the value proposition instead of relying on copy alone.
What brands can steal:
- Use visuals to demonstrate personalization instead of just claiming it.
- Build anticipation around the outcome, not the process.
Where It Starts to Fall Apart
The quiz has too much competition
The quiz is clearly intended to be the primary action, but it has to compete with almost everything else in the email.
Before reaching the CTA, subscribers have already seen:
- A free shipping banner.
- Primary navigation.
- A welcome discount.
- Multiple promotional messages.
After the quiz, they're immediately given another set of decisions:
- Shop Frizz.
- Shop Dryness.
- Shop Damage.
None of those elements are bad on their own. Together, they make it less obvious what action the subscriber should take first.
The personalization story fades too quickly
The top half of the email builds excitement around receiving tailored recommendations. Then the email pivots into a standard category showcase featuring three common hair concerns.
That shift weakens the original message.
If the quiz is the differentiator, the rest of the email should continue building confidence in that experience instead of introducing generic shopping paths.
A stronger approach could be:
- Show an example personalized routine.
- Preview the types of recommendations subscribers will receive.
- Explain how the quiz works in three simple steps.
- Save product collections for the following email.
What We'd Test
We'd simplify the email and let the quiz own the experience.
Right now, every section is asking the subscriber to make another decision. The free shipping banner, navigation, discount, quiz, and product collections all compete for attention, even though the quiz is clearly the action Amika wants customers to take.
Instead, we'd test a version that keeps the focus on one journey:
- Introduce the personalized hair expert.
- Explain what the subscriber will receive after completing the quiz.
- Include one prominent "Take the Quiz" CTA.
- Move the product collections into the next welcome email after the quiz has been completed.
That approach creates a much cleaner visual hierarchy while making the promised personalization feel more authentic. Rather than presenting multiple shopping paths at once, every section works together to guide subscribers toward the same next step.
The final verdict
Amika's strategy is stronger than the average welcome email because it prioritizes helping before selling. The quiz gives subscribers a compelling reason to engage beyond simply claiming a first-order discount.
The biggest opportunity isn't changing the concept. It's creating more breathing room. By removing competing navigation paths and committing more fully to the quiz, the email would feel more focused, the personalization story would stay intact, and the primary CTA would become much harder to ignore.
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You don't need a five-question quiz to personalize SMS. We love this welcome flow from Magic Spoon; it gets the information they need with one simple prompt, then uses that response to guide the rest of the conversation. It's easy for the customer and valuable for the brand.
Senior Retention Marketing Manager, South Gate, CA: AG Jeans
Sr CRM Manager, Email & SMS, San Mateo, CA: Fanatics
Email Marketing Manager, North Bethesda, MD: JOOLA
Email & Lifecycle Marketing Specialist, Addison, TX: Colleen Rothschild Beauty
CRM Manager, New York, NY: CELINE
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