Hey it’s Chase and Jimmy here!

This is your friendly reminder that seasonal campaigns don't need to rely on discounts to work.

Olive & June’s Valentine’s email is proof.

By showing layered manicures and how to recreate them, this send turns inspiration into a smart cross-sell and lifts AOV without making it feel forced. This morning we're digging into what works and the small tweaks that could make a big difference.

Also inside:
✔️ Retention isn't glamorous (but profits are)
✔️ Don't plan your 2026 strategy before February 3rd
✔️ Hiring vault: 11 New retention marketing job ops

Let’s get into it.👇

Retention isn't glamorous (but profits are)

Let's be honest... nobody wakes up excited to "optimize their welcome flow."

But you know what is exciting? Watching repeat purchase rates climb while your ad spend stays flat. The Retention Redefined guide is for anyone who's tired of retention feeling like a mess of random campaigns and wants an actual system instead.

Here's what you'll learn inside:

• The only 8 flows you actually need to build

• How to segment beyond "bought once vs. bought twice"

• Smart ways to use AI without your emails sounding like robots

• Metrics that matter (and the vanity ones to ignore)

→ Download your free copy

Olive & June’s layered mani email: Playful, shoppable, and sneakily great for AOV

Olive & June leans all the way into Valentine’s energy with this send, but underneath the hearts and candy colors is a really smart merchandising play. This email doesn’t just showcase new shades. It teaches customers how to layer them, which quietly turns a single polish browse into a two-product cart.

It’s fun on the surface. Strategic underneath. Exactly how seasonal emails should work.

Header Block

Let’s start at the top and look at how Olive & June kicks this email off. The header sets the tone fast and makes it clear this is about fun, not a hard sell.

What We Love

• The headline immediately signals novelty. “New V-Day Layered Manis” tells you this isn’t just another shade drop. There’s something new to try.

• The visual language is playful and on-theme without feeling juvenile. Hearts, stars, soft pastels. It matches Olive & June’s brand voice perfectly.

• The primary CTA is clear and action-oriented. You know exactly what you’re supposed to do next.

• The hero imagery does a lot of work. Showing real hands instead of bottle-only shots helps shoppers visualize the finished look, not just the product.

What We’d Do Differently

• The headline is playful, but the CTA could be more specific. Swapping “Shop Now” for something like “Shop Layered Manis” would better match the concept and set intent immediately.

• The seasonal theme is clear, but the value prop is implicit. A short secondary line reinforcing that these looks are easy to recreate at home could lower the barrier for less confident shoppers.

Body Block

Now we get into the heart of the email, where Olive & June turns inspiration into something you can actually shop. This section does a lot of quiet work behind the scenes.

What We Love

• Layered manicures are a brilliant AOV lever. Each look naturally combines two polishes, which makes adding multiple products feel intentional, not upsold.

• The naming is fun and memorable. “Biggest Crush,” “Candy Gems,” “Gum Drops Ombré.” These feel like looks, not SKUs.

• Each section follows the same structure. Visual, name, pairing, CTA. That consistency makes the email easy to scan and easy to shop.

• This also doubles as a discovery experience. Shoppers aren’t just choosing a color, they’re choosing a vibe.

What We’d Do Differently

• A quick “How to layer this look” micro-tip would add even more value. One short line like “Apply shade A as a base, tap shade B on top” could reduce friction for newer customers.

• There’s room to introduce light social proof. A small “fan favorite” or “most saved combo” callout could help speed up decisions.

• This could be an even stronger bundle moment. Offering a pre-built “Layered Mani Duo” option would make checkout faster for shoppers who don’t want to think.

Footer Block

As you scroll down, the email wraps things up without killing the vibe. It gives shoppers a few clear next steps without feeling like a hard stop or a reset.

What We Love

• The secondary navigation is clean and useful. It gives shoppers multiple paths depending on where they are in their journey.

• Trust builders like referrals and the happiness guarantee reinforce confidence after a playful, trend-forward email.

• The final CTA is clear and inviting without feeling aggressive.

What We’d Do Differently

• One final recap CTA like “Shop Layered Mani Looks” could help anchor late scrollers who made it through the full email.

• Grouping links visually by intent, like polish vs systems vs care, could make the footer feel even more intuitive.

Where This Email Works

Zooming out, this email does more than just ride a holiday moment.

Seasonal Merchandising: It taps into Valentine’s Day energy without relying on discounts, which protects margin while still feeling timely.

AOV Expansion: Layered looks naturally require multiple products, making this a soft but effective cross-sell strategy.

Inspiration to Purchase: By showing the finished result, Olive & June removes guesswork and helps shoppers feel confident recreating the look themselves.

Evergreen Playbook: This format works beyond Valentine’s Day. The same structure could be reused for spring pastels, summer brights, or fall neutrals.

Final Thoughts: Why This Email Works

This email proves you don’t need urgency or heavy promos to drive revenue. When you give customers a clear idea, a finished look, and an easy way to recreate it, they’ll happily add more to cart.

Olive & June makes buying feel like self-expression, not a transaction. That’s why this format works and why it’s worth stealing.

3 Quick Wins to Steal Next Time

✓ Turn inspiration into instruction, not just visuals
✓ Use layered or paired products to lift AOV naturally
✓ Name your looks so customers shop the outcome, not the SKU

Don't plan your 2026 strategy before February 3rd

2025 didn’t reward more sends. It rewarded better timing.

According to Omnisend’s 2025 Year in Review, automations made up just 2% of email sends, yet drove 30% of revenue. Clicks were lower, but conversion jumped 53% YoY, meaning fewer actions carried far more intent.

That’s why we’re teaming up with Omnisend to break down what actually worked in 2025 and how retention teams should prepare for 2026. We’ll cover:

• Why growth concentrated at the top and what the top brands did differently

• How intent signals replaced volume as the real advantage

• Where email, SMS, and push actually paid off last year

• 8-Part retention framework to put this data into action

Register free >> February 3 at 8am PST / 11am EST

The Hiring Vault

• Email & SMS Account Manager- eCommerce, Remote (U.S any location): BAD Marketing

• WeNatal Retention & Lifecycle Manager, Beverly Hills, CA: WeNatal

• Ecommerce Marketing Manager, New York, NY: Dr. Squatch

• Senior Manager, Lifecycle Marketing - Revenue, Durham, NC: Dollar Shave Club

• Manager - DTC (Marketing), Bedminster, NJ: Freshpet

• Sr. Manager, E-Commerce & Digital Growth, New York, NY: Winky Lux

• Senior Manager, CRM Marketing – Lifecycle & SMS, Secaucus, NJ: The Vitamin Shoppe

• Manager, Email Marketing, New York, United States: Christian Dior Couture

• Email & Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Decatur, GA: INK+ALLOY

• Associate Manager, Email & Lifecycle Marketing, Addison, IL: Pampered Chef

• Senior Manager, Retention, New York, NY: kate spade new york

That's a wrap for today!

Appreciate you hanging with Chase and me. We hope you found something you can put to work ASAP.

If you did, don’t keep it to yourself! Send ecomemailmarketer.com to your favorite DTC marketer and get them in on the action.

Catch you next time!

🤘 Jimmy Kim

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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