As New York City workers and residents grappled with the devastating effects of the city's transit workers' strike for a second day Wednesday, at least one company incorporated commuters' frustration into a personalized e-mail holiday sales pitch.
1-800-Flowers yesterday sent a customized e-mail to the New Yorkers in its file offering them up to 25% off its Christmas collection.
"Save the subway fare and up to 25% too!" said the e-mail's subject line.
"It's been one hectic holiday season here in New York! We've dealt with everything from transit strikes to unpredictable weather to soaring gas prices," said the e-mail, which was also personalized with recipients' first names. "What can a savvy New Yorker do to fight gridlock and get gifts delivered in time for the holidays? Shop at 1-800-Flowers.com and save up to 25% on gifts from our Christmas collection!"
Andrea Vitale, vice president, direct marketing for the Carle Place, NY-based company said someone had the idea Tuesday to send a strike-related e-mail to New Yorkers, and the promotion went out the next day. "We thought it was a good way to personalize our messages and keep them relevant," she said.
1-800-Flowers' marketing executives were also careful to word the e-mail so it still had relevance if the strike ended yesterday before the promotion arrived in peoples' inboxes, Vitale said.
The strike-related offer went to e-mail addresses in 1-800-Flowers' file in Manhattan and New York's other four boroughs, said Vitale. The New York City tri-state area is 1-800-Flowers' biggest market and New York City residents represent between 5% and 10% of the company's file, she said. Vitale added that it was too early to tell how well the pitch was doing.
Two years ago, 1-800-Flowers sent an e-mail promotion incorporating a massive recent snowstorm in to its copy that did quite well, she added.
New York City transit workers walked off the job Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. leaving New Yorkers and others in the surrounding area scrambling to find ways to work. The last time they struck was in 1980. That strike lasted 11 days.
