When I worked for a luxury brand heading their email marketing efforts, my team had the insights to test the effect of using emojis in the subject lines.

We had ambitious goals to increase the open rate of our emails (how many people open the email). Increasing an open rate comes down to 1 major parameter: the subject line.

At the time, emojis were a thing we had tried yet.
Even back then it was fairly common, but for the luxury house we were, it was a BIG deal. And my team knew that even for a test on 10% of our database they will need a compelling case.

We worked on decks to prove the value of the test: doing benchmarks to show that other luxury brands were already using them, any data we could put our hands on…

It took weeks of debate that went all the way to the Creative Chief Officer (COO):
"are we a brand that uses emojis?"
"are we a brand that used any emojis?"
"can we define which ones were brand appropriate?"
And we were making no progress.

Eventually, we brought the controversial topic to our monthly meeting with our Senior Vice President (my boss’s boss) to see if she could help. She was sold on the test so she went to the CCO and his team to explain why we were going to run the test.

And still he was NOT comfortable.

​As a last resort, she went to her boss (my N+3), the Chief Marketing Officer, who was shocked (rightfully so)!

How could we waste weeks debating on such a no brainer? How could such an insignificant matter had to be brought to her to be solved?
She went to the CCO and informed him we were running the test! Period.

And we did! And the results were great!

It was the same wisdom. Expect one had an “Officer” in her title, while all the others hadn’t.

Your idea may be rejected.
It doesn’t mean it’s not good.

Follow your guts.
Use the system in your favor.

AND, along the way, you can help change the system by listening to the ideas and wisdom coming from all titles with the same respect as you would from an “Officer”.

With love,
Caroline