It has long been established that personalizing campaigns can boost response. Personalization can include recipients’ names, their companies, their birthdays, their locations, their past purchase behavior, and other unique identifiers. 

We tested personalization, and then we went a step further and tested a personal approach that doesn’t require data at all. 

Subject line personalization success

Personalization works great if you have the data. Alchemy Worx performed an A/B split test on behalf of Buffalo Trace Distillery where one campaign included the recipients’ first names in the subject line and the other was non-personalized.

One said: “[Name] It’s your bar, your space, our essentials”

The other said: “Your bar, your space, our essentials”

The personalized campaign walloped the non-personalized campaign, driving 84 percent more revenue, 41 percent more orders and 30 percent higher average order values.

“Buffalo Trace Distillery makes some of the most iconic brands in bourbon, such as Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, Blanton’s Single Barrel and many more,” says Allan Levy, CEO of Alchemy Worx. “It’s the kind of brand that customers—many of whom are bourbon afficionados—will have a deeply personal connection with. “People who subscribe to Buffalo Trace Distillery’s email program are naturally going to be fans of the brand who are hungry for information such as new releases,” he adds. “Calling them by name apparently really resonated with them.”

This test was less a surprise and more a way to quantify the potential lift for projections. It did make us wonder if there were other ways to get similar results.

Can a personal touch work as well as personalization?

In tests conducted on behalf of cosmetics company Laura Geller Beauty, Alchemy Worx took the opposite approach to personalization by testing campaigns signed by the icon herself, Laura Geller, against campaigns with no sign off.

Results prove getting personal resonates

Company founder Laura Geller is the brand and many customers have a personal connection with her. In an SMS campaign, Laura-Geller signed messages drove 25% more revenue than unsigned messages.

In an email A/B split test, Laura-Geller signed messages drove 78% more revenue and 58% more orders with one-time buyers, and 15% more revenue and 33% more orders with non-buyers.

“In a culture that celebrates youth and where most cosmetics companies reinforce that culture, Laura Geller helps older women feel confident in who they are,” says Levy. “These results indicate that a significant portion of Laura Geller subscribers feel a connection not just with the brand, but with the woman herself.

“A personal approach can be just as effective as true personalization, but one of the keys to making either work is having an already established positive relationship with campaign recipients.”

At Alchemy Worx, we test everything. You should, too. For more information on how to partner with Alchemy Worx, contact us.