Personalization in Marketing: The Shutterfly Snafu & How We Can Learn from It
Today, let’s chat about personalization in marketing. Remember that time in 2014 when Shutterfly hit the headlines? According to a piece by Kashmir Hill in Forbes, the company sent congratulatory emails on "new arrivals" (think: newborn babies) to a broad swath of their users. This might sound heartwarming on the surface, but the real blunder was that many of these users didn't have any recent births to celebrate. For some, it was a painful reminder of loss or infertility.
Now, in the digital age, we've come to expect personalization. As Hill notes, "Many of us are used to the Internet predicting things about us". But what happens when predictions miss the mark?
Drawing lessons from Shutterfly's misstep, let’s talk about the art of personalization done right.
1. Understand Before You Act
Why it matters: You need to understand your audience, the purpose of the communication and what's riding on it. In the case of Shutterfly, a failure to grasp the audience's nuances led to what many called an "#epicfail" that spired into a full-out pr crisis management issue.
How to do it: Dive deep into data, ensuring it's the right data for the right purpose. It's not about casting a broad net but precision. Work with your data teams, ensure the data is relevant, and always be ready to re-evaluate.
2. Double-Check, Then Check Again
Why it matters: Errors in personalization can feel like a misplaced gift. Cue at minimum: Unsubscribe button. C-suite Issues: Call in the crisis communication pr team. You have to be on point.
How to do it: Use automated tools, but maintain a human touch. Ensure checks and balances are in place so the right content reaches its intended audience. A Shutterfly spokesperson acknowledged that their email was "sent to a larger distribution in error". Such errors can be minimized with rigorous checks.
We had a phrase from my high school arts program - "check, double check and check again" (thanks Mr. Bluestein!). This is a motto I live by and could take shape within this practice as levels of managerial signoff on list migration.
3. Own Up and Adapt
Why it matters: Shutterfly’s response was initially attributing the blunder to a "mistaken mass mailing". Clear, transparent communication might have pacified hurt sentiments to an extent.
How to do it: Mistakes happen. Own them, apologize sincerely, and ensure your audience knows you're taking measures to prevent future lapses. This is most valuable part of having a well-rounded marketing/pr team with experienced professionals guilding your communications stragtegy. They've pushed "send" many times before... and seen it all.
Personalization, when done thoughtfully, is magical. But when it goes wrong, it's a stark reminder of the delicate balance marketers must strike. Here's to forging more authentic and meaningful connections in our digital era!
Stay smart, stay kind, and remember: Marketing is as much about heart as it is about strategy.
Stay tuned for my next article about top AI tools to help with personalized content.
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About Michelle Hayes Uhlfelder
With 18 years of marketing and PR expertise, Michelle is dedicated to helping businesses grow and thrive in this ever-evolving marketing landscape. She is a thought leader and strategist committed to turning insights into action. Follow her on LinkedIn to connect.