Jelly Belly’s Secret

Because I make a fair share of online purchases, I find myself on the receiving end of many companies’ e-mail blasts, and I’m always amazed at the writing techniques (or lack thereof) businesses use to get me to open their messages.

No, I’m not referring to the writing found in spam e-mails -- which obviously require no writing skills whatsoever -- I’m talking about the e-mails from reputable retailers offering various products and services. Rarely will I open these e-mails for one of two reasons: either the writing provided no incentive or it wasn't strong enough to appeal to my curiosity.

However, this morning was different. After going through the usual deleting process, I came across an e-mail that sparked my interest. It was sent by one of corporate America’s most highly respected executives, Mr. Jelly Belly.

The subject read “Shhh...Jelly Belly has a secret Belly Flops event!”

Immediately, my imagination went to work. I envisioned a large man dressed up as a Jelly Belly jelly bean, flopping himself into a crystal-clear pool surrounded by cheering fans.

I wondered, is some kind of belly-flop event coming to Phoenix? The thought was too much to ignore, so I opened the e-mail and saw this …

To the right of the picture I noticed a large block of text that seemed too lengthy to read, especially at 6 a.m. However, since the text in the subject line created such a vivid image, I forced myself to scan Mr. Jelly Belly’s message. After all, I was curious.

As it turns out, Belly Flops are the “Jelly Belly jelly beans that are a little less perfect … or the ones that somehow escaped the Jelly Belly logo stamper.” Mr. Jelly Belly’s e-mail offered these beans at a discounted price. Although I didn’t buy any beans, his proposition grabbed my interest because it used five effective copywriting techniques that many companies overlook.

(I must stress that by no means was Mr. Jelly Belly’s e-mail a written work of art, but the content quality was well beyond what normally shows up in my inbox.)

1. Mr. Jelly Belly crafted words that helped create a visual image. Sure, the picture in my head was probably different than what Mr. Jelly Belly intended, but that’s not as important as the fact I opened the e-mail.

2. Mr. Jelly Belly used humor. Although it wasn’t fall-on-the-ground funny, the image of a jelly bean dressed in a swim cap and goggles was at least fun.

3. Mr. Jelly Belly set a deadline. The $8 price for two pounds of Belly Flops (which apparently have been sought after for many years) is only valid until Easter Sunday. Mr. Jelly Belly’s deadline encourages a fast response.

4. Mr. Jelly Belly stressed exclusivity. Only “friends” on the Jelly Belly mailing list have access to his offer and the “hidden” Belly Flops page for ordering.

5. Mr. Jelly Belly tied his offer into a holiday. Jelly Belly jelly beans and Easter are a well-known combination. The days prior to Easter are when the Easter Bunny is looking for items to fill baskets.

The next time you decide to offer your product or service through e-mail, try some of Mr. Jelly Belly’s techniques to increase your response rate. One warning, though, you may have to include some of your own techniques as well. After all, the pitch wasn't strong enough to generate the ultimate response from me -- the purchase.

By the way, if you want access to the “hidden” page for ordering Belly Flops, you can view it here.