Core Framework
Best PracticeThe standard 5-step checklist for any big promotion (over 10-20% off) to optimize results.
I want to walk you through the Email Promo Playbook today. My goal here is simple: to show you exactly how to create the perfect promotional sequence, from the initial launch all the way to that final sale.
When you have a promotion on the calendar—whether it’s Black Friday, a summer sale, or a random Tuesday—you need to think strategically about the touchpoints that will actually generate sales.
Below are the core components, the "power moves," and the real-world examples you need to turn your next promotion into a success.
For any big promotion (anything over 10% or 20% off), there is a checklist of five emails you absolutely should plan for. If you want to optimize your results, this is your template:
Before we look at the brands, I want to highlight two specific insights that go on top of those best practices.
These are the tips that turn a "good" sale into an extraordinary one.
Before opening the sale to everyone, consider opening it up specifically to your VIP segment first.
This works incredibly well for fashion, jewelry, or any brand that deals with stock issues. If you are worried about running out of specific sizes, colors, or variants, launch a VIP sale. Your VIPs will be thankful because they can secure exactly what they want, and it kickstarts your promotion with immediate sales.
This is one of the main tips I want you to take away from this.
Let’s say you are planning a 30% off sale in three days. Tomorrow, you can launch a 20% sale to your audience instead.
Here is why this is brilliant: You see who converts at 20%. Those people are then excluded from the 30% emails later. You are optimizing your Lifetime Value (LTV) because you aren't giving away that extra 10% margin to people who were happy to buy at a lower discount.
This is specifically useful if you have a store where people usually buy just one main item (like AG1) rather than filling a cart with volume.
Let’s look at how actual brands are implementing this playbook, ranging from the simplest sequences to the most advanced.
Fig.1 keeps it incredibly simple. For their campaigns, like Labor Day, they often use a sequence of just two or three emails.
They skip the announcement and the mid-sale blasts. It’s just "Launch" and "Ending Soon." This is the bare minimum.
AG1 is in a unique position where they have one massive main SKU. For Father’s Day, they ran a simple 3-4 email sequence:
They often disguise their promotions as bundles—creating a specific "Father’s Day Bundle"—rather than just slashing prices, which protects their brand value.
I found a perfect example of that LTV optimization strategy we talked about earlier.
From there, they followed the 5-step checklist perfectly: Announcement, Launch, Mid-Sale, Ending Soon, and Last Call.
For their mid-sale blasts, they didn't just repeat the offer; they changed the angle—switching from focusing on the "gift" to explaining the monetary value of the savings.
Parade is a great example for the VIP strategy.
Because they have so many products and variants, they use the VIP sale to let people secure their specific items before the public launch.
Their sequence is very price-driven. They use countdown timers effectively, especially in those "Ending Soon" emails.
If you need inspiration for subject lines that drive urgency, look at Parade.
Onnit’s Labor Day sale was massive—a seven-email sequence. It might sound repetitive, but it works because they used four different angles for their mid-sale blasts:
It’s the repetition combined with these different angles that makes the promotion work.
Skims runs discounts constantly—pretty much every two weeks—and they use the exact same pattern every single time.
They are so consistent that they often reuse the exact same subject lines. It’s a machine.
Finally, we have Obvi.
This is the most sophisticated setup. For a single promotion, they might send 8 to 10 emails over two weeks.
They stack everything: They announce the sale, give smaller discounts to specific segments, restart with a big discount a few days later, offer VIP access, and then do extensions.
They literally move from one sale to another, pause for a few days, and restart.
If you are sitting there trying to build your own sequence, you don't need to guess. You can use tools like Panorama to see exactly what’s working.
You can filter for "discount emails" in the fashion industry for Christmas, or look specifically for "30% off" emails, or even search for emails featuring "dresses". It’s a gold mine for finding the right creative to plug into these frameworks.
Go ahead and plan those five emails.
Decide if you need a VIP early access or a pre-discount to optimize your LTV.
Good luck with your next promotion!
