Challenge: Convincing The Hot

It is a unique challenge to convert prospects at the bottom of the funnel. To make a purchase requires buyers to use complex decision-making: a type of thinking associated with “high-involvement products that are important to the consumer and therefore [need] considerable thought and effort” (Monash Business School). Potential buyers might be concerned about pricing or product features—perhaps how these stack up to competitors, especially if, like Katoa, the brand is a newcomer.

But it is reasonable to presume that Katoa Frames, by this point, has checked all these boxes. This nurture series has shone a light on both cost and product features—and has done so in a way that both responds to user behavior, adjusting content based on level of engagement, and enables Katoa to learn more about its market with various tests.

With regard to cost, messaging at the previous Consideration stage stressed the fairness of any transaction, highlighting how prospects could test-drive potential new shades at home, at no cost to them. And our main product feature is a differentiator as competitive as it is rare and resonant: eyewear that fits all human faces beautifully.

Heck, with relation to this specific use case, even more should already be in our favor:

1. Research shows that people in general do not need much convincing to pay for new sunglasses.

2. Appropriate for all weather and all seasons, eyewear is the rare constant accessory.

3. It is common to own multiple pairs; few people need sunglasses, but most enjoy buying them.

4. There is increasing interest in eye health in the United States, the leading country in generating revenue in the global eyewear market.

5. The generations most likely to be in the market for the inclusively designed Katoa Frames, Millennials and Zoomers, wear sunglasses “always, most or some of the time” when out in the world.

The challenge, then, is precisely the fact that it seems all the cards are in our favor. What final push does someone who has demonstrated sizable interest need to actually follow through at this point and make a purchase? We’re beyond channel metrics now and in the realm of key performance indicators for the business, such as cost per acquisition and return on investment. It’s important to close.

Solution: An Authentic Testimonial

Cultivating trust is pivotal in the process of building and strengthening a mutually beneficial relationship between brand and prospect. One way to develop this sense of security and belief among prospects is to introduce social proof—which comes in myriad forms, with perhaps none as weighty as the customer testimonial.

Testimonials are powerful tools that humanize a business. They demonstrate tangible benefits and results, yes—but more importantly, they do so by sharing the real experiences of real people. Written by actual customers, testimonials easily come across as what they actually are (and as what marketing so often struggles to be perceived as): genuine.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies recently found only 4% of consumers “believe advertisers and marketers practice integrity.” Meanwhile, nearly half of consumers “feel that online business reviews are as trustworthy as personal recommendations from friends or family.”

Translation? It’s meaningful to have people with similar goals, challenges and needs share the positive impact that a product has had on their life.

Details: Why This Works

The most valuable testimonial could come from someone who hails from one of the communities most uplifted by Katoa’s focus on groups typically unfocused-on in eyewear design.

1. This kind of endorsement would speak directly to the biggest pain point the brand seeks to solve.

2. Potential customers who have also had trouble getting sunglasses that suit their face are likely to find this testimonial exceptionally relatable.

3. It would not only reiterate but also prove our (rare and treasured) competitive differentiator: inclusive product design.

4. It would suggest that Katoa is not only in the sunglasses business. It is also in the self-worth business… the self-esteem and self-assurance and self-belief business.

With regard to the last point: The product is the eyewear. The byproduct is an increase in confidence, which research has shown can accompany the wearing of items that are symbolically associated with beloved human qualities, like creativeness or intelligence.

This concept is called “enclothed cognition.” In short, a 2019 study found that people who thought they were wearing a doctor’s white lab coat, as opposed to a painter’s coat that happened to be white, were better at solving the same puzzle.

In The Inbox: Subject Line And Preview Text

[ Subject Line: “I believe everyone has the right to look good” ]

The fact the subject line is solely and simply a quote is, in and of itself, arresting. But the content of the quote is colossal, too.

The quote gives us insight into someone’s deeply held belief,¹ which the brand hitches its wagon to by virtue of using it for marketing: that being able to feel good about oneself is a universal right. This basic human right—i.e., not privilege—is important because, as noted by the Fashion & Law Journal: “Our wardrobe choices have various psychological repercussions.” In other words, as famously said by GQ model and all-universe athlete Deion Sanders, “If you look good, you feel good.”

This may seem a quotidian revelation, but Katoa Frames does exist for a reason. There is a real history of people who belong to certain communities not being able to go into a store, online or brick and mortar, and know for a fact its products or sizing or style was created with them in mind. If the modern fashion industry hinges on the photograph, for example, then photography itself has only recently started adjusting its technology and techniques to better capture the full range of human skin tones.

¹ It is important to note that the assertion of any personal belief is also, usually, an emotional act. Our personal beliefs are integral to who we are: we express them to share what we stand for, what’s important to us, what principles we would fight for. This emotional component further heightens the odds this message is opened, engaged with and thought about.

[ Preview Text: Our customers have spoken. ]

The subject line was provocative for how it used a simple and straightforward quote. The preview text is provocative for its (intentional) brevity.

Clocking in at only 26 characters, it is about one-fourth the length of typical preheader text. The hope? That after reading, “Our customers have spoken,” readers will have a natural internal dialogue that wonders, “Yeah? And what did they say?”

The Email

Click here to see the full email. This will open in a new tab.

Another Layer: The Loveland Foundation

Associating with social causes can enhance a business’s image by showcasing its commitment to helping real people in real life. Consumers often appreciate and are more likely to support companies that demonstrate social responsibility.

This email presents a golden opportunity for Katoa to emphasize its own dedication to social good. Rooted in its mission of celebrating diversity through eyewear, Katoa could promote its partnership with The Loveland Foundation, a non-profit that helps connect communities of color with mental wellness practitioners and services.

This is a chance for the brand to show it recognizes another issue, mental health and wellness, that affects the lives of the people it welcomes as customers. Research by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Library of Medicine has found there are disparities in treatment and outcomes for mental health disorders between various communities in the United States. To bring awareness to this issue, as well as to support its solution, Katoa can donate a portion of each purchase to The Loveland Foundation—and discuss this awesome donation effort in this bottom-of-funnel email, alongside the testimonial.

Consumers prioritize brands that show they have a social conscience. This initiative therefore not only aligns with the founding values of Katoa Frames; it also positions the brand as a catalyst for real change. Actions speak louder than words—and Katoa’s financial support would add yet another layer of credibility and authenticity to this last, pre-purchase push.