Email Design Template Hub

The challenge:

Seagate have an extensive partner, reseller and distribution network that they regularly update with product launches, events, webinars and useful resources etc; sending out dozens of B2B and B2C emails every month.

Designing new emails each time became a strain on their inhouse resources, and we were asked to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution that could easily be adopted by their creative services team and global marketing departments.

How we helped:

We developed a library of email layouts that met the agreed criteria, these ‘fixed layout templates’ are housed in an online hub that is easily accessible by the global marketing teams and allows them to pick the template that best suits their needs.

The online hub has been built with a series of additional functionality that includes: a brief description of the purpose of each layout template; the ability to view the template as a wireframe layout or a real email example; copy guidelines; an option to email the user and / or colleagues the selected template, and a link to download the selected Adobe XD artwork files from Seagate’s internal brand portal.

The email layout options are therefore easy to share internally before the creative services team provide the final design to then be built as an HTML email.

The Email Design Template Hub also offers a ‘design your own’ section where a wide choice of content blocks can be stacked together to create the perfect layout. The modular content blocks have been created so that they are easily interchangeable to form a range of alternative layouts.

The ‘design your own’ section has been built to support anyone within the Seagate team to create an email layout, regardless of their experience in email marketing. The step-by-step approach allows the user to select at least one content bock for each section of the email, gradually building the desired layout. Content blocks are easily switched until the perfect layout is achieved.

As with the ‘fixed layout templates’, each content block selected provides the user with a description of its purpose; a wireframe for branding together with a skinned example for inspiration; along with copy guidelines. Once the desired layout has been decided upon, the user can email themselves and / or a colleague a summary of what has been chosen with the added ability to download the assets so that the creative services team can collate them into the final design.

There is also a ‘Favourites’ section, where ‘Design your own’ layouts can be saved and will be labelled as created by the individual. It’s a great way to easily refer back to a previously created layout and can be a source of inspiration for other users as well.

The results:

Seagate now have a centralised resource of email layouts that can be used for all of their email marketing needs, from a track of webinar invites to tease information, joining incentives and post webinar wrap up information, to pre-event and post event communications, newsletters, case studies, white papers and global product launches, to name but a few.

Both the wide range of fixed layouts and the discrete content blocks that can be used to ‘design your own,’ all adhere to Segate’s brand identity, which ensures continuity across all B2B and B2C email communications.

The Email Design Template Hub provides all experience levels within the global marketing teams the ability to choose a layout which meets their requirements and share internally with their copy writers and creative services teams to produce on target designs to capture their audience’s attention.

This approach has also resulted in a streamlining of both the editorial and design requirements, whilst still allowing the team variety and flexibility, enabling the HTML emails to be turned quickly and cost effectively.

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