There’s a new kind of email in town: the tariff email.
No one likes being the bearer of bad news. Delivering unpleasant updates in an email, especially a marketing or sales one? Even more uncomfortable, both to a brand sending it and the audience receiving it.
Writing such an email that doesn’t alienate your subscribers requires serious skills, and crafting ones that drive high engagement, foster deeper connections with your brand, and increase sales is a true mastery.
In the last month, we’ve seen more than a few tariff-related messages hit our inboxes. Striking the right balance between sharing the news—whether things are changing or not—and keeping things highly relatable is absolutely critical. If done right, you’ve just gained a relationship as good as gold with your customers. If you’re sweating over the “send” button right now over your tariff email, let us put you at ease that bad news doesn’t have to mean bad for business. Here’s what we’ve learned.
Ditch The Jargon – Keep It Human and Honest
The financially traumatized BÉIS Team went viral on LinkedIn recently for sending a very frank email about the uncertain situation their company is facing. Just like many other retailers, the bags and luggage brand has been trying to make sense of it all, but had no definite answers to share.
Knowing that their subscribers and customers are in the same confusing boat, they sent an email that sounded like having a conversation with a slightly self-deprecating friend.
Contrary to popular belief, admitting that you don’t know what’s next is not a weakness – but a powerful way to get your people emotionally closer to you (and your brand). When done right, sharing an honest update like that can win your brand many new fans and earn a surge in incoming sales.
Include an Incentive
Knowing that prices are going to go up at any point in time, ShaperMint decided to zig when everyone else zags and lower their prices on selected items for a limited time. To make the offer even more appealing, they shared the most popular items that their customers felt particularly rushed to get at a discounted price (combining the incentive with a psychologically proven social proof trick).
Tell a Story That Resonates
Ask Simon Sinek – every successful brand starts with a strong “why”, and that “why” leads the founders in every decision they make.
When a brand is as committed to getting things right, that thread runs through from choosing its manufacturers to being open about what’s about to happen.
The MeUndies team did two things right here - they sent an email from Jonathan Shokrian, the founder of the underwear brand (remember #1, keep it human and honest?), and they told the story about choosing to manufacture outside of the U.S. – making customers care even more about the brand, because they could understand what’s in it for them.
Soften the Blow with Humor (If Appropriate)
“Welp, here it is,” Pura Vida Bracelets opened their tariff email, “We’ve got good news, and we’ve got bad news.”
Keeping the email short and (bitter)sweet, the lifestyle brand spiced up their campaign with a dash of humor (“Blame the tariffs”), a hint of repetition to anchor their message (“Again, blame the tariffs”), and a touch of relatability (“With love, from all of us, and mild panic, especially from the finance team”).
If using humor is on-brand, and when done right, it’s one of the best tools to defuse friction, help brands be perceived as more human, and improve customers’ emotional association with brands.
Stick to Plain Text Emails to Improve Deliverability
A Monster guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning deliverability.
Wine Enthusiast, like other brands addressing this challenge, sent a tariff email that was primarily text-based. It’s not a surprise to see such an email coming from a retailer, because the plain-text sales email approach has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Furthermore, aside from those emails looking and feeling more like personal letters (and by that, increasing subscribers’ engagement with them), the decision to stick to plain text emails is a smart one simply from a deliverability perspective.
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Last But Not Least…
More than anything these days, subscribers and customers want brands to be transparent about their decisions and values.
Before you hit send on your brand’s tariff email—whether you’re delivering good news or bad—consider
- Keeping it human
- Offering an incentive if you are able
- Telling a story that resonates
- Softening the blow with humor (if appropriate)
- Keeping it simple and text-based
Brand leaders won’t always have solutions or the perfect thing to say, but keeping the audience in the loop is the best policy. Not everyone is going to like that approach, but those who do are way more likely to become bigger fans and brand advocates.
