Breaking up is hard to do

Ah, breakups. Never fun, hopefully compassionate and honest. But what about brand breakups? How a brand handles a breakup is part of our brand experience.

Let’s start with email marketing. We all have an email account reserved just for spam or one spam has taken over like the Tribbles did in that StarTrek episode. You said yes to the 10% off offer, but now you’re not finding value in the constant stream of emails and you want out. Or worse, you never signed up directly

Every now and then, I unsubscribe from a bunch of emails in a futile attempt to reclaim my email address. Here are 3 common types and my reflections on the breakup metaphor

1-???Unsubscribe button is right next to the email address. 1 click to freedom! (metaphor: we can shake hands and walk away friends)

2-???The link is hidden in the very bottom of the email, in font so tiny you need your readers, then you must select from a list of email options and have an awkward conversation about why it wasn’t working (at least it’s a multiple-choice Q instead of open-ended)

3-???You find the link, but…you have to enter your email to unsubscribe. A little hard to believe they don’t know your email when they've been, well emailing you (did you ever really know me?)

What do you think, should it be hard to break up with a brand’s email marketing?

What are some of the best and worst ways to Unsubscribe that you’ve seen?