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GDPR Emails You Actually Want to Read

Beefree team
Beefree team
Jun 19, 2018
GDPR Emails You Actually Want to Read
GDPR Emails You Actually Want to Read

With GDPR finally(!) upon us, we hope all you fellow email geeks are faring okay! The European Union's privacy law has certainly created a lot of anxiety, excitement, and buzz. And for us here at Email Design Workshop, it also created a unique opportunity: we got to compare a flood of emails that all sought to tackle the same challenge—updating users about changing site policies. We surveyed the many, many GDPR emails in our inbox and plucked some that stood out. The design-savvy privacy policy, terms of service, and opt-in emails we found fall into three design categories:

  • Simply styled and effective
  • A little bit artsy
  • Tongue-in-cheek

As always, we hope to inspire you with this roundup of emails. So, let's have a little GDPR fun!

Wait—what is GDPR again?

GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation, a privacy law established by the European Union "designed to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe,toprotect and empower all EU citizens data privacy and to reshape the way organizations across the region approach data privacy." In other words, instead of having different privacy laws in each EU country, now there's an EU-wide standard that's enforceable as of May 2018.In the email world, companies with EU-based subscribers need to make sure they're GDPR compliant. This resulted in, as you've noticed, a massive influx of GDPR emails. They fell into two main categories: (1) ones that notified readers of updates toprivacy policies and terms of service, and (2) reconfirmation campaigns asking subscribers to opt-in.If you want to read more about GDPR, we included helpful links at the end of this post. But, for now, let's see how these GDPR emails looked. After all, good design means good communication, and when it comes to these "legalese" emails, this often goes a long way.

GDPR Emails: Simply styled and effective

Hinge

Subject:We’ve updated our Privacy Policy and Terms.

Hinge GDPR emails

Hinge does a really nice job of personalizing this email and making it super easy to read. The ultra-narrow fixed width, generously-sized text, and use of bolded, numbered sub-headers all converge to make this email super sleek and user-friendly.

Coursera

Subject: Notice of Privacy Policy Updates

Coursera GDPR emails

Courseraemploys similar techniques as Hinge to make its email simple, ultra-readable, and well done. The "boxed" effect of the blue background border is a nice touch, too.

Timex

Subject: Your trust is important to us.

Timex GDPR emails

This is the only GDPR email we spotted that used a modular design with background colors to delineate information. It's a great example of how a simple design tactic can improve comprehension, as readers see clearly labeled pieces of information one at a time.

Your Majesty Co.

Subject: Reconfirm your subscription to keep receiving our newsletter

Your Majesty Co. GDPR emails

Here's a great reconfirmation email from Your Majesty Co. that couldn't be simpler. (You can probably guess the thing we love most about it.) Thepurple bulletproof CTA buttonpractically jumps off the page—it's impossible to miss—which, of course, is the whole idea.

GDPR Emails: Just a little artsy

Topo Designs

Subject: Update to the Topo Designs Privacy Policy

Topo Designs GDPR emails

With the brevity of its statements and great formatting, Topo Designs makes it easy to understand the updates that have been implemented. But the PRIVACY POLICY header at the top of the email is also a nice touch. And the hero "art" helps drive home the main point and makes this email easy to understand at a glance.

The Muse

Subject: Important Updates to The Muse’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

The Muse GDPR emails

This is a super friendly—if not wordy—email from The Muse that feels almost like it came from a buddy. To match the decidedly not cut-and-dry tone, the brand added an illustration at the top that incorporated the GDPR logo. We're into it.

Edenspiekermann

Subject: You're in Control (Action Required)

Edenspiekermann GDPR emails

Like Topo Designs, the hero image/banner in this Edenspiekermann email says it all. And this is even more important in a reconfirmation campaign that's asking readers to act. Plus, Edenspiekermann incorporated artwork for each supporting article—a welcome invitation for readers to click.

Penguin Books

Subject: We've updated our Privacy Policy

Penguin Books GDPR emails

Leave it to the literary folks at Penguin Books to take their GDPR email to a whole other level. We're into the Harper Lee quote and the opening line, which stands out as being more than a "We respect your privacy" opener!

Uber

Subject: Updates to Uber’s Privacy Policy

Uber GDPR emails

Like most of the emails in this category, Uber added a neat hero image to help convey its message, and we dig it!

Code Academy

Subject: Update to our Privacy Policy

Code Academy GDPR emails

Saved the best for last! The elegant header in this Code Academy email looks great and communicates well—we love how the deadline was included (and themillennial pink, naturally).

GDPR Emails: Tongue-in-cheek

Sidetracked

Subject: No action needed! (Unless you want to unsubscribe)

Sidetracked GDPR emails

Sidetracked Magazine got a little playful here, and while the style isn't for everyone, it is a breath of fresh air.

Reformation

Subject: PRIVACY POLICY UPDATE

Reformation GDPR emails

Here, Reformation kept it short, sweet, and silly.

Bullish

Subject: Yet another Privacy Policy Update, plus a doggo meme

Bullish GDPR emails

Here is the only GDPR email we received (from Bullish) with a meme. You're welcome. :)Hungry for more GDPR info? Here are a few GDPR articles we found useful!

And, visit our GDPR Emails Pinterest Board for more design ideas!

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Now, let's be honest—you’ve likely heard about all of these rotating for the last few years. While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 

Let’s get into it.  

#1. Unique, tailored experiences 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “We faced the challenge of connecting meaningfully with an audience that expects more than one-size-fits-all communication.” 

When we speak about crafting tailored emails we mean going beyond the recipient's first name in the subject line. We’re talking about optimizing your entire email strategy to design multi-stage touchpoints to nurture leads across the customer lifecycle. As well as, leveraging data to send hyper-personalized, relevant, and engaging emails that feel less like a broadcast message and more like a conversation. 

Many are using AI machine learning algorithms and AI automation to analyze customer interactions, past purchases, browsing habits, website visits, and even social media behavior to curate engaging email content that resonates deeply with the real-time needs of recipients.

For PetLab Co this looked like including content such as an individual’s pet health history or product usage timelines. Damian Grabarzyk expands, “This approach transformed the conversion rate and strengthened customer loyalty. As we look ahead, I see brands in 2025 moving beyond generic personalization to adopt strategies that make customers feel truly understood and valued.”

On the other hand, many are leaning into user-generated content (UGC) for crafting tailored experiences. Customers today are more likely to trust the opinions of peers over branded messages. UGC like customer reviews, testimonials, videos, and photos are the best form of social proof depicting real people using and benefitting from your products or services. 

We see the benefits of using both AI and UGC to get the most out of your email conversions ;). 

#2. AI tools as an addition, not a substitution

Experts at NordPass state, "AI-powered content generation tools are not here to replace email copywriters and marketers. These tools make us more efficient. The smarter the tool is, the better equipped we are to create high-performing email content that drives results." 

AI tools can support us by significantly enhancing the speed, precision, and effectiveness of your emails. For instance while traditionally A/B testing has required a lot of time to analyze small variations with AI you quickly implement and test multiple email elements and make adjustments based on real-time engagement data. There are AI algorithms that can even predict which variations are most likely to resonate with different audience segments, leading to more accurate targeting and faster optimization.

In short, AI tools are revolutionizing the way we craft and optimize our email’s deliverability. There are many different types of AI solutions so we suggest finding the right one for your needs. 

#3. Even more transparency around data

With AI continuing to rise, folks are more and more concerned about where their data is going. That’s where zero-party data collection becomes a key strategy in email marketing, allowing you to gather data directly from customers rather than relying on third-party sources. 

Zero-party data includes information that consumers willingly share, such as preferences, interests, and purchase intentions. This data is often collected through surveys, preference centers, quizzes, or interactive content and is highly valuable because it is shared explicitly, ensuring accuracy and deeper personalization without privacy concerns associated with third-party tracking.

As privacy regulations tighten, zero-party data will empower you to deliver hyper-personalized email experiences while respecting user privacy. This approach will help you build trust, as customers feel more in control of their data, and you gain insights that lead to more relevant and engaging email content.

#4. The death of static emails

With attention span getting shorter day after day, digest-format emails are expected to rise in popularity in 2025. Presenting email content in an easy-to-scan, organized, and minimalistic layout will surely help deliver the most relevant information in a fraction of the time. 

Additionally, interactive emails will allow recipients to directly engage within the email without having to visit a landing page or website. Interactive elements like product carousels, polls, and quizzes create a dynamic experience that keeps subscribers engaged, especially in visually driven industries like fashion brands

So what now? 

You’ve heard these strategies before, but now it’s time to actually put them into action. The brands that win at email marketing in 2025 won’t just be sending emails—they’ll be creating experiences. Whether it’s hyper-personalized content, AI-driven efficiency, zero-party data collection, or interactive emails that break the mold, the key is to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what’s the first strategy you’ll finally implement? Your inbox (and your audience) are waiting.

How to Leverage Email Campaigns to Gather Sincere Product Reviews

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What do customers think about your brand’s products? The best way to find out is to ask them directly, which you can do via strategic email campaigns.

Email makes gathering authentic product reviews quick and easy. By collecting sincere feedback, you can build trust, increase sales, boost loyalty, and innovate product improvements. 

That said, requesting reviews via email requires precise timing, personalized messaging, and lots of engagement optimizations. But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through some key steps to create email campaigns that deliver the valuable feedback you need.

Why product reviews matter

Product reviews do more than confirm that you're meeting customers’ needs. Sincere feedback drives loyalty and sales, offers valuable customer insights, and helps you develop a strategic product development roadmap.

  • Fosters customer loyalty: Requesting and listening to feedback makes your customers feel valued and heard. It demonstrates that you prioritize customer satisfaction, which helps you build stronger, long-term relationships. Review requests also act as re-engagement emails by starting new conversations with customers.
  • Increases sales: Social proof drives sales. According to a recent survey by Power Reviews, 90% of potential customers use online reviews to make purchasing decisions. In fact, reviews have more influence over purchasing decisions than product prices. Turning product reviews into customer testimonials and encouraging reviews on third-party sites can significantly boost sales.
Image sourced from powerreviews.com
  • Builds Customer 360 insights: Customer feedback delivers insights into customer needs and sentiments, enriching Customer 360. Exactly what is Customer 360? It’s a unified, 360-degree view of customer data. It empowers you to tailor products and customer experiences to meet individual needs and preferences. 
  • Drives product improvements: Sincere customer feedback reveals what target customers like/dislike about your products. It provides key insight into their value, functionality, and usability, unlocking large-scale development opportunities.

How to create an email campaign to collect product reviews

Want to unlock the power of product reviews? Let’s explore how to create email campaigns that encourage customers to share their feedback.

Segment your audience

Like promotional emails, product review requests shouldn’t be sent to every subscriber.

If subscribers haven’t had the chance to try your product, product review requests will feel irrelevant and may trigger unsubscriptions. So, only send review email requests to customers recently trying your product.

You can do this by segmenting your email list based on where customers are in the buying cycle. Target loyal customers, recent purchasers, and first-time buyers with tailored email campaigns. This ensures that you’re sending emails to customers most likely to respond with insightful feedback.

Write a compelling email subject line

According to Superoffice, 33% of people open an email based on the subject line. 

Image sourced from superoffice.com

To get the click-through rates you want, your email subject lines should be personalized, relevant, and engaging. Here are some examples:

  • Did you love [product]? Or hate it? Let us know!
  • We value your opinion — help us improve!
  • We want YOU to help us make our product better!
  • Up for a discount? Share your feedback for 10% off! 

Learn more > Tips for writing open worthy subject lines.

Optimize for customer engagement

A successful email marketing strategy relies on customer engagement. Here are some key email elements you need to encourage interactions.

  • An attractive email design: With the right layout, color scheme, typography, and images, you ensure easy readability and promote interaction. Use these engagement-boosting email design best practices to help you create a design that boosts conversion rates.
  • Gratitude and value: Thank customers for reading the email and explaining why their feedback is so important. Also, consider including a personalized Gmail email signature with your content details to build trust and encourage customers to engage with your review request. 
  • Personalized, relevant content: Personalized email content motivates engagement. Use customer data platform (CDP) data to tailor messages to individual customers. What is a CDP? It’s a centralized platform that collects and unifies customer information, building comprehensive customer profiles. 
  • Incentives: Offering a small discount can motivate customers to leave reviews, especially first-time buyers. That said, incentives can (sometimes) generate insincere reviews, so stress the importance of honesty. 
  • A strong call-to-action (CTA): Your CTA should direct readers straight to the reviews submission page. Use clear CTAs with bold buttons and typography to make it stand out.
  • Mobile responsiveness: If your emails are slow to load or don’t display correctly on mobile devices, your bounce rate will spike. Leverage solutions that offer advanced mobile optimization features — such as Beefree— to create responsive emails every single time.

Ask specific, concise questions

Complex, drawn-out questions that are too open-ended can disengage customers. So, get straight to the point with concise, direct questions. Here are some examples:

  • What did you think of [specific product feature]?
  • How often do you use our product?
  • What are your favorite/least favorite features?
  • How likely are you to recommend this product?
  • What could we do to improve our product?

Use a mixture of closed and open-ended questions to increase your chances of receiving meaningful responses.

Make it easy to respond

The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more responses you’ll receive. So, make the process as seamless and convenient as possible. One way to do this is with survey emails.

Email surveys have high response rates. They can be completed within the email with minimal effort, which is a big plus for busy customers. And, they can generate a wealth of quantitative data and metrics that are quick to analyze, leading to faster improvements. BeeFree has an extensive collection of email survey templates to suit every need.

For longer review requests, include a CTA that directly links to the review submission page. Review forms should use simple, clear language, be optimized for mobile, and have a progress bar. 

You could even provide your telephone contact details to allow customers to leave a review via telephone. It’s the preferred communication method for 55% of Baby Boomers according to Hubspot, so it’s worth considering. 

Leverage small business telephone services from Vonage to access call center capabilities like virtual receptionists and CRM integrations, streamlining processes.

Also consider directing customers to leave reviews on popular review sites, such as Google and Amazon.

Optimize email timings

If you send product review requests too early, there’s a chance your customers won’t have tried your product yet. But if you send them too late, your customer might have forgotten their experience. 

So, when’s the best time to request reviews? 

Aim to send review requests within 7-14 days post-purchase. This gives customers a chance to try the product a few times, leading to more sincere, meaningful reviews. Plan for seasonal surges such as Black Friday and incorporate them into your schedules.

Key takeaways

Do email campaigns work for gathering valuable product reviews that drive improvements, boost trust, and increase sales and loyalty? 

Absolutely — but they need to be strategic.

To generate sincere reviews and valuable data, ensure your marketing emails are personalized, engaging, and optimized for convenience. And, use email list segmentation and marketing automation to ensure they’re sent to the right customers at the right time.

Stay informed on all email trends

From the latest creative design strategies that inspire your next campaign to industry best practices and tech advancements, our newsletter is the go-to for all things creation.

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