Topic
OVERVIEW
Topic prides itself on content discovery and human-focused stories. Their dedication has created a loyal, curious following and established Topic as a cultural tastemaker. Ready to evolve their storytelling, Topic created a new streaming platform, curated with content that connects and captivates.
That’s where we came in: Topic needed a partner to help communicate the launch of their new streaming platform, and convert loyal newsletter followers into streaming subscribers. By designing and developing a series of email campaigns and functional templates, we helped Topic successfully launch their service and attract subscribers. Following their launch, we’ve continued to partner with Topic to connect with their followers, through ongoing design, development, and analytics support.
Our Role
- Design
- Development
- Strategy & Analytics
- Copywriting
DISCOVERY
Understanding Topic's
Point of View
Topic was in a moment of transition, evolving from a publication to a curated streaming service. They had an established brand and a distinct point of view, and everything tied to their new offering needed to stay true to this vision. Partnering closely with their internal team, we were able to stay in sync with their overall brand position and parallel promotional efforts.
Understanding the industry landscape that surrounds Topic was equally important. We dug into the strategies carried out by streaming and subscription services, establishing best practices for email content. Identifying the opportunities left untouched by other brands, we created a unique approach to help Topic stand out and reflect the interests of their audience.
DESIGN
Flexible Email Template Designs
Setting Topic up for success required establishing design principles for emails that help them clearly communicate with their audience. Throughout our design process we made sure to prioritize visuals over text, establish different themes for content vs. communications emails, and craft bold calls-to-action to drive users to bingeable content.
Creating email templates is a delicate balance between consistency and flexibility. They need to feel fresh and account for a variety of campaign types, while being consistent enough to train audience expectations and require minimal development for individual emails. The modular templates we designed allow Topic to add, replace, or remove content to fit their specific needs. And of course, we made sure the templates worked seamlessly with both desktop and mobile screens.
Strategy & Analytics
Content Strategy and
Performance Testing
Our partnership began to help launch their streaming platform, and continues through subscriber communications. After an initial focus on educating the audience about the new service and converting loyal fans to subscribers, we shifted to optimization and maintenance. We obsess over how subject-lines affect open-rates, and button positioning affects clicks, and strive to provide subscribers with helpful, delightful content.
DEVELOPMENT
Modular, Integrated Templates
Our number one goal throughout development was to transform the email designs into fully functional templates, accessible from MailChimp. We had to execute development within the confines of MailChimp, while also creating solutions to integrate information from multiple other data sources, such as Cleeng and Jump. As our partnership shifted, we helped Topic navigate launching emails on their own, helping them with any technical road bumps along the way.
RESULTS
Successful Communication
Throughout our partnership with Topic, we’ve helped drive hours and hours of binge watching through our communications campaigns.