The inbox moment that customers actually look forward to? That's the magic of wrapped emails.
What started as Spotify's year-end phenomenon has evolved into an expected brand ritual – one that transforms everyday data into feel-good storytelling. When done well, wrapped emails create genuine value for customers while delivering strong commercial returns for brands. But with wrapped content everywhere, how do you cut through the noise and create something people genuinely want to open, read, and share?
We recently hosted a webinar with Andy King, Founder of Email Love to unwrap what makes wrapped emails work. Here's what we learned about turning data into stories that resonate. If you missed our webinar, you can watch it here.
Why wrapped emails deserve your attention
Wrapped emails have shifted from trend to expectation. They're personal, warm, and rooted in behaviour – celebrating customers without the hard sell.
Rebecca Wallace, our Strategist, emphasised that wrapped emails translate customer data into stories that celebrate behaviour and patterns, creating a memorable brand impression and encouraging future engagement. The format bridges reflection with momentum, deepening customer connection rather than pushing a one-time transaction.
But there's a catch: wrapped fatigue is real. Bex Osborn, our Strategist, highlighted the need to avoid "wrapped fatigue" by ensuring communications are always intentional and value-led, especially during busy periods like December and January. The brands that stand out are the ones that send wrapped emails because they have something meaningful to say – not just because everyone else is doing it.
The foundations: what makes a wrapped email work
Start with story, not stats
The biggest misconception? That you need mountains of personal data or advanced technology to create compelling wrapped content.
Andy advised focusing on the story the data tells and the desired customer action, rather than overwhelming with all available data. Whether you're working with collective brand-level data or hyper-personalised user stats, the narrative matters more than the numbers.
Read the room
Your wrapped email needs to land in the right cultural moment. Rebecca stressed the need to align wrapped emails with cultural context and shifting customer expectations to avoid tone-deaf messaging. Monzo transformed their wrapped emails into highly anticipated brand moments by listening to feedback and adapting their tone accordingly.
Context matters. What feels celebratory in one moment might miss the mark in another. Continuous review throughout development helps ensure your messaging stays relevant.
Top tips from the experts
Tip #1: Don't use data just because you have it
Your email open rate isn't interesting to customers. Your subscriber count probably isn't either – unless it hit a major milestone.
Andy outlined five key questions to help brands shape wrapped email stories effectively: identify data points interesting to customers, highlight achievements that make users feel proud and want to share, use collective data to showcase brand milestones that resonate, focus on impacts relevant to the customer's experience, and include surprising or novel stats to boost engagement.
Ask yourself: what number would make customers say "whoa"? What achievement would make them proud to support you? Start there.
Tip #2: Bring data to life with visuals
A list of numbers won't hold attention. Chris Pidsley, our Senior Designer, stressed the importance of visuals to bring data to life, recommending illustrations, animations, and design hierarchy to enhance comprehension and emotional connection.
Interactive features like carousels and animations create journeys that maintain reader interest. Just remember to test your designs across devices, email platforms, and accessibility settings. Beautiful doesn't matter if it breaks in someone's inbox.
Tip #3: Make it personal (even when it's not)
You don't always need one-to-one personalisation. Waymo used collective data to build trust in autonomous vehicles by showcasing safety metrics and widespread adoption. It worked because it told a story their audience cared about.
When you do personalise, segment thoughtfully. Bex and Rebecca emphasised segmentation to tailor wrapped emails and avoid negative user experiences, providing fallback content with collective data to ensure no audience segment is excluded.
Tip #4: Think beyond annual
Wrapped emails don't have to be a once-a-year event. Bex highlighted the importance of standing out visually and strategically by choosing timing beyond the typical annual window, sending wrapped emails on customer milestones or segment-specific triggers to increase relevance and impact.
Monthly or quarterly versions keep engagement fresh. Customer milestone triggers make the moment more meaningful. This approach differentiates your brand when everyone else is flooding December inboxes.
Getting started: your wrapped email checklist
Ready to create your own wrapped email? Here's how to begin:
Lay the groundwork early
Lay the groundwork early, clarifying the key narrative, and shaping the idea before execution to achieve stronger results. Don't wait until November to start planning a December send.
Build your narrative
What story do you want to tell? Work through these questions:
- What surprised us this year?
- What impact did we create together?
- What product or moment defined our year?
- What would make customers proud to support us?
Choose your approach
Collective data works when you want to showcase brand milestones, community impact, or build trust in new offerings. Personal data shines when celebrating individual journeys and encouraging social sharing.
Design with purpose
Partner visuals with every stat. Create a journey, not just a series of facts. Test across platforms and devices. Ensure accessibility is built in, not bolted on.
Measure what matters
Break down the wrapped emails into testable components such as insight framing, visuals, and CTAs, then measure beyond opens and clicks to behavioural outcomes, including user return rates, upgrades, and conversions aligned with objectives.
Treat wrapped emails as ongoing programmes with structured testing. What you learn this year informs next year's strategy.
Key takeaways:
1. Be intentional: Send wrapped emails because you have something meaningful to say, not because it's December.
2. Start simple: You don't need advanced tech or mountains of data. Clear thinking and strong storytelling consistently outshine complexity.
3. Make it visual: Every stat needs a visual partner. Design creates an emotional connection.
4. Segment thoughtfully: Tailor content to avoid negative experiences, but always include fallback options.
5. Test and iterate: Break down components, measure behavioural outcomes, and improve year over year.
6. Stand out strategically: Consider customer milestones and unique timing to differentiate from seasonal noise.
Ready to wrap?
Wrapped emails are more than a trend – they're an opportunity to strengthen customer relationships through meaningful storytelling. Whether you're just starting or refining an existing programme, the key is staying true to what your customers value.
Every brand has a story worth telling. Let us help you turn your data into wrapped content that customers genuinely look forward to. Drop us a message at hello@actionrocket.co to explore how ActionRocket can support your wrapped email strategy.
Also, do check out the Wrapped email gallery on Email Love where you can find many of the examples included in the session.
Watch the full webinar here.
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