Imagine writing an email that’s so effective it lands you a job at the White House.
Well, that’s what happened to Maya Shankar, a PhD cognitive neuroscientist. In 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked her to help increase signups in their veteran benefit scheme.
Maya had a plan. She was well aware of a cognitive bias that affects us all—the endowment effect. This bias suggests that people value items higher if they own them. So, she changed the subject line in the Veterans’ enrollment email.
“As a marketing executive, you know how important it is to have a strong email list. A newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your audience, promote your content, and generate leads. But growing your newsletter subscriber base can be a challenge.
“The email marketing landscape in 2023 was tumultuous to say the least. Amidst the ever present buzz of a looming recession, marketers navigated a world where email volume was on the rise, new AI-powered innovations were front and center, and subscriber expectations were skyrocketing. On top of this, increasing data privacy regulations heightened the need for marketers to lean into first-party data. There’s no denying that all marketers felt compelled to do more with less.”


“While it may come at the end, your email footer shouldn’t be an afterthought.