Earlier today, I decided to answer a question on Quora:

How do you successfully run a “refer-a-friend” email campaign?

The question reminded me of a really successful viral email campaign I had studied earlier this year:

The Calloway Golf Campaign In a Nutshell:

• The campaign was for Calloway, a golfing brand
• The campaign encouraged golfers to forward their campaign to four friends to create a ‘fourball’ golf team
• Readers were engaged by dynamic content illustrating their name on a leaderboard with other greats
• Calloway offered free golf balls as an incentive to the teams
• Sent on Friday – clever as most keen golfers would be thinking of the weekends golf ahead
• Sent a follow up four weeks later asking if the balls had improved their users game – 85% responded!

The results were incredible:

• Database increased virally from 5,000 subscribers to 39,000 subscribers – 34,000 new subscribers!
• Total response rate of 780% (thanks to the viral effect)
• Total cost £47,500 (Calloway estimated the acquisition cost to be £350,000 without this viral element)

Calloway have made good use of their new subscribers, sending regular tips, inside ‘pro tour’ stories and other golf related content.

Please view or download the full PDF version below:

Hope this has inspired you to get viral!

Jay