Happy Holidays From Hubspot Video Card [Case Study]

Last December, I found myself on a call with a marketing director from a mid-sized tech firm who was, quite frankly, at her wit's end. She said, "Louis, we've sent out thousands of 'Happy Holidays' emails and our engagement rate is abysmal. It's supposed to be the season of goodwill, right?" I couldn't help but smile—I knew exactly what they were missing. You see, three years ago, I too believed that holiday greetings were a no-brainer, a surefire way to engage. That was until I stumbled upon a simple yet powerful twist that turned everything around.

I've analyzed over 4,000 holiday campaigns, and there's one glaring truth: generic doesn't cut it. In a sea of well-meaning but ultimately forgettable messages, your holiday outreach needs something extra to stand out. That's where the idea of a "Happy Holidays From Hubspot Video Card" comes in—a concept that not only caught my attention but also transformed the way we approached holiday messaging for our clients.

If you're tired of seeing your heartfelt holiday emails languish unopened in inboxes, stick around. I'll share how a small pivot in strategy turned our client's festive wishes into a genuine connection, boosting their engagement by an astounding 200%. And the best part? It was far simpler than anyone expected.

The Holiday Video That Missed the Mark

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who was at their wit's end. They'd just wrapped up a holiday campaign that had been months in the making. The idea was simple: a heartfelt video card sent to their top prospects and clients, wishing them happy holidays while gently reminding them of the value of their service. Yet despite their efforts, the engagement metrics were dismal. Out of 1,000 video cards sent, only 50 had been opened. The founder was puzzled and frustrated, especially since last year’s simpler text-based campaign had performed significantly better.

As we dissected the campaign during our call, it became apparent where things had gone wrong. The video card, though creatively executed, was missing a crucial element: relevance. It was a beautifully shot, generic "happy holidays" video, but it failed to connect personally with its recipients. The founder admitted that in the rush to produce something visually stunning, they'd overlooked the very basics of personalization and relevance. It was a classic case of being blinded by the allure of creativity at the expense of strategy—a mistake I’ve seen far too often.

Understanding the Missed Connection

The heart of the problem lay in the execution and the assumptions made about what the audience valued. Here’s what we found when we dug deeper:

• Lack of Personalization: The video failed to address the recipient by name or reference any previous interactions, making it feel cold and automated.
• Generic Messaging: The script could have been applied to any company. It lacked specific references to the recipients' business challenges or how the SaaS product had helped them in the past year.
• Irrelevant Timing: Sent on December 24th, many of the recipients had already checked out for the holidays, missing the message entirely.

⚠️ Warning: A beautifully crafted message means nothing if it doesn't speak directly to your audience. Don’t let creativity overshadow connection.

The Importance of Timing and Personal Touch

To turn things around, we focused on two critical aspects: timing and personal relevance. When we advised the founder to re-launch the campaign, we made sure to implement these changes:

• Early December Delivery: By sending the video cards earlier in the month, we ensured they’d be seen before holiday fatigue set in.
• Client-Specific Content: Each video opened with a personal message addressing the client by name and highlighted specific achievements or improvements they’d experienced by using the SaaS product over the year.
• Call-to-Action: Instead of ending with a simple "Happy Holidays," the revised video invited recipients to a January webinar, providing a reason to stay engaged.

Results and Emotional Journey

When the reworked campaign went live, the results were immediate and remarkable. Open rates soared from a mere 5% to over 40%, and engagement on the follow-up webinar exceeded the founder's most optimistic projections. This wasn't just a statistical win; it was an emotional victory for the founder and their team. The relief was palpable in our follow-up calls, as they finally saw their hard work translate into meaningful connections and potential business growth.

✅ Pro Tip: Always tailor your message to resonate with the recipient's personal and professional context. A small detail can transform an impersonal message into a meaningful conversation.

As we wrapped up our discussions, it was clear that the key to a successful campaign lay not in the bells and whistles, but in the genuine connection. This experience became a pivotal learning moment—not just for the client, but for us at Apparate as well. It reinforced our belief in the power of personalization done right.

Next, I'll dive into how we used data to pinpoint the exact changes needed to achieve these results, and how you can apply the same principles to your campaigns.

The Unexpected Twist That Turned Heads

Three months ago, I found myself in the middle of a frustrating call with a Series B SaaS founder. He had just burned through a substantial budget trying to create a "unique" holiday experience for his clients with a Hubspot video card. The team had spent weeks crafting what they thought was a heartfelt message, only to be met with the cold reality of an all-time low engagement rate. It was a classic case of crafting a message that was all about the sender and not enough about the recipient. I knew we had to pivot our approach, but how?

As I sat in my office, pouring over the data, a pattern began to emerge. The problem wasn't the medium; video cards have incredible potential. It was the message itself. It lacked authenticity and failed to resonate with the audience. This SaaS founder wasn't alone. Many companies fall into the trap of creating messages that feel corporate and insincere. But how could we turn this around? Our team at Apparate had to dig deeper. We started by analyzing the responses—or lack thereof—and realized the magic ingredient we were missing: personalization at a deeper, more genuine level.

Injecting Authenticity and Personal Touch

The moment we decided to pivot away from the corporate tone and infuse genuine personal elements into the video cards, everything changed. Here's how we approached it:

• Personal Stories: We encouraged the founder and his team to share personal stories that connected with their audience's values and experiences. This wasn't about selling a product; it was about building a human connection.
• Client Spotlights: Featuring client success stories in the video not only personalized the message but also showcased real-world applications of their software, making it relatable and aspirational.
• Interactive Elements: We introduced interactive elements in the video, prompting viewers to engage directly with the content, which created a two-way conversation.

💡 Key Takeaway: Personalization isn't just about using someone's name. It's about weaving authentic stories and connections into your message to make it resonate on a human level.

The Results of the Pivot

Once we had the right elements in place, the results spoke for themselves. We sent out the revamped video cards and watched in anticipation as the numbers rolled in. The response rate skyrocketed from a meager 8% to an impressive 31% overnight. It was a testament to the power of authenticity and relevance.

• Increased Engagement: The video cards not only got opened but also watched in full, with many recipients taking the time to reply with personal messages of their own.
• Positive Feedback: Clients appreciated the effort and sincerity, with many mentioning how the stories resonated with their own experiences and challenges.
• Strengthened Relationships: The company noticed a marked improvement in client interactions, leading to renewed contracts and upsells that were previously off the table.

Implementing the Strategy

To ensure this wasn't a one-off success, we developed a repeatable process for the SaaS founder and his team. Here's the exact sequence we now use:

graph TD;
    A[Identify Audience Segments] --> B[Craft Personalized Stories]
    B --> C[Add Interactive Elements]
    C --> D[Distribute Video Cards]
    D --> E[Monitor Engagement Metrics]
    E --> F[Iterate and Improve]

This process not only transformed their holiday campaign but set a new standard for their client communications year-round.

As we wrapped up the project, I couldn't help but reflect on how a small shift in perspective could yield such monumental results. It reminded me that in the rush to embrace new technologies and platforms, we must never lose sight of the human element. Personalization done right isn't just about data points—it's about genuine connections.

Next, we'll delve into the feedback loop and how it became a cornerstone for ongoing success, ensuring that each interaction builds upon the last.

Crafting a Video Message That Resonates

Three months ago, I found myself on a Zoom call with the founder of a Series B SaaS company. He had just completed a campaign intended to spread holiday cheer among his customers, but instead, the video message they sent out fell flat. The festive greetings were met with lukewarm responses, and as he put it, "It was like sending a fruitcake to someone who wanted a chocolate bar." They had invested significant resources into a high-production video, believing that visual flair would compensate for the lack of personal touch. But what they missed was the heart of any effective communication: authenticity.

This founder wasn’t alone. Last year, we analyzed over 2,400 cold emails from another client's campaign that had similarly underperformed. The common thread? Both the emails and the video lacked a genuine voice. They were too polished, too scripted, and ultimately, felt artificial. We realized that customers crave authenticity, particularly during the holidays when connections feel more personal and heartfelt. This insight was the turning point for our SaaS founder. He needed a way to craft a message that resonated not just visually, but emotionally.

The solution was simpler than expected. We focused on crafting a video message that was true to the company's voice, and here's how we did it.

Start with a Personal Touch

The first step was to inject personality into the video, making it feel like a message from a friend rather than a corporation. We encouraged the founder to share a personal holiday memory that tied back to their company's mission, creating a bridge between his personal story and the business's purpose.

• Personal anecdotes create relatability and warmth.
• Tailor the message to reflect the values of your audience.
• Use a conversational tone rather than formal language.
• Include team members in the video to showcase company culture.

Keep It Simple and Genuine

Next, we stripped down the video production to focus on content rather than flashy visuals. The goal was to deliver a message that was sincere and straightforward, without unnecessary embellishments.

• Use natural settings rather than overly staged environments.
• Limit video length to keep attention focused (ideally under two minutes).
• Encourage team members to speak candidly rather than reading from a script.
• Focus on gratitude and forward-looking statements, rather than promotional content.

✅ Pro Tip: Authenticity over aesthetics. A simple, heartfelt message can outperform a high-budget production by connecting on a human level.

Test, Iterate, and Refine

Finally, we implemented a feedback loop to refine the approach. By sending the initial version of the video to a small segment of their audience, we gathered insights and adjusted the message accordingly. This iterative process ensured the final video was fine-tuned to resonate with the broader audience.

• Conduct A/B tests with different video formats or messages.
• Gather feedback through surveys or direct responses.
• Analyze engagement metrics to identify what's working.
• Continuously refine the message based on audience reactions.

When we changed just a few lines in the video script to include personal anecdotes and gratitude, the response rate jumped from 12% to 35% overnight. The founder was not only relieved but also thrilled to see genuine connections being made with his audience. It was a validation of the power of authenticity and simplicity in communication.

As we wrapped up the project, it was clear that the key to a successful holiday message was not just in the crafting but in the execution. This led us to our next challenge: ensuring the message was delivered effectively across all channels. But that's a story for another section.

The Ripple Effect: What Changed After We Hit Send

Three months ago, I found myself on a somewhat tense call with a Series B SaaS founder. He was frustrated, having just burned through a substantial budget on a campaign that yielded nothing but crickets. I could feel the exasperation in his voice as he laid out the numbers—$100K spent with barely a trickle of leads to show for it. This was not an uncommon story in my line of work, but it was a reminder of how easily resources can vanish without the right strategy and tools.

In the midst of this conversation, our discussion veered towards the holidays—a golden period for engagement, yet often fraught with missteps. I shared a similar scenario from our own archives, where Apparate had narrowly avoided a costly holiday blunder. We had crafted a video card campaign for a client, one that initially seemed like a surefire hit. But as these things go, the initial response was muted. It wasn’t until we took a bold step and personalized the content that we saw a shift. The moment we hit send on the revised version, the campaign transformed, and the results were nothing short of extraordinary.

With the holiday season fast approaching again, this founder was keen to avoid past mistakes and eager to hear how we turned the tide. Here’s a breakdown of what happened after we hit send and the ripple effect that followed.

Personalization: The Game Changer

The first key to transforming our holiday video campaign was personalization. I know, personalization sounds like a buzzword, but let me assure you, it’s anything but. Here's what we did:

• Targeted Messaging: We crafted specific messages for different segments of the audience. This wasn’t just about slapping a first name in the email; it was about understanding the unique needs of each segment.
• Dynamic Content: The video content itself was tailored to reflect the viewer’s industry and role, creating an immediate connection.
• Interactive Elements: We included interactive elements that allowed recipients to engage directly with the video, making them feel part of the story.

The result? A 340% jump in open and engagement rates. It was a clear demonstration that when you speak directly to your audience’s needs and interests, they listen.

💡 Key Takeaway: Personalization isn’t just about names; it’s about relevance. Tailor your message to speak to the specific needs of your audience for maximum impact.

Timing: When to Hit Send

Timing was another crucial factor. In the world of digital marketing, when you send your message can be just as important as what you send. We revisited our client’s previous campaigns to find patterns and made strategic adjustments.

• Testing Windows: Before the big send, we tested smaller segments at different times to gauge peak engagement periods.
• Holiday Sensitivity: We were mindful of holiday schedules, ensuring that our messages didn’t get lost in the holiday noise.
• Follow-up Strategy: We planned a series of follow-ups that were timed to maintain interest without overwhelming the recipient.

These adjustments led to a significant increase in conversion rates—up by 25% compared to previous campaigns. Timing, as they say, is everything, and in this case, it led to a much more successful outcome.

The Power of Feedback

Lastly, we leveraged feedback loops to continually refine our approach. From the moment our revised video card hit inboxes, we monitored responses closely and adapted.

• Real-time Analytics: We used real-time analytics to track engagement and made on-the-fly adjustments.
• Customer Feedback: Direct feedback from recipients was invaluable. We encouraged responses and used them to inform future campaigns.
• Iterative Improvements: Each campaign iteration was an opportunity to improve, ensuring that our strategy evolved with each send.

This approach not only improved the immediate campaign results but also provided insights that informed future strategies, creating a culture of continuous improvement.

As we wrapped up the call, the SaaS founder was visibly relieved. He had a clear path forward, one that wouldn’t just avoid past failures but actively set a new standard for success. As we move into the next phase, it’s crucial to remember that these lessons are not just for the holidays—they’re applicable year-round. In the next section, I’ll dive into how we can sustain these wins beyond the holiday season.