Some years ago, too many to count, I had a girlfriend who was, oh so many suggested, out of my league. When I introduced her to my father he said that there was obviously more to me that he’d discovered. Still, the attack on my self-confidence was a small price to pay.

Her smile is what first attracted me, way before her looks. They suggest eyes are the window to the soul, but my experience is that it is through a person’s smile that you will know them. That’s a strong hint for an image in your next email marketing campaign. More than that though, she was intelligent, quick witted, had a charming sense of humour and was extremely thoughtful. I can see why those who knew me were as bewildered as I was.

What put me in with a chance was her (bewildering) lack of self-confidence. It’s not like we had much in common. She was shy, nervous in company and didn’t like people looking at her, which they did a lot because of her attractive personality. I was reminded of the cause when I saw an advert for Dove, the soap.

It showed a woman with freckles, just like my girlfriend. The model was the image of her, even to the smile, but this time it showed self-confidence. Good for Dove.

Such imagery is inclusive and is something that can be usefully used in an email marketing campaign. It’s not a band-wagon. While going part-way to fulfilling a dream is a common theme of such campaigns, reality can make your brand seem more, well, real. People can relate to such a theme.

It’s a risk of course, but one that Dove felt, quite rightly, was worth taking. Airbrushing has taken a bit of a pounding recently and, if anything, a Photoshopped image is more likely to receive criticism and irritate. Realism can be useful. Customers can relate to a product that tells it ‘like it is’. 

There must be many more like me who, if presented with the Dove image in a marketing email, would think ‘this one is honest’. Give it a go.