What makes an email stand out in a crowded inbox? It's not just great visuals—emails need to capture attention, engage subscribers, and drive action.

Enter Graza, the DTC olive oil brand known for bold branding, playful copy, and unexpected product launches. Their emails feel more like mini-campaigns than standard product announcements. But do they always strike the right balance between creativity and clarity?

In this Feedback Friday session, email experts Matt Helbig and Naomi West break down Graza’s email marketing strategy—analyzing their mobile-first design, copy choices, and co-branded campaigns to uncover what works and what could be optimized.

TL;DR:

Balancing Aesthetics & Clarity: Striking the right balance between fun, bold branding and clear messaging ensures emails don’t just look great but also communicate effectively.
Mobile-First Matters: With a large percentage of email opens happening on mobile, Graza’s all-image email style presents both opportunities and challenges in readability and accessibility.
The Power of Co-Branded Campaigns: Partnering with brands like Target elevates visibility and creates engaging email content that resonates beyond their core audience.
Copywriting That Connects: Playful CTAs, strategic use of typography, and engaging brand voice help drive engagement—but is there a point where creativity overshadows clarity?
Optimizing for Readability: Breaking up sections with illustrations, color blocking, and concise copy improves scan-ability and increases the likelihood of conversions.
Testing & Data-Driven Decisions: How can brands like Graza use email performance insights—like click-through rates and engagement data—to refine their approach and drive better results?

Join Matt and Naomi as they dissect Graza’s emails, share expert insights, and highlight actionable takeaways for email marketers looking to elevate their campaigns.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/u223nc2qXTw?si=jiOOx85143ULjtYR

Matt Helbig: What's up, email geeks? Welcome back to the episode of Feedback Friday. This week, we're diving into the emails of Graza, the DTC olive oil brand that has been shaking up grocery aisles and inboxes. From bold branding to unexpected product launches, Graza's emails are as fun as their green squeeze bottles.

We've got a special guest today, email legend Naomi West. She's joining us to break down the strategy, design, and clever copy that makes Graza emails pop. Plus, we'll be talking about the fine line between aesthetic chaos and effective communication, the power of co-branded campaigns, and why mobile-first design is non-negotiable. Let's get right into it.

Naomi West: I'm Naomi West. I've been kind of in the email world since 2015. I honestly had a moment where I thought I discovered marketing automation. I realized I could do outreach. Automatically. And I was like, why is nobody talking about this? And since that light bulb moment, I really haven't left this space.

I primarily work in SAS email marketing right now at Parcel, which is a coding platform. But, I also dabble in consulting and teaching email online—specifically to e-commerce brands. I just think it's such a fun channel, especially with social kind of being on the decline as CEOs take over and algorithms mess with people's strategies. Email is such a fun channel to work in. I’m so excited to be here.

Matt Helbig: We're excited to have you, email legend. So definitely excited for you to be here and to talk through some of these emails. The brand we're looking at this week is Graza—a direct-to-consumer company that’s now gaining a bit more of a retail presence by selling fancy olive oil in their iconic green bottles.

Their emails have really been standing out. They've been a big search trend on Really Good Emails, and recipes have also been trending this year. This overlap is going to be fun to explore.

Naomi West: There's such a fun brand. They were one of the first DTC companies where I had that big light bulb moment—I'm like, wow, they're making things fun. When I go into a store, I'm like, what olive oil do I need? I have no idea which one's good or bad. I’m a label shopper—If a wine bottle or olive oil looks good, I buy it.

They've hooked me with their branding, and this email is just interesting and fun.

Matt Helbig: I am also very easily influenced by all the branding in the market—so.

Naomi West: I'm like, I might as well enjoy what I'm looking at on my counter. Right?

Matt Helbig: Exactly. It has to have the aesthetics to make it better; if it tastes good, it tastes even better. Up front, I think Graza is an all-image email brand. They don’t really do a lot of text-based layouts—it's mostly sliced-up Photoshop files. For them to add more live text might be really challenging given all the brand fonts, colors, and layouts they juggle. So, first impressions: Graza is launching a new granola—with a fun little wordplay in the name.

Naomi West: Aside from the email design, I’d love to ask the team what made them pivot from olive oil to granola. I mean, if you’re cooking granola you might need olive oil, but if you’re eating it pre-made, maybe not. It's an interesting product pivot. I really like that it’s clear this is a brand-new product. Say hi to Grizola. Love the name. I really love the name. That name could easily become a household staple for granola lovers. I like the scrolling GIF, too. It’s mixing olive oil and granola together, which still leaves me curious. The above-the-fold entry really stands out.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, it stood out to me on this one. I definitely like the GIF attention-grabbing. I like that it’s just three frames, a tasteful overlay, and clever color blocking to break up sections. So this captures my attention and kind of uses that inverted pyramid to kind of get you down to that CTA. I also love that they used “limited edition”—that’s becoming a big trend.

Naomi West: In my opinion, as a strategist at heart, when I get paired with a great copywriter, it’s a match made in heaven. Whether a strategist or a copywriter—or both working together—I love the H1: aka granola with a Z. If you’re wondering what Grizola is (in case you can’t see the GIF), A.K.A. spells it out perfectly. It’s a cool lead into the “shop now” CTA of shop now, essentially, right?

Matt Helbig: Yeah, I love their copywriting—it’s a key part of their brand. If we're playing design golf, though, they might be overdoing the fonts—using one, two, three, or four different ones. The colors and fonts work together because it’s all very branded, but it can get a bit crazy and overwhelming for some people.

Naomi West: There are some elements my eyes just skip over. I’m a big mobile reader—when I wake up and check my emails, the fonts that really catch my attention are “Say Hi to Grizola” and then “New.” I don’t even read the “Super Limited Edition” part; it’s almost too thin. Maybe it's something to do with my eyesight problems, but, it’s a different story. I graze over the Super limited edition piece. I see the A. K. A. Granola with the Z. I don't even read the body copy again because I feel like the font size is maybe too small.

And, I agree—a lot is going on with the typography and font sizes, and sometimes I ignore parts entirely. I’m an email marketer who doesn’t read.

Matt Helbig: Most people just scan. So, people have to be aware of that when they're designing emails. I think this brand does a good job of limiting the copy and making sure that it's impactful and it kind of does have that place. But again, use typography to highlight the copy you want people to focus on.

I’m also a huge mobile reader. I like to look at all the emails on Really Good Emails on the mobile device before submitting them to the site. But, if you’re doing an all-image email, you must optimize for mobile first. A desktop-first design that simply scales down can end up looking locked or clunky on mobile and I don't like that sort of locked-up feeling.

I think that's a big criticism where someone designs like a desktop first email and then they're like, “Oh, just going to scale down”, but I think it should be a little bit more of the reverse that you can have a bigger looking email on desktop maybe, but mobile is going to suffer if you don't.

Naomi West: 100%.

Matt Helbig: Scrolling further down, I love how they use illustrations and color blocking to break up sections. They mix in lifestyle photography—a shot of, say, East Fork (another trendy brand) helps show the product in a real setting rather than just as a product shot. It lets people envision it in their kitchen.

Naomi West: I’m not sure what “powered by rind” means.

Matt Helbig: Rind is another company in the food space. I think they might be collaborating on producing Grizola.

Naomi West: Okay, cool—that’s a fun little collab. Now, as I read on, I start to understand how the olive oil ties back to the granola—clearly it’s “made with olive oil.” I think that extra explanation tying back the granola or the “grizzola”, I should say, back to the olive oil is, is great. I also love the end call-to-action, “secure the bag.” It’s fun and lighthearted.

Matt Helbig: Again, using the fun copy, like little things like a smiley face or the bags, like all that stuff. I think. It's a fun little copy play, maybe underutilized. For example, you could just have a “shop now”, but I think taking that time to sort of make that definitely supports their brand. I like it a lot.

Naomi West: It’s interesting to see how brands strike a balance between what details are necessary to provide and what details we want to provide and then, what extra like fluff or brand voice and tone should we include. I appreciate the H3 or H2 that says “extra crunchy and sweet and salty. Thanks to our friend Sizzle”.

I have no idea what that means! Half of me wonders if that little Sasquatch on the side did anything to convince me to buy it. It makes me think: as a strategist, how much do you put into the more fluffy pieces? What’s the right split—80/20, 90/10, or even 50/50? It’s so interesting to see when brands bring in this like sassier Brand voice into their emails and what weight it holds in their email content.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, you make a good point. I appreciate that it's pared down to just three key points, which makes it easy to scan. However, there are often other aspects—like packaging or calorie information—that might be more important for your audience.

I'm sure a marketing person might have a product with ten features to highlight, so simplifying it to three points and using illustrations to reinforce the message makes sense. That said, I found the bottom section to be the weakest for me because it doesn't really connect with this product.

Naomi West: It would be helpful if the third bullet included details like the size or weight of the granola being offered. Are there multiple packaging options? That’s definitely a data point I’d be interested in, as it could influence my decision to purchase or not.

Matt Helbig: I think they're using color blocking to promote urgency in that section, which is nice. I appreciate the illustration—it gives the email a more open feel. Overall, it functions as a decent, catch-all CTA, though it doesn’t offer much beyond implying the product might sell out. While I'm somewhat influenced by that, I wonder if we'll see a follow-up restock email to confirm the limited availability.

Naomi West: Completely agree. I always wonder—how many granolas do they have in stock? Is it only 10, or do they have thousands? I'd love to know, but that mystery is what keeps me coming back to these emails.

Matt Helbig: Exactly. The footer is pretty simple—they’re not doing anything too out of the ordinary. However, there might be some opportunities to improve it. We mentioned in a previous episode that quick links could be more shoppable. Instead of just social media buttons, they could include links to top product categories. Another opportunity I see is a follow-up email that provides recipes or use cases for the granola. While they show cool product shots, they could also feature ideas like how to make oatmeal cookies, for example. I think that would make for a great follow-up email, but it wouldn’t necessarily fit into the original product launch.

Naomi West: No, I completely agree.

Matt Helbig: Any other thoughts on this one before we move on?

Naomi West: I think it's a solid launch email. I'm really curious about the data—what kind of click-through rates did you get? Did you sell significantly more products compared to a typical olive oil size launch? I love cross-referencing that kind of data, although I don't have those insights right now. Based solely on a blind read, it's a pretty good email. The use of bold fonts is clearly a stylistic choice, but I would increase the font size on mobile. Overall, it's a great and fun email.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, to your point, some parts of this email do look a bit thin. It might be worth increasing the font weight to improve legibility, especially on mobile—there’s definitely an opportunity there. Moving on to the next one: Graza Sunday Dinner.

There's a fun little illustration at the top, but I feel like this email falls somewhere between a newsletter and a product launch. I like the illustrations, but at first glance, the purpose of the email isn’t as clear. I understand it includes recipes and images, but overall, it wasn’t immediately obvious what the email was trying to convey.

Naomi West: When I first see this email, I immediately wonder about the opt-in process. Is this a regular Sunday newsletter people sign up for on the Graza website, or is it a one-time email? If I received this out of the blue, I'd be confused about what it actually is. The subject line mentions "Sunday dinner, Italian-style dinner and dessert with farmer's market or pantry staples, plus many glugs of EVO," but I still don't understand what this is about. Is it a recipe? Am I going to click the CTA and buy dinner, olive oil, or a recipe? I have no idea what action I’m being prompted to take.

Perhaps this is due to missing context on what I signed up for, but without that clarity, the email’s purpose is unclear. In a different context, where I already know what this newsletter offers, maybe it would make more sense, but right now it's difficult to know what the email is asking me to do.

Matt Helbig: I agree with you. They don’t seem to have a very robust preference center, but in a lot of cases, when you send emails week after week, they start to feel familiar, and you might assume everyone knows the context. While there are fun CTAs, it's important to provide more context—especially for new subscribers who aren’t familiar with the flow. They need a clearer idea of what to expect when they click on those CTAs.

Naomi West: Am I receiving this email on Sunday at dinner time? Or is it coming on Sunday morning? I have so many questions about when this email was sent and what it’s trying to convey.

Matt Helbig: It feels like an anytime email—a recipe targeted for a sunny Sunday dinner—but it's a bit tricky. Also, I initially thought that the breakout section was a customer review, but it turns out it's actually a quote from the recipe article. Overall, it's a little confusing to me.

Naomi West: It ends by mentioning their main product—the generous drizzle of olive oil. However, the CTA leaves me unsure of where I’m headed. Am I meant to look at a recipe, buy the olive oil, or do something else entirely? I’m still lost. If the email included a high-level summary, such as, “This is Sunday Dinner, our weekly newsletter featuring what to eat on Sundays,” it would help clarify its purpose.

I guess I just need that reminder of what I actually signed up for. I receive so many emails, and if this one hits me at the wrong time—whether I'm too hungry, too full, or simply not thinking about dinner—I won’t engage with it. Unless I understand exactly what the email is offering from the outset, it’s unlikely to capture my attention.

Matt Helbig: This one almost feels like a recipe where they give you a long backstory before listing the ingredients. Perhaps they could feature a section with a short shopping list or a preview of key ingredients to set the mood—something that excites me before I click into the full recipe. I understand that they're trying to drive traffic to the site with complete recipes, but a simple teaser of the essentials would better engage me initially. There are different ways to present a recipe—offering the full instructions and steps in the email might not be the best approach. A sneak peek into the content could spark my interest.

Naomi West: When I open this email on mobile, I wish both the "Pappa" and the "big style cake" were mentioned higher up, so I immediately know what I'm about to prepare—what I'll be donning my chef's hat for. Although "Pappa" appears above the fold, it’s not prominent enough for me to fully grasp the meal I'm diving into.

Matt Helbig: They mentioned both dinner and dessert, but the details aren't very clear or easy to scan.

Naomi West: Yeah, what kind of dessert?

Matt Helbig: Pappa’s dinner. And then, transitioning into the dessert section is an interesting layout choice. They often use playful design elements—rounded corners, outlines—that demonstrate strong graphic design skills. The different colors and sections look beautiful, but as you mentioned, according to the data, is it actually driving clicks? Are people hitting "Save me a slice"?

Naomi West: And you can’t tell me that cake is easy to make—I'm convinced they're misleading us. It's a recipe for a kitchen meltdown, something only an exceptional chef could handle. I know I'd end up disappointing my entire family if I attempted it, but that's my issue. That said, I really like this section; it looks quite appealing, and I'm intrigued by the idea of a cake that uses olive oil as a key ingredient. Still, claiming it's easy is a huge problem for me.

Matt Helbig: There's an opportunity here—I’ve seen other emails effectively highlight their main product. Perhaps they could add a section showcasing the two bottles of olive oil needed for this recipe. It might also be a good chance to include user-generated content by showing others making homemade recipes. Overall, a clearer message with a stronger product focus would benefit this email.

Naomi West: This is where, going back to the first email, I asked about the balance between fun brand voice and tone versus clarity in the information being delivered. This email feels almost like an 80/20 split—80% brand and 20% information, leaving me unclear about what it's asking of me.

I do like the design, though. The graphic designer really nailed it. It's a beautiful email to look at, and the design hierarchy is easy to follow. The focus on “Sunday dinner” at the top sets the tone well, and the content is laid out clearly. I didn’t struggle with the readability on mobile, as I did with the first example, so the graphic design works for me; it's just the content and copy where I get a bit lost.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, you really need to be passionate about this recipe. As you mentioned, it's about finding the right balance between a vibey, top-of-mind awareness email and a straightforward product launch or sale. Since you're not launching a new granola every week, you don't want to pad these emails just to stay memorable. Instead, they could be more focused, clearly letting people know what they're supposed to do.

Naomi West: It could be that everyone else already knows what this newsletter is about, and we're just out of the loop.

Matt Helbig: Okay, moving on to another co-branded email. Graza does a great job leveraging other brands' clout to elevate their product, and this one is with Target—a popular, well-loved brand. It's interesting that they've launched a new type of packaging for their olive oil: a sustainable refill option. With sustainability becoming increasingly important, you can now go to Target and purchase a recyclable can refill for the iconic green bottle.

They also employ a GIF with a few eye-catching frames and strategically place the Target logo front and center to capture your attention. Even if you don't read all the details, the combination of Target and Graza makes it clear you can find it there.

Naomi West: Yeah, Target, Graza, refills. I should start by mentioning that I'm Canadian—we don't have Target in Canada, and it's something I’m sad about every day. I constantly hear about how amazing Target is, but I can't experience it myself.

Matt Helbig: You have just to come just for Target.

Naomi West: Yeah, I have to drive over the border just to experience Target. Aside from that, it’s fantastic when brands share space with each other—when e-commerce or D2C brands like Graza collaborate, pop up in stores, or even allow you to buy products in-store. It’s such a creative way to think outside the box with email content, and I applaud the initial reaction to this campaign.

I love the GIFs; those moving words at the very top immediately draw me in. The message—“perfectly portioned, 100 percent recyclable, super fresh”—makes it crystal clear what this email is about: refills available at Target. I absolutely love it.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, I'm a fan. I really like the two-tone email and the subdued tone—especially the darker theme. It's got a bit of a coding feel, but it would be interesting if they could extend the design a bit more. Even if they’re still using all images, perhaps a textured border could help eliminate the white space and fill the entire email—just full green on the desktop. I think that could look really cool.

That said, with their market likely mobile-focused, this design still works well on smaller screens. The co-branded illustration is fun and definitely grabs attention, though I think three GIFs in one email might be a bit much.

Naomi West: There's a lot of movement, but at least the elements are neatly sectioned off, so you're not overwhelming the viewer.

Matt Helbig: If all of this were in one GIF, it would be overwhelming. But spacing the animations out by, say, X pixels might strike the right balance.

Naomi West: This element is unique and raises questions about the balance between fun branding and driving orders. Is it a podcast, a music playlist, or just one song? I'm curious enough to click, but once I do, I tend to lose interest quickly—rarely, I go back to an email campaign. I'm surprised this is featured as their second CTA or module rather than just a small, fun piece in the footer. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued.

I like it; it's fun, playful, and very different from the typical e-commerce emails in my inbox. It definitely helps them stand out.

Matt Helbig: The primary purpose of this email is to inform customers that the product is available at Target. While that message alone might feel a bit limited—almost like a plain text announcement—presenting it as a fully designed section adds value. I see this as a beneficial element for maintaining top-of-mind awareness and reinforcing the brand, even if it's not the main traffic driver. It's a fun strategy, much like a mini playlist, that more brands are starting to adopt.

Naomi West: Another thing I've noticed as I go through these Graza emails is that each one is uniquely different. As a subscriber, that unpredictability really holds my attention—you never know what to expect when an email lands in your inbox. I often find myself clicking through and scrolling all the way to see what surprise Graza has in store.

If teams can invest in that level of originality and creativity, every email campaign becomes an opportunity to delight the audience. It's so refreshing to see that freedom, and even if it doesn't immediately drive orders or purchases from Target, it's exciting to explore and see what unfolds over time.

Matt Helbig: I think it's great when brands embrace the idea that email is all about building relationships. Over time, you come to see Graza as a trusted friend—a BFF—that keeps you loyal and even makes you consider their products as potential gifts for a party. Instead of constantly pushing product sales, mixing up the content helps maintain interest and encourages deeper engagement after that initial purchase.

Now, the next section serves as a teaser for more of their collaborations. This one features La Cologne, a coffee company, and appears to be a creative blend—perhaps a recipe collaboration where you can mix their coffee with olive oil. I’m not entirely sure how it will work, but it looks cool, and I really like the lockup. I appreciate when brands incorporate a faux Instagram aesthetic. While it may not be the flashiest section, it's impressive to see them continually innovate and keep each email feeling fresh and unique.

Naomi West: I still struggle with the lack of clarity around the CTA here—"Crack, crack." I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Am I supposed to look up a recipe for making cold EVO foam for my coffee frap? Because honestly, I wouldn't know how to do that on my own. Or is this directing me to Target's website to make a purchase? I might be a boomer—I'm not—but I need clear instructions on where this CTA is leading me. Right now, "crack, crack" doesn't tell me anything other than to crack open a can to refill my EVO.

Matt Helbig: Having clarity on where the CTA directs users. Overall, though, the main takeaway is leveraging another well-known brand or retailer to elevate your own brand—a strategy I’ve seen more brands adopt with Amazon. Simply indicating that a product is available on Amazon often encourages immediate purchases, as customers appreciate the convenience over a lengthy checkout process.

Naomi West: 100%. It's fantastic. I love seeing collaborative campaigns like this, even if Target might not know this email is going out. Graza is taking the initiative to promote it themselves, which I think is awesome. I love their boldness. The Target logo looks great in the email, and that little Target dog in its bat buggy is just adorable. She's wearing Graza. She's got a Graza skirt on.

Matt Helbig: They have so many different mascots—I’m already forgetting about Sizzle, who seems like a thing of the past. One other piece of feedback: if this email were coming from Target, it might be beneficial to use customer location data to show where the nearest Target is. I've seen brands, especially in the automotive industry, leverage dealership data to indicate nearby locations and hours. That kind of personalization—using customer or survey data to tailor promotional emails—could be a great opportunity that we haven't seen much of in these campaigns.

Naomi West: Maybe they could send this to Canadians too, so I can enjoy their little Target playlist and updates.

Matt Helbig: What’s the target of Canada?

Naomi West: We don’t have.

Matt Helbig: Ok. I know is Tim Hortons. That's all I know.

Naomi West: Yeah, we've got Timmy’s—and maybe even Real Canadian Superstore—but honestly, neither is a store I'd really want to brave.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, so a smart move would be to segment your audience. If you know that some audiences are in areas without a physical store, then this email might not be relevant to them.

Naomi West: Or, you know, tell me to book a flight—it might just be worth it! You know you’ll end up coming home with more than you expected, which is what Target is known for, right? You go in for one thing and end up with a million other items.

Matt Helbig: Exactly. Alright, these last two are more collaboration emails. I think Graza has done a great job with all the brands they’ve partnered with—sharing design resources in a way that makes the emails feel cohesive and relevant to both brands. This one features a unique product, one that I might not normally choose as my first pick, but it’s interesting to see new layouts and the collaboration itself.

Naomi West: I love this email—I love a martini, so I'm immediately sold. You don't even have to convince me; I'd buy it and even fly to Target if that's where it's available. I might not know exactly where it's sold, but I think it's really cool. Plus, the fact that it's non-alcoholic adds a fun twist.

The branding is unmistakably Graza, with a great color scheme and consistent design elements, but what really stands out is how playful the mascot is. Overall, I'm completely sold on this email.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, once again, it's all about balance—combining product shots, illustrations, strong colors, and lifestyle imagery to showcase the product in use while keeping the layout visually interesting. There are common design elements across these emails, but each one still feels unique. Every time you open your inbox, it’s a bit of a surprise, which keeps things fresh and engaging.

Naomi West: One clear theme throughout this email is the emphasis on sharing—encouraging recipients to spread the word. From the moment you open it, the messaging urges you to tell your friends, and it wraps up with “bring a can or 12” for your next gathering. That’s how product sharing works best—customers introduce it to their friends, expanding the brand’s reach organically. It’s a light, organic way to weave the referral concept directly into the email.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, I think copywriting elements like "Pro Tip" are becoming something people really enjoy seeing. The use of parentheses is a nice touch, and those little text-based emojis—not quite emojis, but similar—help reinforce the brand personality. It’s not just about showcasing a product; they’re adding playful, engaging copy that makes the email stand out. The CTAs worked for me, and overall, this was a really fun one.

Naomi West:

No, it's great. I'm a big fan of this collab email. It's really cool to see how both brands have come together.

Matt Helbig:

Exactly. And another design trend worth calling out is the top scrolling banner—we've been seeing it everywhere. Do you like this trend? Have you noticed it a lot in your inbox?

Naomi West:

I do like this trend—I actually use a scrolling banner on my own website. So if I said I didn’t like it, I’d be going against my own values!

I think they’re super eye-catching, especially for sales. I saw one in my inbox the other day that displayed discounts—40% off, 60% off—and it was a really effective way to grab attention while conveying key information. So overall, I think they work really well.

Matt Helbig:

The last email actually isn’t from Graza—it’s the reverse of this one. It’s the collaboration email from Aura Bora and Graza. I found it interesting to compare the co-branded messaging in this one versus how Graza approached it in their own email.

Naomi West:

Unfortunately, if I opened this email on mobile, there’s no way I’d be able to read it properly—I’m not going to squint and struggle to digest the content. The CTA is tiny, even on the desktop, which makes it difficult to engage with.

When it comes to image-only emails, there are plenty of editors that allow you to hide content on mobile or desktop. Ideally, brands should create a separate design for each, ensuring that the mobile version—likely still image-based—is optimized for readability. For example, I’d love to see this email slightly larger on mobile so I could actually read it and see the product imagery more clearly.

Instead of the three-column layout, they could stack the images into a single column so they’re easier to scroll through. I’m still intrigued by the product, but not as much as I was with the first email—simply because I can’t properly digest the content on mobile.

Matt Helbig: Yeah, I was going to click in to compare the CTA sizes. Looking at these emails, you can really tell when something was designed with a desktop-first approach—it looks fine on desktop, but when scaled down to mobile, the CTAs become an issue.

Some of the copy is almost unreadable, which means the message is getting lost.

As you mentioned, it’s important not to underserve a segment of your audience. If resources are limited, brands should at least ensure a larger, more readable design on desktop while optimizing for mobile readability—whether that means adjusting font sizes or selectively hiding and showing content.

Naomi West: Yeah, aside from that, I do like the headings—"The Taste," "The Olive Oil Martini is Back," and the FAQ section. They’ve structured the content in a way that makes sense, and I probably would have taken a similar approach. The headings make it easy to understand what’s coming next.

That said, it would be great if the overall content was just a little larger. I don’t want to be too harsh, but I’m really struggling to read this email. Still, the branding is cute, and I’m so happy we reviewed all of these Graza emails. It’s been quite a journey, and I feel really excited about their email program. They’re a super creative team, and it was great to see how much originality went into every email.

Matt Helbig: All right, well, thanks again, Naomi. You’re one of the best email marketers I know! Everyone should check out your site and follow you online. Anything coming up that you’d like to plug?

Naomi West: Yeah! I have a newsletter called Slow Email, which you can subscribe to if you’d like. It’s called that because I have no predictable sending cadence—I send it whenever I have something to say, and it’s always email-related.

I also just released an email course, which I’m really excited about. It’s available for purchase on my website, naomiwest.ca, and it covers everything you need to know about email marketing. It’s about five and a half hours of live training, with 200 slides packed full of information on deliverability, design, lifecycle strategy, and more.

Matt Helbig: That sounds awesome. Well, thanks again for joining us!

Naomi West: Thanks for having me!

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