93: How Email Helps Brands Be More Human with Christina Hagopian

In this episode, Dan connects with creative director, entrepreneur, designer, and founder of Hagopian Ink, Christina Hagopian. With about two decades of experience in advertising and marketing, Christina is a well-versed strategist who built her own agency with collaboration and innovation at the forefront of her mind. As Dan and Christina discuss her journey to building her own company after beginning as a designer in the industry, they consider the future of email strategy, how effective other channels of communication are in the realm of marketing, the significance of building your team, and how you can stay up-to-date on new trends.

In This Episode

(03:00) Christina’s journey to where she is today
(7:28) True confidence and collaboration in the industry
(11:29) Christina’s beginning as a designer
(12:28) The evolution and development of multi-channel marketing
(15:35) How consumer behavior is changing the way marketers produce content
(18:55) Christina’s approach to staying up-to-date in her field
(21:42) “Design is at the center of everything.”
(24:23) The Social Life of Brands
(29:23) Why email is still the preferred channel of communication
(37:36) Engagement in your email lists
(40:32) Why Christina doesn’t agree with cold email outreach
(42:22) “I really want to have an intro where someone knows you and you feel a connection.” – The role of LinkedIn in this industry
(43:28) Christina and Dan’s thoughts on email list buying, building, and generation
(48:17) Co-branding and influencer strategy
(50:20) “Have some channels supplanted certain functions of email?”
(59:35) The future of email marketing
(1:02:28) How Gen Z and Gen Alpha may influence email strategy
(1:06:50) Where to find Christina Hagopian

Notable Quotes

“I realized very quickly that clients aren’t just hiring designers; they’re hiring teams.” – Christina (6:01)
“I still believe in multi-channel marketing, and they just are different channels now.” – Christina (12:28)
“When you’re at that mastermind level, you can’t only be in a silo. You have to reach out to other experts in your field. I hire strategists that know more than me…” – Christina (19:49)
“Design is synonymous with experience.” – Dan (22:22)
“We live in our inbox. It’s where we live.” – Christina (29:32)
“You’re introducing a known entity to an unknown entity. And that’s why that works and that’s why that whole social side has taken off because that’s really what co-branding is, right? You’re trying to find like-minded brands that are already established…” – Christina (48:32)
“Giving the people on your list homage and gratitude and help them in some way. Serve them, so that they grow to be a part of your community… That’s a successful, long-term nurturing approach.” – Dan (49:41)
“When you’re trying to create a branded message with images and with rich content, there is no other channel that’s doing it well. There’s no other channel that does it the way that email does.” – Christina (51:24)

Resources & Links

The Dan Nestle Show

Christina Hagopian

Mentioned

The Social Life of Brands by Matthew Egol, Mary Beth Mceuen, and Emily Falk
Make It, Don’t Fake It by Sabrina Horn
A Perfect Mess by Erc Abrahamson

93: How Email Helps Brands Be More Human with Christina Hagopian

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