New focus on email welcome campaign
Previously, individuals who subscribed to the Kempinski newsletter were immediately incorporated into the hotel’s regular communication stream. However, Kempinski places great importance on engaging its audience in the distinctive world of the brand. For this reason, a dedicated welcome campaign was developed to offer new subscribers an introduction to what makes Kempinski Hotels truly exceptional.
In this article, we demonstrate how, through the strategic use of well-crafted emails, delivered in the appropriate sequence and with carefully considered content, organisations like Kempinski Hotels can present themselves effectively and achieve high levels of audience satisfaction.
Why Kempinski transitioned to a branded welcome experience
By implementing a structured welcome journey, Kempinski Hotels was able to present the diverse facets of its brand in a clear and accessible way, while offering a preview of the content subscribers can expect in future communications.
How Kempinski implemented the welcome journey
Kempinski had a clear vision of the messaging but required support to ensure effective execution. An initial campaign flow and a series of templates were therefore developed, which the internal team subsequently enriched with visuals and brand-aligned copy. Once the English-language version was finalised, conditional logic was applied to incorporate German-language variants, maintaining a streamlined user experience without adding unnecessary complexity to the setup.
Following the double opt-in, subscribers receive the first welcome email immediately. The subsequent four emails are delivered at three-day intervals, providing a structured and consistent introduction to the brand. This approach gradually highlights key experiences and sets clear expectations for future communications. By the end of the journey, subscribers are more informed, engaged, and well-prepared to transition seamlessly into the primary mailing program.
Clearly defined topics in every email
Each email within the flow addresses a distinct theme:
- A general introduction
- Preferences: identifying the types of hotels and destinations of interest to the recipient
- Member benefits: building on initial engagement from the outset
- Boutique and vouchers: extending the Kempinski experience beyond the stay
- What’s next: providing an “instant destination match” and inviting new subscribers to share feedback on the welcome series
The welcome journey can be visualised as a structured sequence of emails, each contributing to a cohesive introduction to the Kempinski brand.
At every stage of the journey, recipients are given the option to bypass the remaining emails and transition directly into the main subscriber group. This process is fully automated and operates seamlessly in the background, requiring no manual intervention aside from periodic reviews to update and refresh content. For Kempinski, this results in a flexible, low-maintenance system that adapts to individual subscriber preferences without introducing additional operational complexity.
Email 1 – Introduction
The opening email in the welcome journey begins with a concise introduction to Kempinski’s longstanding heritage in delivering luxury hospitality experiences. It also introduces the “Lady in Red” as the distinctive sending persona.
The subsequent paragraph clarifies that the message forms part of a broader email series and emphasises the wide range of destinations within the Kempinski portfolio. At this early stage of the welcome journey, limited information is typically available about the recipient, making a broad approach particularly effective.
The “Inspire Me” call to action directs recipients to the “Our Stories” section of the website, which features curated content such as “Berlin’s Hidden Gems” and “The Best Things to Do with 2 Hours in Singapore.”
Finally, recipients are given the option to opt out of the welcome series with a single click. This functionality provides a user-friendly experience and ensures that subscribers retain full control over the communications they receive.
The inbox fields are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Welcome to the world of Kempinski
- Preheader: Welcome email 1 of 5
Email 2 – Getting to Know the Subscriber
While a broad approach is effective for the initial introduction, it is important to refine the understanding of subscriber preferences as early and seamlessly as possible in the journey.
The second email in the Kempinski flow addresses this directly: “Click the link below to share your preferences and ensure that we bring the most relevant offers and content to your inbox.” This messaging clearly emphasises the value for the recipient, rather than focusing on the benefit of data collection for the brand.
The inbox fields are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: What’s your travel style?
- Preheader: Welcome email 2 of 5
The corresponding landing page is thoughtfully structured, beginning with a brief introduction before presenting ten categories designed to capture the subscriber’s travel preferences.
This approach provides a strong example of effectively narrowing down interests without overwhelming the recipient. While it would have been possible to include an extensive range of options, such as specific destinations, cuisines, or climates. Kempinski has intentionally kept the selection concise and manageable.
Balancing the “getting to know you” element with an opportunity for recipients to further explore the Kempinski brand creates a well-rounded experience. Brands often place significant emphasis on communicating their own story, sometimes at the expense of user relevance. In this case, Kempinski successfully maintains that balance, ensuring the content remains both engaging and customer-centric.
Email 3 & 4 – Loyalty Programme and “Bring Kempinski Home”
In some cases, a direct and focused approach is the most effective. Kempinski applies this principle in the third email by placing the “Join Now / Log in” call to action prominently at the top of the message, followed by a clear overview of the associated benefits to encourage further engagement.
The inbox details for the third email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Have you unlocked member benefits?
- Preheader: Welcome email 3 of 5
The subsequent content highlights ways to extend the Kempinski experience beyond the hotel stay. For example, the familiar comfort of a hotel bed is translated into an at-home experience through Kempinski-approved bed linen. Similarly, the appeal of hotel dressing gowns is leveraged by offering these items for purchase.
These initiatives represent classic examples of brand extension extending beyond the core service into complementary products. This approach effectively addresses a common limitation of hospitality experiences -their temporary nature- by creating opportunities to sustain engagement and strengthen brand affinity beyond the stay itself.
For completeness, the inbox details for the fourth email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Have you unlocked member benefits?
- Preheader: Welcome email 4 of 5
Email 5 – What’s Next
The fifth and final email in the series serves to consolidate the journey, summarising key themes from the previous messages and reinforcing expectations for future communications, including news and travel inspiration from Kempinski.
The email concludes with an interactive, card-based feature that presents personalised destination suggestions, helping subscribers identify locations aligned with their interests.
The inbox details for the fifth email are as follows:
- Sender: Kempinski | Lady in Red
- Subject: Which Kempinski will you visit next?
- Preheader: Welcome email 5 of 5
Results and Impact
The results of the welcome journey have been highly encouraging. To date, 43,000 subscribers have completed the journey, with 84% of feedback collected through the fifth email being positive. By explicitly inviting recipients to evaluate the series, Kempinski gains valuable insights that can be used to further optimise the experience.
The introduction of the welcome journey has also strengthened confidence in marketing automation and encouraged the exploration of additional use cases for this technology. In particular, the feedback component has proven to be a valuable mechanism for deepening engagement and understanding subscriber preferences.
Welcome journeys represent a powerful tool for organisations across industries. By capitalising on initial interest, they help maintain brand visibility and relevance during the early stages of the customer relationship. This is particularly impactful for considered purchases, such as travel, where customers typically invest time in exploring options and comparing offers.
For those interested in experiencing the journey firsthand, it is possible to subscribe to the Kempinski newsletter via their website.
This is an article by EMAS 2026 Gold Sponsor Spotler.
Curious how to put this into practice? Visit EMAS 2026 on June 11 at Circa Amsterdam. Be inspired by international speakers and discover how to take your email marketing to the next level. Tickets and programme: emas.nu
Hendrik Westerhuis
Senior Content Marketeer | Spotler
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