A welcome series is often seen as the foundation of email automation—a chance to introduce your brand story, set expectations, and guide new subscribers toward that all-important first purchase. But what happens when you only send one?

That’s the approach rhode take. Their welcome “series” is really just a single send. After that, new subscribers are dropped straight into regular campaigns. On paper, this sounds like a missed opportunity to nurture, educate, and build trust.

And yet, rhode manage to pull off something interesting. While they don’t lean heavily into automation, their BAU campaigns are so cohesive, timely, and brand-rich that they achieve many of the same outcomes: strong storytelling, consistent design, and effective product education.

Let’s take a look at email 1: Welcome to the world of rhode

The Power of Consistency: Lessons from rhode’s Email Campaigns

rhode aren’t silly. They start the welcome journey for new subscribers with a stand-out image of their very famous founder, Hailey Beiber. The imagery and overall design of this email works beautifully from start to finish.

They feature a product shot to show the range of products, followed by an ingredient-focused image, with the credentials in bullet points below.

The CTA wording - ‘Start Your rhode Routine’ - is spot on for people who are new to the brand. It’s followed by a word from Hailey and a product row (likely dynamic bestsellers.)

And importantly, this email reminds us that you don’t need to rely on a welcome discount to make an impact.

What I’d tweak:

Add a line setting expectations for subscribers: “Now you’re on the list, you’ll be the first to hear about new launches and exclusive offers.”
Include a CTA higher up, above the scroll, so mobile users have a button right away.
Use a block background for the button to increase visibility.
Add context above the product row: “Meet the bestsellers” or “Let us inspire you.”

Here’s the next campaign I received: rhode Summer combos

My bold CTA button appeared in email two—hooray!

This email feels like a natural continuation of the first. The logo color changes, but the look and feel stay consistent, which reinforces trust. The timing is clever too—arriving mid-July when customers are after that low-effort, sunkissed look.

The email is packed with cross-selling opportunities. The copy is short, actionable, and customer-first: “Wake up your cheeks and lips with warm, sunny color. Reach for Pocket Blush in Tan Line… Pair with Lemontini on the lips…”

Smart, simple, effective.

Email 3: rhode in the sun

Here’s where rhode show the power of campaign consistency. Their yellow summer theme runs across their website, socials, and emails—creating one big brand moment.

The lead grid image is reminiscent of Instagram, tapping into lifestyle as much as product. And here’s the big lesson: you can (and should) create single-product campaigns. I call this a Hero Campaign—zooming in on one SKU, exploring inspiration, benefits, and uses.

Smart brands rotate a handful of proven layouts rather than reinventing the wheel every time. If you haven’t tested a grid-style hero image, add it to your design to-do list.

Email 4: How is your skin feeling?

I love a question in a subject line, and rhode clearly do too.

This email meets customers where they are, asking how their skin is feeling in the summer heat. It feels like genuine care paired with product recommendations.

What I’d refine:

Use bigger body copy on mobile.
Replace text-in-images with real text blocks for legibility.
Add a clickable CTA to each product image for faster shopping.

Email 5: Lip shape 3 ways

Another strong content type: the How To. Here, rhode highlight a single product using influencer-generated content. It’s a smart reuse of assets across channels.

Improvements could include a more engaging lead image (a gif of three influencer shots would bring movement and energy).

The challenge with single-product emails is relevance. If the recipient doesn’t care about that SKU, they might not click. The solution? Add secondary CTAs or banners for broader categories—best sellers, “new in,” or a contrasting category (e.g. skincare when the focus is makeup).

An easy way to increase clicks is to include category buttons at the bottom of the email, as per this examples from Varley and Astrid and Miyu

Frequency and Subject Lines

rhode nails subject line discipline. Keeping them under five words improves open rates, and their preview text extends the hook perfectly.

Where they could improve is onboarding. After the first welcome email, I dropped straight into BAU campaigns (sometimes even the same day). A stronger journey would include 3–4 dedicated onboarding sends—featuring best sellers, the founder story, customer reviews, and ingredients. This builds trust and drives conversion before shifting into the regular campaign flow.

That said, rhode are doing one thing right: staying consistent and visible in the inbox.

Final Word

rhode’s campaigns are a great case study in modern email marketing. Visually distinctive, aligned with brand identity, and full of smart copy moments. The balance of founder-driven storytelling, influencer content, and sharp CTAs makes for a clever formula.

And while most brands would benefit from a longer welcome journey, rhode prove that a single welcome email doesn’t have to mean a weak introduction. Their strength lies in the fact that their regular campaigns do the heavy lifting - keeping new subscribers engaged, inspired, and consistently reminded of the brand’s aesthetic and values.

The big takeaway for other brands:
✨ Keep it simple.
✨ Rotate proven layouts.
✨ Don’t be afraid to hero one product.
✨ Make campaigns that are truly multi-channel, especially if your socials are strong

Strong campaigns don’t happen by chance. Book a call with me and let’s find the opportunities in your email strategy.

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The Power of Consistency: Lessons from rhode’s Email Campaigns

Loyalty - is it right for your brand and how can you make it work?