Jimmy Kim argues that unsubscribe spikes after a brand takes a stance on controversial issues are actually healthy. When a sustainability-focused email called out fast fashion, some people left, but the ones who stayed were genuinely aligned with the brand's values, creating a loyal tribe instead of an apathetic list.
When are unsubscribes actually a good sign?
Probably a couple scenarios, and we'll go back and forth here a little bit, but there's a couple I can think of why unsubscribes means that you're doing something right. So the first scenario is that, and we've talked about this, is you take a stance on something controversial or meaningful.
Do you mind sharing an example here?
Yeah, let's talk about like a sustainability brand, and you send an email about why your fast fashion is destroying the planet.
So I can see that some people are probably gonna unsubscribe here.
Some people just don't care about sustainability, and people who shop at Shein, for example, they're probably gonna bounce from that message.
On the flip then, the people who stay, those are the ones that are your tribe. Those are the ones that care.
Exactly. They're aligned with your values. Those are the people who become those lifelong customers.
So part of what's happening here is that you're actually filtering for the right audience.
And I'd argue that unsubscribe spike is almost a win, not a loss.
At the end of the day, right, like you're not building just a stale static list. You're actually focused on building the community.
