Gmail launch communications: strategy and sample emails

Overview

Communicating the Opensense launch well can make the difference between a couple of support emails and far too many. To make it as easy as possible to launch your new email signatures, here are sample emails to get your launch communications started.

Before you send

• We’re happy to review any communications your team creates, to make sure they align with your launch strategy.
• If you have a launch email you’re proud of, we’d love to add it to the knowledge base.

Personalize each template

Customize the email for your use case before you send it, to avoid confusing your users. Replace the example details, such as CompanyName, the dates (Monday, May 18th), and the support contact (Jane Doe, Jane.Doe@abc.com).

Communications strategy

Change for employees is always best paired with effective internal communications. This tried-and-true strategy tells employees that their Opensense signatures are on the way:

Pre-launch announcement

At least 1 week before launch. Answers the "Why?" question, and includes a screenshot of the design to get everyone excited.

Launch announcement

On launch day. Gives instructions for setting up the signature, and names the point of contact in your organization for people who have questions or need more help.

Pre-launch formal announcement (1 to 3 days before launch)

Dear Employees,

In an effort to present a stronger, unified brand presence for CompanyName, we will be implementing a standardized email signature for all employees. The Marketing Team will now centrally manage the style and format of email signatures, with employee contact information synced from our company directory through a service called Opensense. This keeps corporate email communications consistent going forward.

This also gives Marketing the opportunity to routinely update email signatures with relevant banners, for upcoming webinars, live demos, trade show events, and so on. And it makes your life easier, because you’ll never have to edit or add anything to your CompanyName email signature again!

Here is a preview of what our signature is going to look like:

You will receive an email from our team on Monday, May 18th, with more instructions on setting this up for your emails going forward. If your signature contains incorrect contact information, or you need any other help setting up your email signature, please contact Jane Doe for support: Jane.Doe@abc.com

Please do not add quotations, tag lines, memes, videos, alternative legal disclaimers, font changes, color changes, logos, and so on. If you believe you have a legitimate case for adding or changing something on your signature block, please reach out to Jane Doe (Jane.Doe@ABC.com), and Marketing will review and consider your request.

We greatly appreciate your help in setting up your signatures. Thank you!

Launch announcement

Hey Team!

We have activated your new signatures in partnership with Opensense, who is helping us present a more unified brand. There are only a few simple steps, which should take less than 5 minutes, to set this up on all your emails going forward.

Gmail on a web browser

• Refresh your web page. When you click Compose, your new email signature should now appear!
• Go to Settings > General, and scroll down to the signature settings.
• Make sure that My Signature is selected as the default for For new emails use and On reply/forward use, for all corporate email addresses (including alias accounts).
• Directly below your signature settings, select the checkbox Insert signature before quoted text.

Mobile devices (phones, tablets, and so on)

• On Monday afternoon, you will receive an email from Opensense (notifications@sendergen.com) directing you to copy your new signature.
• Copy this signature “block” one time into each mobile device that you send email from.
• Different devices have different settings. If you need guidance, see the attached document with step-by-step instructions.

You can send a test email to your personal email or a colleague to check it out before you send an external email, because it will not show up formatted when you compose an email or in your sent emails. Feel free to skim the instructions document, which has more information. If you have any further questions, reach out to Jane Doe (jane.doe@abc.com).

Please note: the signature appears as plain text when you send an email, and the recipient always receives the branded email signature design that Marketing manages centrally.

Say which fields employees can change

These templates cover what’s generally required. Also add which fields employees can update themselves, and which need a request to internal support.

What’s next

• Sample launch email communications: more templates, by deployment method.
• Launching Opensense signatures to Gmail users: launch-day tips for Gmail.