Compare brands
Two competitors, side by side.
Higher craft fact
Tied — 86 vs 86
Tied — 86 vs 86
Sends more often
Nike — 2.2/wk vs 1.9
Nike — 2.2/wk vs 1.9
Discounts deeper
New Balance — 25% vs 0%
New Balance — 25% vs 0%
More urgency
New Balance — 22% of sends
New Balance — 22% of sends
Head-to-head on craft, offers, and cadence only — all observable on both sides. We never compare performance we can't see.
NE
craft 86
New Balance
newbalance.com
Send frequency
1.9 /wk
→ 0% vs first half
Max discount
25% off
↑ 15→25%
Offer repetition
3×
20% off repeated
Urgency language
22%
0% use emoji
Recent emails
Observed-signal analysis
New Balance is running a discount-escalation ladder into a promo peak.
- Steady cadence at ~1.9 sends/week — a consistent, non-promotional rhythm.
- Discount depth 15% → 25% (peak 25%) — a classic escalation ladder, not one flat sale.
- The 20% off offer repeated 3× across sends — repeated re-use is an observed signal of a prioritized offer (we can't see its performance).
- 22% of subjects use hard-deadline urgency.
The play → Match their cadence ramp into your next sale window and test a deeper-than-usual discount framed with a hard deadline. Watch for the 20% off repeat as your signal to counter-promote.
NI
craft 86
Nike
nike.com
Send frequency
2.2 /wk
↓ 25% vs first half
Max discount
0% off
full price
Offer repetition
0×
none
Urgency language
10%
10% use emoji
Recent emails
Observed-signal analysis
Nike is running a full-price, brand-led program.
- Cadence is cooling 25% — they've eased off recently (2.5→1.9/wk).
- No explicit discounts in the captured window — a brand-led, full-price posture.
- 10% of subjects use hard-deadline urgency and 10% use emoji.
The play → They win on brand, not price — don't get baited into a discount war. Counter with product storytelling and cadence, not deeper markdowns.