Scope: client-account - This is a Rye Valley delivery decision about how we run Emil Barr’s account. Not a Rye Valley internal decision.
- Date: 2026-09-04
- Decider(s): Michael Houck, Blake Stewart
- Status: decided
Decision
Abandon email as the primary channel for Emil campus tour sponsor outreach. Pivot to LinkedIn for sponsor contacts (using Hermes-managed autonomous outreach where possible) and run a separate email campaign for college deans only.
Context
The Emil Barr Megaphone engagement has produced no bookings in approximately two months. Email outreach to potential sponsors has shown poor conversion. Michael built a Hermes-powered network graph (61,867 contacts) as an alternative to Happenstance, surfacing sponsor contacts without usage-limit restrictions. Blake noted email performance has been consistently weak.
Options considered
- Continue email-first outreach: rejected due to poor conversion data Blake is seeing across the board.
- LinkedIn outreach (selected): higher engagement expected; Michael will explore Hermes-autonomous management to reduce manual effort.
- Dean email campaign: kept as a parallel track because the audience (college deans) is distinct and email is a viable channel for institutional contacts.
Consequences
- Blake sets up Lemlist dean email campaign once Michael delivers contact list and copy.
- Michael builds and manages LinkedIn sponsor outreach, potentially autonomous via Hermes.
- The Hermes network graph replaces Happenstance for contact discovery on this and future campaigns.
- Progress should be visible to Emil as an update given the two-month gap.
Related meeting: Huddle w/ Blake S on Emil