Active Ride Shop, a Mira Loma, Calif.-based skateboarding outfitter, has a passionate customer base that enthusiastically turns out for skating competitions, fashion shows and other brand events. Despite brand enthusiasm, the company hasn’t traditionally been able to convert fans into shoppers.
“In the past, the company has tried collecting email addresses at events on a clipboard, but they were often illegible,” says Ross Kramer, cofounder and CEO of Listrak.
Not only did the brand encounter problems collecting email addresses at events, the company was also challenged with a strikingly high 78% shopping cart abandonment problem on its e-commerce site.
STRATEGY: To help build up their list of email subscribers, create a welcome email series and a shopping cart abandonment program, Active Ride Shop partnered with Listrak.
Active Ride’s first mobile email acquisition campaign with the Listrak collaboration occurred during the Maloof Money Cup skateboarding event in June. Through signage at the show, attendees were encouraged to send a text to a shortcode in order to enter for the chance to win a $500 gift certificate. The company thanked entrants via text, and then sent a second text inviting consumers to share their email address in exchange for a $5 off coupon.
The retailer also created a welcome email series that provided first-time subscribers with an email offering a $5-off coupon, as well as information on how to set their preferences, clip coupons, enter contests and read the blog.
“The reason for the triggered email campaign is simply to have Active Ride Shop top-of-mind when customers sit down at their computer to make a purchase,” explains Sonny Nigro, online marketing coordinator at Active Ride Shop, via email.
Active Ride also created a shopping cart abandonment program that enables the retailer to send emails to customers that have added products to their shopping carts but don’t immediately make a purchase.
RESULTS: Since the company began revamping its email program last year, email marketing accounts for 14% of the company’s revenue and 11% of site traffic. During the “Text to Win $500” mobile effort, 12.3% of contest entrants subscribed to the retailer’s email list.
Active Ride’s welcome message has a 73% open rate. Of the opened emails, 34% are clicked on and 12% convert to sales. Its shopping cart abandonment message has an average open rate of 26% with 16% of these opened emails converting. The second abandonment message has an average 27% open rate with an 8.67% conversion rate.
