Fashion retailer, Shine On, uses dynamic automated campaigns to drive customer engagement

In late 2015, Shine On took a new direction – from one-off vintage clothing to become an online retailer representing major brands for fashion-conscious mums through its Shopify store.

In 2018, the brand achieved another milestone by launching its fashion label – Shine On Label. Headquartered in Whangaparaoa, Auckland, with stores in Hibiscus Coast, Mount Roskill, and Christchurch, Shine On employs more than 100+ staff.

Marketing challenge

Shine On needed to change its marketing strategy in response to customer database growth and the shifting marketplace. With the expansion of its customer following, the brand decided to take an omnichannel approach to target customers with highly personalized and optimized campaigns with relevant content through the right channels. To meet this objective, the company partnered with Dotdigital to integrate automated marketing programs.

Dotdigital solution

Continuing its customer-first approach, the company has strengthened its online journey through email marketing and social platforms. Shine On currently runs numerous automated programs using Dotdigital – welcome series, lapsed customer series, and abandon cart.

“Facebook has been an integral part in driving customer engagement via the ‘VIP group’, introduced in 2017. We encourage our ‘Shiners’ to leave reviews online and sign up for our newsletters which flow through Dotdigital,” said Samantha Cunningham, Chief Information Officer at Shine On. “A big part of our engagement relies on inviting our excellent customer base for VIP deals and sending daily emails highlighting the new picks and special offers.”

Customer loyalty programs, e.g., ‘Win it back’ and ‘Golden ticket,’ play a crucial role in customer engagement, delivering an all-inclusive online and offline experience. While ‘Win it back’ gives customers a chance to win back their purchase, the ‘Golden ticket’ program delights customers with surprise vouchers slipped into product packaging bought from both online and offline purchases. Another great campaign is Shine On’s charity initiative #Givingback. The brand decides the top charities to donate to by running a monthly poll for its ‘VIP group’ to vote for their preferred charity or cause.

Furthermore, Shine On has implemented location-based marketing to bridge the gap between online and offline ecosystems and create frictionless in-store experiences. The retailer can now funnel audiences based on critical parameters such as postcodes, combined with customer value personas using Dotdigital’s Recency, Frequency, and Monetary (RFM) value modeling tool. The team has successfully used geolocation data to create and determine unique shopping experiences for customers.

As COVID-19 hit in 2020, the team shifted its focus significantly towards online marketing, increasing the subscriber base. The recent Christchurch store opening aided in doubling the consumer database. The opening strategy saw the team run targeted ads on Facebook and radio. Shine On reserved exclusive timeslots solely for the VIP group members for the grand opening to reward customer loyalty. In addition, the team used Dotdigital’s RFM tool to identify and target champion customers within Christchurch’s vicinity for the event.

“The Shine On ecosystem is now cloud-based. It centers around inventory management and fans out to both the Shopify online store and our physical retail stores, flowing through our marketing and support system. Having our online, offline, and clearance data at one place has been a real game-changer,” added Samantha. “Email marketing is vital to our sales strategy, as we function at a rapid pace, and most of our offers are a result of spontaneous decisions based on how we are tracking on the day or fantastic offers that may come up.”

Shine On has now introduced SMS into their marketing mix to expand their audience reach and deliver more personalized communication across channels. The brand has amended the newsletter signup form to include a phone number, utilizing this channel in their welcome series and sending notifications on exclusive deals.

Customer results

Shine On recorded a 100% contact database growth year on year and a 68% increase in online orders compared to pre-COVID times. In 2020, Shine On’s online engagement grew by 22% more email interactions than usual. Additionally, the brand witnessed an 82% revenue growth since March 2020. The client also saw an overall 45% increase in sales across all channels and a 30% rise in online sales year on year.