Attentive is a leader in text message marketing solutions. Their SMS-first software platform helps to strengthen relationships with consumers in a new way. By personalising communication, you can capture customer attention at every stage.
1. What’s your name and title, what do you do day-to-day in 20 words or fewer?
I’m Spencer, Head of International Partnerships at Attentive.
Day-to-day I help build, maintain, and optimise mutually beneficial partnerships with our Strategic Global Agency, Technology, and System Integration Partners.
2. At Attentive you help engage customers and convert them into loyal returners. Can you give us a success story for a D2C brand you’ve worked with. E.g What was the problem? What did you do? What were the results?
Astrid & Miyu collaborated with Attentive to implement a personalised SMS marketing strategy targeting mobile-first shoppers. By integrating SMS into their overall marketing mix, they achieved an impressive 33x ROI. SMS subscribers spent 60% more and 20% made multiple purchases compared to non-subscribers. Starting with basic campaigns and triggered messages, they proved that SMS drove incremental revenue. They then focused on building a data-driven personalisation strategy, using customer behaviour data to target subscribers and deliver individualised experiences. SMS also strengthened their other channels, such as their loyalty program and retail presence. Overall, Astrid & Miyu’s SMS program not only delivered outstanding results but also made their marketing team’s job more enjoyable.
Read the full case study here.
3. You specialise in SMS marketing – what piece of advice would you give to DTC brands who want to improve customer retention?
Invest in customer retention channels—like SMS—that nurture happy, returning customers and convert them into brand loyalists. A happy customer trusts and enjoys your products and relates to your brand story. A loyal customer keeps coming back for more—and tells their friends to buy from you, too. Loyal customers also typically spend more than one-time buyers.
4. What do you think the biggest challenges facing eCommerce/D2C businesses will be over the next 12-18 months?
With tighter budgets and inflation on the rise, efficiency will be the key theme for marketers in 2023. Whether you’re consolidating your data to deliver more personalised experiences or making optimisations, it’ll all come down to getting more bang for your buck.
With tighter budgets, marketers’ success in 2023 will really come down to optimisation. It’s a much safer bet (and lower lift) to build on what’s already working for your brand. This mindset extends to how you approach your tech stack. AI and automation will primarily drive this push for optimisation. AI isn’t just helping marketers write higher-performing copy or even telling them when to send messages—it’s helping us figure out what to send in the first place. You’ve got a lot on your plate—these tools will be key to freeing up your time and resources.
With inflation on the rise, marketers aren’t the only ones who want to get the most bang for their buck. Whether they’re looking to save money up front or in the long term, shoppers are going to view purchases as investments and take their time evaluating their purchases. Guiding shoppers down the funnel and building loyalty is going to come down to education. Conversational commerce will play a significant role in this extended shopping journey—consumers will seek out brands who can answer their questions, provide recommendations, and offer real-time support.
5. Complete this sentence – DTC brands that survive and thrive in 2023 will …
Take two-way conversations to the next level by leveraging AI and automation. Learn more about Attentive AI.
6. Name three D2C brands that are killing it and whom you recommend others to emulate/learn from.
Astrid & Miyu
The Inkey List – Attentive Case study here
Killstar