Slendertone is a world leader in providing products that improve muscle tone and body shape. It was the first company to produce an electro-muscle stimulation toning belt cleared for market by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and has gone on to sell over 6.1 million products worldwide.
Slendertone decided to work with email marketing automation company dotmailer, because of its strong integration with e-commerce platform Magento. Together, the two platforms are redefining how Slendertone connects with its customers throughout their journey with the product.
The challenge
The company wanted to find a way to inspire customers to continue using its products after buying them. On average, people who use Slendertone’s toning belts hit a wall with their motivation at around three to four weeks, but it usually takes four to six weeks to start seeing results with the products.
Every customer is on a different journey with the product so Slendertone decided to use email as a mechanism to keep users engaged. The brand wanted to deliver timely messages and content at the when customers’ motivation was starting to slip, but identifying the perfect moment to do so wasn’t previously something the business was able to do.
Solution
Slendertone sought to solve the problem by making the most of the explosion in wearable devices, and developed its app-driven Connect Abs product to help increase motivation levels. Connect Abs lets users control the product through their smart phone or tablet, as well as enabling them to track progress, goals and activity levels to recommend toning programmes.
By introducing dotmailer and Magento, the company was able to use data gathered via the Connect Abs product to inform its email marketing, and send recipients emails based on their individual progress.
Process
Using a couple of data fields in Magento that sync with the Connect Abs app, Slendertone has been able to tell when customers have begun using the device and how they’re getting on. Using this insight, it set up automated email programs via dotmailer that delivered helpful, relevant content at the right points in a user’s journey, encouraging them to keep going and see real results.
Every customer is different, and so Slendertone developed a number of re-engagement programs to help those who’ve gone off track. Emails are delivered to users six days after their last session. Each is tailored to the toning program the customers are using and their motivation for toning, and pulls in dynamic content.
Results
The automated emails Slendertone has been sending as part of Connect Abs have helped the brand to demonstrate a new level of customer understanding. The content of the emails shows that the company has considered the different journeys its customers take once they’ve purchased a product, including what happens when they start a toning program and what happens when they finish one. In using Connect Abs data, and measuring re-engagement using the Connect Abs platform, the company has seen a 21% success rate in encouraging people to pick their belt back up and start toning again.
Slendertone customers also need to regularly replenish the gel pads that enable the toning belts to work effectively. Typically the gel ads need replacing after every six weeks, or every 30 uses, for a more comfortable sensation. Using the data from Connect Abs via the dotmailer and Magento platforms, Slendertone now sends replenishment reminders at the time customers should consider renewing, ensuring they continue to have the best possible experience with the products.
The company also delivers automated weekly report emails to each Connect Abs customer, which drives them towards a personalised statistics page. Using dotmailer’s Landing Pages tool, which supports dynamic content, Slendertone is now able to go into much more detail than would be possible in an email.