Business Challenge
The Online Marketing department of a major publisher undertook a number of initiatives in order to increase subscriptions by targeting existing subscribers and encouraging them to recommend their service to friends. The 'Refer a Friend Campaign' had a number of requirements and goals, including:
- To prove that the Online Marketing model could be quickly, easily, cheaply and successfully reproduced for other similar campaigns
- Increasing subscriptions by asking current subscribers via email to Refer a Friend
- Tracking and capturing all information relating to the Campaign in the Online Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)
- Providing reports on an hourly, daily and weekly basis on Campaign progress to enable tactical modifications
Solution
The project involved sending HTML emails to existing subscribers with details of the offer. These emails linked to a series of 'micro' websites which provided details of the Marketing ‘offer’ to not only the ‘Referrer’, but also the ‘Friend’ referred. The ‘Referrer’ was tracked around the micro website and requested to Refer a Friend by inputting an email address. When provided, a HTML email was sent to the ‘Friend’ linking to a micro website containing the offer and a link to the online registration system.
During this Campaign, all information was captured in the Online CRM including all subscribers receiving emails; subscribers who opened the email; subscribers who viewed the micro website; subscribers who Referred a Friend(s); email address of the friend; whether the friend opened the email; whether the friend visited the micro website; pages viewed; friends who registered, etc.
We specified and managed the delivery of the full solution from project initiation through to the end of the Campaign. Our specific contribution included:
- Project managing from initiation through to end of the Campaign
- Wrote the technical specifications and defined technical interfaces requirements
- Defined reporting requirements and ensured delivery of daily, weekly and monthly reports
- Managed the graphical design and coding of micro websites and HTML emails
- Defined, managed and tested security and ensured Data Protection Act (DPA) compliance
- Acted as interface between Marketing and Technical to ensure correct delivery
- Acted as technical interface between the Marketing department and third-party agencies
- Wrote testing strategy and carried out testing from unit through to full end-to-end testing
- Defined and ensured it was operationally supported
- Managed the sending out of the emails, etc.
- Ensured the tracking of individual visitors and the website pages viewed
Business Benefits
A number of business benefits resulted from this Campaign, including:
- Marketing Model Validation - The Online Marketing model of micro websites and CRM was proved a success
- Campaign Effectiveness - Marketing were able to determine which of the micro website strategies were most effective
- Revenue Increase - There was a significant increase in the number of subscriptions
- User Experience - Clear understanding gained of user behaviour when viewing micro websites – enabling refinements and improvements for future campaigns
- Lead Generation - Captured email addresses which could be used in future email campaigns
- Information Availability - Marketing campaign information quickly made available for tactical and strategic use
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