Silverpop helps retailer boost email marketing revenues three-fold

Company Profile
Fossil is a design, development, marketing and distribution company that specializes in consumer products predicated on fashion and value. The company's principal offerings include an extensive line of fashion watches sold under the company's proprietary and licensed brands. The company also offers complementary lines of small leather goods, belts, handbags, sunglasses, jewelry and apparel. Fossil products are sold in department stores and specialty retail stores in over 90 countries around the world in addition to the company's e-commerce Web site.

The Challenge
Fossil's email marketing was being handled in-house. One person had managed email while juggling a number of other projects. Fossil marketers recognized they were experiencing deliverability issues with their campaigns, but weren't sure just how serious the problem actually was.

They also needed improved list manipulation capabilities to enable them to better target customers with relevant offerings. The company wanted to be able to create email campaigns that would establish strong relationships with its customers. Fossil realized they needed an outside vendor to better manage its campaigns and help take its email marketing to a much higher level.

The Solution
The Fossil marketing team reviewed the qualifications of a number of email service providers and, following a lengthy evaluation process, selected Silverpop. Key to the decision was Silverpop's ease of use and dynamic reporting and analytics components. Additionally, Silverpop senior strategists worked in partnership with Fossil's marketers, helping to define programs and develop the tools needed to ensure success.

The first step was to better manage bounces, cleaning up lists and dramatically improving deliverability. Once these improvements were made, strategies were put in place to engage customers in new and unique ways. Silverpop helped Fossil implement a "Welcome Series" of emails that introduces customers to the full array of products the company offers.

"In the last email of the series, we include a survey asking customers what they look to Fossil for -- whether it's watches, purses, sun wear or other items," said John DeCaprio, Vice President for Fossil. "The survey is a subtle reminder of the breadth of product offerings we have. Plus, responses we receive help us better manage product offerings to our customers."

Silverpop's ease of use and list segmentation capabilities enables Fossil marketers to continually conduct tests to enhance campaign results. They test to determine the best day and time to send emails to customers. They also test subject lines, the optimum number of items on a page and the best position for the navigation bar.

The Results
Working closely with Silverpop, Fossil is driving sales growth by providing customers exactly what they're most interested in. During last year's important holiday sales season, for example, Fossil's email marketing campaigns tripled the previous year's sales. And each month since, the company has realized a three-fold jump in email sales over the previous year's results.

For companies considering outsourcing their email marketing, DeCaprio cautioned marketers to think about what the company might need two or three years down the road rather than focus solely on immediate needs. She recommends looking for an email service provider with which the marketer can build a long-term relationship.

"Silverpop continually shows me they understand what I need, and they continually offer ideas that will help me," DeCaprio said.

Fossil
www.fossil.com