Silverpop Engage helps retailer boost marketing revenues threefold

The Company
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 email 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 marketing campaigns that would establish strong relationships with its customers. Fossil realized it needed an outside vendor to better manage its campaigns and help take its engagement marketing to a much higher level.

The Solution
The Fossil marketing team reviewed the qualifications of a number of marketing technology providers and, following a lengthy evaluation process, selected Silverpop. Key to the decision was Silverpop's ease of use and dynamic data reporting and marketing analytics components. Additionally, Silverpop's strategic services team 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 email 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 of 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."

The Results
Working closely with Silverpop, Fossil is driving sales growth by interacting with customers and providing them exactly what they're most interested in. Following implementation of its engagement marketing campaign, Fossil's holiday email marketing efforts tripled the previous year's sales. And each month following, the company realized a threefold jump in email sales over the previous year's results.

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