Paperplanes Replicates Boots’ No7 Email Journey with a Seamless 3-Stage Campaign

Background
Boots has a best-in-class digital strategy for delivering lifecycle CRM for their No1. Skincare brand No7. However, a larger proportion of the base only has direct mailable consent, leaving an untapped base for customer contact.
Boots wanted to test an innovative, new dynamic, customer responsive automated mail journey, to further enhance their CRM programme and unlock new sales.

Solution
In collaboration with Paperplanes, Boots initiated a trial on their No7 Retinol range, leveraging the existing purchase-triggered CRM email and app program for No7 Retinol products to create a mail programme.
The campaign leveraged the existing purchase-triggered CRM email and app programme for No7 Retinol products and replicated this in a 3 stage, customer-responsive automated mail customer journey.
Each envelope in the 3-step mailing programme was different but also recognisable as being part of the same journey. The format of a letter and clear address carrier envelope was different to the traditional one-page mailer that Boots customers are used to so clear branding was required to ensure the mailing was being delivered from Boots Advantage Card and the No7 brand. The layout guided customers through the content, with a clear visual hierarchy including a personalised title. With 2 sides of A4 paper to cover, creative and copy balance was needed to ensure all the space was optimised but not overloaded. Boots achieved this by fully integrating with the No7 Retinol Brand campaign to identify and weaving the scientific hexagon elements of the campaign creative into opportunities for succinct call outs and lifestyle imagery.
The third and final mailing included an offer. Boots optimised it to include a barcode alongside the media code, giving customers the freedom to shop how they wanted, either in store or online.

Additional nudges were implemented to encourage members to opt into emails or download the app via QR codes.

Results
Boots’ targeted 3-step mail customer lifecycle programme drove both product replenishment and cross-sell of Boots’ No7 Pure Retinol franchise. The campaign generated +114% uplift in spend per mailed customer and +195% uplift in No7 Skincare incremental sales. The programme paid itself back within the first 4 weeks of launch.