How the jewelry retailer quickly scaled up sophisticated personalization
When the global jewelry retailer Pandora decided to integrate Movable Ink into their email campaigns, the marketing team needed a personalization tool that could create sophisticated, 1:1 content at scale. Once on Movable Ink’s platform, the team moved fast, building reusable blocks that upscaled their emails while cutting production time. Connor Hurson, Pandora’s CRM Manager, spoke recently about his first year as a Movable Ink client, the pain points Movable Ink helped him address, and how the retailer utilized personalization to quickly change gears during the pandemic.
Cutting Through Clutter and Saving Time
From the start, Movable Ink allowed Connor and the Pandora team to integrate data from siloed sources into their emails without involving multiple stakeholders. Like any large company, IT backlogs slowed down creation time and software onboarding, but because Movable Ink lived outside Pandora’s existing ecosystem, the CRM team circumnavigated any possible slowdowns. The pandemic just began, and the team needed a quick response, one that was personalized to each customer’s location and shopping needs. Pandora also experienced crucial operation efficiencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, when store closures, lockdowns, and supply chain disruptions changed the retail landscape overnight. Movable Ink’s Web Crops allowed Pandora’s customers to receive real-time information on product inventory, pick-up or delivery options, and store details.Below is a snapshot of the content Connor and the Pandora team built in their first year with Movable Ink.
Abandoned Cart and Category Browse
One of the first challenges the Pandora team tackled using Movable Ink was a collapsable abandoned cart banner. The banner is an evergreen block that is easily plugged into the top of any marketing email. Furthermore, the banner is collapsible, so only those customers that have items in their cart, see the specific jewelry they abandoned after searching the website.Before using Movable Ink, the CRM team struggled to consistently integrate customer data into visually appealing emails. That’s why Connor’s team was excited to create a Category Browse block that could once again integrate into multiple campaigns. The full-width banner displayed last-browsed categories updated in real-time, no matter when a customer opened their email.#### **COVID Shopping Options**The first days and months of the pandemic presented a unique challenge for retailers such as Pandora. With hundreds of stores across the United States, the marketing team needed a way to quickly and effectively communicate changes to in-store shopping and eCommerce options. With a dizzying array of state and local guidelines, that task was easier said than done, especially while simultaneously rolling out expanded Buy-Online-Pick-Up-in-Store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup capabilities.Connor and the team leveraged Movable Ink to build a full-width banner display that promoted new ways for customers to shop safely. The display uses business logic to offer store-specific shopping options based on location. Because the block was easily updated when state and local regulations changed, Movable Ink allowed Pandora to remain flexible at a time when the market necessitated agility.#### **Store Locator Helps Increase Traffic**While eCommerce has permanently altered the retail industry, brick and mortar traffic still plays a major role in jewelry sales. For this reason, Pandora used Movable Ink to build a store locator, which was added to all marketing emails and displayed the nearest store location to a customer. The block used waterfall logic to show the customer’s preferred store. Brands never know which exact email will strike inspiration, but a store locator makes it easier to convert customers when a campaign inspires them to purchase.As stores begin to reopen and operate at pre-pandemic capacity, store locator blocks encourage a brands’ customers to visit their closest store. Pandora even shows what shopping options are available at each location–BOPIS, curbside pick-up, in-store shopping–so people have all the information they need to make the choice that makes them feel most comfortable.#### **Connor’s Pro Tips**After a year of creating meaningful personalization, working closely with the Movable Ink platform, Connor has a few tips for CRM managers that are just starting their personalization journey. * **Embrace the Iterations** Nothing comes out perfect the first time. Multiple drafts of a new personalization block can help refine your message, your data sources, and your finished product. * **Consistently Communicate Wins** Always give your team a shoutout when you see a big revenue lift or receive feedback on your campaign’s customer experience. It builds your team’s credibility and builds excitement for the next campaign.* **Manage Expectations** It takes time to build out advanced personalization, especially when blocks or campaigns involve multiple data sources, APIs, and internal stakeholders. Make sure everyone involved understands the timeline for your first use case.In less than a year, Pandora built an advanced personalization strategy in the middle of a pandemic that caused the entire retail industry to transform overnight. That implementation will allow Pandora’s marketing team to connect with consumers on a 1:1 level now that the economy is showing signs of growth and people are once again ready to shop. Best of all, Connor’s team needed very little help to reinvent their emails and create lasting relationships with their best customers. Ready to start your personalization journey? [Request a demo today](https://go.movableink.com/Request-Demo.html).
