Summary
Willow’s innovative, in-bra breast pump offers busy women the freedom they need to pump on the job. That’s helpful for all mothers, but a necessity for moms on the go, particularly ones who were on the frontlines of the pandemic, such as healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, and military members. To support these workers, Willow offered an exclusive discount and protected it with SheerID’s Audience Network. Nurturing the nurturers paid off, driving a 40% increase in sales and generating 25% of overall revenue.
Challenge
Willow has revolutionized the breast pump by making it wearable inside of a bra—with no tubes or cords—and offering a secure, protective seal that preserves the milk. When the Covid-19 pandemic reduced Willow’s in-store visibility, the company realized it needed a way to boost awareness and acquisition through online sales.
The pandemic also put more pressure on new moms, particularly healthcare professionals who were working tirelessly in risky situations, and who valued a safe and discreet way to pump and store milk. The company saw a huge jump in requests for discounts from these moms, and responded by giving them 15% off.
The offer was extremely popular, and Willow wanted to extend it to other women in frontline roles. But when the company considered how many customers the expanded program would attract, it realized it couldn’t sufficiently protect the offer from discount abuse.
We wanted to extend the discount to more moms, but we didn’t have the resources to effectively manage the demand it would bring. We needed to find a partner who could help us scale the program and protect our margins.
Solution
Willow used SheerID’s Audience Network to instantly verify the eligibility of every customer who redeemed the offer. This protected Willow’s margins and allowed the company to turn what was a one-time offer into an everyday discount.
It also gave Willow the confidence to expand the offer to more audiences and launch an “Everyday Heroes” campaign that rewarded all frontline healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, and military members with an ongoing 10% off discount.
The company promoted the offer on their website and engaged in a digital marketing program that included giveaways to attract these groups and help drive conversions.
To amplify the program, Willow also engaged audiences with authentic stories, and expanded its marketing calendar to include outreach to teachers during the back-to-school season, military members during Veterans Day, and firefighters on First Responders Day. This enabled the company to achieve its goal of using personalized offers to honor breastfeeding mothers who are also everyday heroes.
We listened to our customers and saw an opportunity to reach new groups. SheerID enabled us to scale a program that expanded our customer base.
Results
Partnering with SheerID paid off. “When we implemented the Everyday Heroes program with SheerID’s Audience Network, we brought in new customers that drove a big lift in our overall business,” Sarah said. “We saw a 40% increase in sales to healthcare mamas. And 40% of new sales are coming from the additional groups that we added.”
Sarah is even more pleased with how well the growth has been sustained. “Our audience marketing programs are a powerful revenue engine,” She said. “In a typical week, they drive 25% of our sales.”
Willow is also benefiting from how much consumers in these audiences promote brands they love to other members. “The moms we reach through our audience marketing programs deliver the greatest word of mouth,” Sarah said. “If you work at a hospital and another new mom tells you she’s using our product, that’s a powerful recommendation.”
Sarah is excited about the potential for SheerID to support Willow’s ongoing success. “We’d be in a very different position if we didn’t have SheerID’s Audience Data Platform,” Sarah said. “We’re thrilled to be working with SheerID and very happy with how responsive everyone there has been.”
The moms we reach through our audience marketing programs deliver the greatest word of mouth.