Motor services retailer generates over 5,000% return on investment from triggered email campaign
Motor services retailer generates over 5,000% return on investment from triggered email campaign
Halfords Autocentre operates over 240 sites nationally, offering motorists quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing and tyres at affordable prices.
The company wanted to find a way to boost sales while maximising return on investment (ROI). Previously Halfords Autocentre had introduced a reminder service online, which allowed customers to submit information on when their MOT was due in order to receive a reminder. However, this information was only being used for offline direct mail. Halfords wanted to find a better way to use this data to boost revenue and maximise ROI.
Halfords Autocentre worked with RedEye to launch an email MOT reminder campaign. This campaign was designed to utilise the existing online reminder service enabling users to receive timely reminders for when their MOT was due.
Sophisticated customer segmentation
Incorporating both on and offline sources, RedEye arranged for all data to be collected and stored in RedEye’s integrated database. This data was then segmented based on whether the user had signed up for the general newsletter, or if they had subscribed to the reminder service. Forty days before any MOT was due an automated email was sent to the subscriber reminding them about their MOT and directing the customer back to the Halfords Autocentre website in order for them to make an online booking.
RedEye helped Halfords Autocentre produce a dynamic email template (pictured). All emails were personalised and depending on the customer profile included a discount that was relevant to the customer for booking online. Where possible, a map of the subscribers local Halfords Autocentre was merged into the template. If the nearest centre could not be obtained from the information the customer had previously submitted a default image was included, providing users with a call to action to find their nearest centre.
The email trigger enabled Halfords Autocentre to contact subscribers with relevant information (that they had opted to receive) at a time when the subscriber was most likely to appreciate receiving it.
Email advantages prove cost-effective
Using email enabled the company to easily store the relevant information and send out the relevant email trigger quickly and easily. The use of RedEye’s integrated database and automated email service made it cost effective and provided customers with an alternative, easy and convenient way to book.
In the first month of the campaign going live it received an open rate of 18% with a clickthrough rate of almost 25%. Halfords Autocentre received 149 orders from direct newsletter clicks, with an additional 92 orders being made by other recipients of the email. The total ROI received from purchases made from customers who had viewed the email was 5,706%.
“Incorporating email with the Halfords Autocentre reminder service has provided us with a great way to communicate with our customers, at a time most relevant and useful to them. The email trigger produced by RedEye was introduced to increase contact with our email subscribers, during what can only be considered a peak buying period, namely just before an MOT is due. It is working exceptionally well. The support we received from RedEye from creative through to campaign management, helped to make it a real success,” commented R. Rory G. Carlin, Halfords Autocentre marketing director.
