‘Crazy’ ROI for a gourmet gift basket retailer with SMS
At Hamper Emporium, gourmet gifts are big business. The Australian company seeks out delicious and unusual treats, partners with the producers, and creates luxurious gift baskets for Christmas, Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and, basically, any gift-worthy occasion.
We help people be there for those special times, to let loved ones know our customers are thinking about them.
Head of Marketing, Nikki Barnett
The challenge
Unlike many businesses, Hamper Emporium smashed it during the pandemic. Its gift baskets were the perfect way for people to treat loved ones separated by lockdowns and closed borders. But other retailers jumped on the gift basket bandwagon – so its competition grew, too.
“At one point, I saw a fast-fashion retailer promoting gift baskets,” laughs Nikki. “That means the cost of acquisition was getting higher and higher.”
With ambitious sales targets, Nikki needed a new way of talking to customers to boost repeat buys and smooth out the ‘lumpy’ sales cycle.
We now have growth targets of 20% in a downturn with interest rates going up. And no one wants to buy extra – we’re not seen as a necessity.
Head of Marketing, Nikki Barnett
The solution
This gourmet gift basket company had used Google AdWords and other online advertising but found that the broader, less targeted messaging didn’t return the ROI it was looking for.
The company started working with MessageMedia in mid-2022, playing around with the options and creating more targeted campaigns in the second half of the year. Nikki could immediately see that she’d found her game-changer.
I was amazed at the difference in open rates, engagement, and click-throughs. It’s so instant. The minute after I send an SMS, you can see revenue from our website spike. It’s crazy,” says Nikki.
The results
SMS from MessageMedia has driven some serious engagement and sales for Hamper Emporium.
“Over the past 12 months, our repeat buys have increased by 36%, and MessageMedia is a big part of that,” says Nikki.
It’s also delivering the ROI she needs – especially compared to AdWords.
“If you’re buying the keyword “Christmas Hamper”, that’s $15 a click on AdWords. A text with MessageMedia is 10 cents. I can say to the board, ‘Look how much I’ve saved you!’ That’s a big win for me.”
Nikki is most proud of an early-bird special the company ran with MessageMedia. The previous year, 750 registrations came through. This year it added an SMS message. The results speak for themselves.
“We’re over 2K and at 50% revenue growth compared to last year,” says Nikki.
However, Hamper Emporium’s most successful campaign has to be Father’s Day. Using info from its customer data profile (CDP), it sent a select group a single text, asking them to reply with their dad’s drink of choice. They’d then get a second text with a link to the ideal basket for dad. “That campaign was incredible,” says Nikki. “We were taking the burden of having to think about it. That had amazing success.”
What’s next?
Next on the list is working with MessageMedia to develop recipient-led delivery. Check a box when you buy your gift, and your recipient will get a text to choose their delivery time.
Nikki is also excited about what more she can do, now she has SMS in the marketing toolkit.
We’ve been having some fun with it, she says. “I’d recommend MessageMedia, 100%. Everyone on my team loves it.
Head of Marketing, Nikki Barnett
