PODi CASE STUDY ALDRICH APOTHECARY GROWS CUSTOMER BASE WITH ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING

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1 PODi CASE STUDY ALDRICH APOTHECARY GROWS CUSTOMER BASE WITH ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING PODi is a global, member-supported notfor-profit organization. The PODi library consists of over 500 digital printing and marketing case studies from around the world.

2 ALDRICH APOTHECARY GROWS CUSTOMER BASE WITH ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING VERTICAL MARKET: BUSINESS APPLICATION: Retail Direct Marketing/Traffic Generation BUSINESS OBJECTIVES Aldrich Apothecary has been a community pharmacy since In addition to the pharmacy and old-fashioned soda fountain, The Apothecary Shops has an extensive inventory of gift items, jewelry, collectibles, seasonal items and college spirit apparel. While very well known in the region, Aldrich Apothecary wanted to expand its audience. Connie Aldrich, the store s owner, worked with Lexinet to develop and implement a marketing plan that combined a new website and social media presence with traditional direct mail. The objectives were to: Grow Aldrich Apothecary s customer base Increase store traffic Increase sales RESULTS Connie Aldrich has been very pleased with the results. Store traffic and sales have increased with customers reporting that they came into the store specifically because they saw a weekly special on Facebook. The Aldrich Apothecary Facebook page reached their first target and hit a milestone of 1,000 Facebook fans In addition to advertised items, other purchases made while customers are in the store are increasing revenues The number of customers signing up for The Apothecary s Preferred Customer program has increased due to promotions on the website and on Facebook 20% redemption rate for offers in mailed promotions 10% redemption rate on Facebook offers 2012 W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 1

3 Aldrich Apothecary Grows Customer Base with Online and Offline Marketing CAMPAIGN ARCHITECTURE Employees of The Apothecary had previously attempted to participate in social media on behalf of their business, setting up a Facebook account under one employee s personal profile. This caused difficulty as the user name and password was that of the employee and was not known by management. Also the employee was the only one that could make changes and updates to the profile. At the time there were only 16 fans of The Apothecary on Facebook and the store did not have a website. The first step in The Apothecary s new initiative was to close the Facebook account that had been set up under the personal profile and create a new business account. The 16 fans of the personal profile were invited to the new Facebook profile. The user name and password was then fully available to Aldrich Apothecary marketing staff and management. A custom landing page was created listing the weekly special and any items to be highlighted when users entered the Aldrich Apothecary Facebook page. On the wall page, a custom image was created that is changed with seasonal promotions for cross-channel consistency. Periodically, special coupons are posted on Facebook to determine the effectiveness of the Facebook fan base. Individuals who are on the Preferred Customer list and not yet a fan on Facebook are invited to connect via Facebook . Facebook page Website In conjunction with the Facebook page, a new Aldrich Apothecary website was created at Links to the website were added on Facebook and links to the Facebook page were added to the 2012 W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 2

4 Aldrich Apothecary website. A pharmacy blog is incorporated into the website and customers can make contact with the pharmacy via a link on the site. Gift shop customers can contact store staff via the website or can call the numbers listed on the site. Because of continuously revolving inventory in the store, Connie Aldrich decided not to offer e-commerce. However, products are continuously highlighted on the site and the store receives frequent calls for purchases. Photos are updated frequently reflecting the types of items currently in store. Aldrich Apothecary s website and social marketing work in conjunction with their complete marketing plan. Two print catalogs are produced each year highlighting special products in the store. Postcards are mailed for special sales and promotions six to eight times each year. Special birthday cards with a promotional discount are also mailed at the beginning of each month to each Preferred Customer member who has a birthday in that month. Special sales and events are also advertised in newspaper and radio ads W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 3

5 Aldrich Apothecary Grows Customer Base with Online and Offline Marketing TARGET AUDIENCE& MESSAGING In addition to increasing Aldrich Apothecary s fan base and the number of customers coming in the door, a target demographic has been identified using Facebook Insights: 94% of Facebook fans are women 21% of fans are women between the ages of 34 and 44 22% of fans are women between the ages of 45 and 54 22% of fans are women over the age of 55 Although the vast majority of fans are located in the United States, The Apothecary also has Facebook fans in Canada and Mexico. By trending impression and feedback rates, marketing staff at The Apothecary determined that the following receive the highest number of likes and comments: Birthday greetings for Preferred Customers Announcements of wedding registries Polls for favorite teams, favorite seasons and favorite products Weekly specials Due to the enormous success of the integration of web and social along with the core direct marketing for Aldrich Apothecary, there are plans to incorporate Facebook ads into the marketing plan to continue growth of the online fan base. LIST Catalogs and postcards are mailed to individuals enrolled in The Apothecary s Preferred Customer program. OFFER Weekly specials are promoted through Facebook and the website. Postcards and birthday cards also contain special offers and redeemable coupons that can be used to track marketing effectiveness W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 4

6 CREATIVE Creative for the website, the postcards and other advertising such as Post-It notes attached to the Sunday newspaper for a large distribution group is developed at Lexinet. The Apothecary s look and feel is maintained across all communication channels, incorporating elements such as their logo, consistent font treatments and characters designed to be fun customer representations. Advertising sticky attached to front of area newspaper REASONS FOR SUCCESS Aldrich Apothecary has successfully integrated its online and offline marketing strategies for maximum impact. By communicating with its customers via multiple channels Aldrich Apothecary stays top of mind with consumers and drives store traffic W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 5

7 Aldrich Apothecary Grows Customer Base with Online and Offline Marketing C LIENT Aldrich Apothecary Located in historic Council Grove, Kansas, Aldrich Apothecary has been home to a community pharmacy since In addition to a full pharmacy, their staff truly cares about individual customer care. The Apothecary Shops also has an extensive inventory of home decor, gifts and college spirit apparel. S ERVICE P ROVIDER The Lexinet Corporation Lexinet is a marketing solutions provider that offers smart, fresh, personalized marketing solutions. From concept to completion, Lexinet offers traditional and cross-media tools implemented with 20+ years of experience and careful attention to quality control that allows clients to engage their targeted audience, strengthen relationships and produce results. H ARDWARE Xerox igen4 for postcards and birthday cards S OFTWARE VIPP plus custom programming by Lexinet T ARGET A UDIENCE Preferred customers of Aldrich Apothecary D ISTRIBUTION 1,800 catalogs annually Average of 125 birthday cards each month 1,800 postcards six to eight times a year D ATE November 2010 to present 2012 W. Caslon & Company. All rights reserved Page 6