OREANDA-NEWS. September 28, 2015. When Adore Me set out to disrupt the lingerie market in 2012, it did so with an eye firmly fixed on millennials seeking a brand connection as intimate as the garments they purchase. With 75% of its customer base born after 1980, the company has balanced traditional media campaigns with high-touch social ad and email marketing efforts.

Adore Me boasts a community of over 3 million customers and a loyal VIP membership base that grew by 200% in 2014. With \\$16 million in annual revenue in 2014 and a growth rate north of 15,606%, Adore Me earned a listing as Inc. 500’s second fastest-growing company in New York.

Like many new startups, Adore Me began its email marketing with simple batch and blast lists. It was quickly apparent, however, that their sophisticated consumers craved a more tailored experience.

Striking the right balance between too much and not enough communication can prove a challenge, particularly with the millennial generation accustomed to the demands of our information-saturated culture. Adore Me knew that to stand out, it needed to refine its email marketing strategy, focusing on the unique needs of their customers.

With more than half a billion emails sent annually, scale and easy automation were obvious necessities and Salesforce Marketing Cloud was a logical partner.

As Adore Me began to analyze the behaviors of its email subscribers, the company soon recognized the advantages of the solution’s  A/B testing capabilities. After spending some time with the data, Marketing Associate Josselin Petit-Hoang and his team of 8 marketers noticed that 80% of all conversions happened within the first week of a customer opting to receive emails. Engaging these customers in that first week became critical.

In addition to quick conversions, Adore Me wanted to increase membership in the company’s VIP program.

With a beginning and an end to the customer journey identified, Petit-Hoang began using A/B testing to find the messages and frequencies that best resonated with Adore Me subscribers. He found that simple tweaks made a big difference.

A minor change to one email’s subject line, for example, accounted for a conversion increase of 33%.

The Adore Me team parlayed all the information gained through rigorous testing into a strategic welcome series that includes seven emails, triggered after a customer signs up on the website. The welcome series begins with an offer, but as the series progresses, customer-centric content, such as how to find the the best fitting bra, is featured.

“It’s a great example of how we use the Marketing Cloud to fine tune our communication with customers,” says Petit-Hoang.

In addition to sales, the ultimate goal of the welcome series was to build brand advocates and increase VIP membership. To date, the welcome series has resulted in a 23% increase in conversions to purchase.

Building from the success of the welcome series, Petit-Hoang has a VIP series in the works. A reengagement series is also planned for disengaged subscribers.

Adore Me’s approach to email marketing proves that, like lingerie, finding the perfect fit for every customer is half the battle.