LIFECYCLE CASE STUDY

First-time buyer or returning collector? The email should know.

Forge & Foster’s lifecycle work used purchase value and purchase count to refine automated journeys, alongside cart recovery and SMS flow work.

Historical project summary: October 2023

LIFECYCLE CASE STUDY

Three decisions behind the work.

Historical project summary: October 2023

01 · THE CONTEXT

The starting point

An established email programme still has room for better customer decisions. The project focused on the differences between customers and the gaps inside existing recovery journeys.

02 · THE WORK

The decisions behind the journey.

Use purchase history

The historical project summary records flow splits based on order value and the number of purchases, rather than sending every customer through one path.

Review recovery coverage

The team identified gaps in abandoned-cart communication and worked on the opportunities between shopping intent and the next order.

Extend the channel mix

SMS flows formed part of the work. The source’s performance statements lack the complete dates and definitions needed for a precise comparison here.

INSIDE THE DECISIONS

Purchase history changes the reassurance a customer needs.

Forge & Foster’s order-value and purchase-count splits gave the programme a way to distinguish a first-time buyer from someone with an existing relationship. A first purchase may call for more brand and product reassurance. A returning customer may need a relevant reason to consider another item without being introduced to the business all over again.

The segmentation therefore had a content purpose. Decide which part of the message changes for each path before adding another split. Keep a fallback for missing or unusual profile data so the account remains understandable to the people operating it.

Recovery has to recognise the next order.

The project reviewed gaps in cart communication and included SMS flows. The useful account question is whether each eligible customer receives appropriate follow-up and leaves recovery when the purchase is recognised. A more complex sequence can still have a basic event or exclusion gap.

Trace representative first and repeat purchases through the programme, including which channel has permission to send. Judge the changes using comparable customer groups and a defined reporting period. The historical summary supports the journey refinements, while its incomplete performance definitions make it unsuitable for a precise public conversion or revenue multiplier.

03 · THE OUTCOME

What the work delivered.

The project record supports segmentation, cart-recovery and SMS implementation work. This page keeps the educational decisions while omitting store-wide revenue shares and unverified multipliers.

WHAT TO APPLY

Take the lesson into your own programme.

Use purchase count and value to decide what a customer needs next. Check whether the next message should reassure a first-time buyer, recover active intent or recognise an existing relationship.

Historical project summary: October 2023. This case study covers the specific work described. Journey diagrams explain the approach.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK

What this case study shows.

Should a first-time buyer and a returning collector receive the same journey?

Forge & Foster’s work used purchase count and purchase value to refine automated journeys alongside cart recovery and SMS. Those signals can change the explanation, reassurance and next offer a customer needs. Keep segmentation tied to a meaningful messaging decision rather than adding branches that all send the same content.

What makes email personalisation commercially useful?

Useful personalisation changes the recommendation, explanation, timing or next action based on relevant customer information. Before adding a question or segment, identify the decision it will change. Then compare outcomes with an appropriate baseline; collecting more profile fields or building more branches is not evidence of better performance.

YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

What could your email programme do next?

Find the opportunities in your customer journey.

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Explore the service and a related guide

For a similar customer journey, explore our retention marketing services and the jewellery and accessories retention guide. Use the case's scope and measurement context to decide which lessons fit your account.

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