Dollar Shave Club’s Billion Dollar User Engagement

User Engagement Teardown
©2016 Iterable, Inc. All rights reserved

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A Quick Word on
• Iterable is a Growth Marketing and User Engagement Platform
• Check out case studies on Dot & Bo and Rocksbox, two
e-commerce customers using Iterable: iterable.com/ecommerce
• Any recommendations made can be implemented with Iterable.
You can see our other teardowns at: iterable.com/teardown

What is a “User Engagement Teardown?”
• Analyze a brand’s user engagement over 3 weeks post-signup
• Constructive evaluation and feedback
• All types of B2C: e-commerce, marketplaces, media, etc.

• E-commerce brand for razors and shaving supplies
• Subscription-based business model
• Founded in 2011
• Touts authentic brand through casual and humorous language
• Acquired by Unilever for $1B (July 2016). Congratulations!!
How are they engaging shoppers?

What We Did
• Created an account, downloaded app, subscribed to emails/push
• Put items in cart from website and the app
• Clicked on a few emails and push notifications, browsed site
• Converted (completed purchase)
• Tracked social media engagement
• Analyzed all messages we received over 21 days

On to the “User Engagement Timeline”…

MessagesUserActivity The User Engagement Timeline
We’ll show you what we (the user or shopper) did here
on both mobile and desktop…
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
Days from
start:
8
Message TypeActivity Type
Blast TransactionalTriggered
Facebook
©2016 Iterable, Inc. All rights reserved Desktop Mobile
Push notification
Twitter Instagram YouTube

… and the messages and social media posts here
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
Days from
start:
9
Facebook
Push notification

Activities and message types are
color coded as shown in this key.
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
Days from
start:
… and the messages and social media posts here
10
Facebook
Push notification

So let’s look at DSC’s user engagement…

Browsed site
Visited app (iOS and
Android)
Added item to cart
Completed transaction
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
User Engagement TimelineThe
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
12
Facebook
Days from
start:
Added 2 items to cart
Followed on Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram,
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
MessagesUserActivity

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
13
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
First welcome email arrived 5 days after initial sign up.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
14
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
It was followed up by 4 more emails encouraging us to engage.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
15
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
We got a single push notification throughout.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
16
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
We chose our set right away and put it in the cart,
but didn’t finalize the purchase.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
17
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
An abandoned cart message came 2 days later.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
18
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
On day 11 we saw the items were still in our cart.
So we added more items…

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
19
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
… but got no additional reminders.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
20
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
Only 1 blast campaign came throughout the entire period.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
21
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA RWelcome email #4 included a 1-month free offer. We
clicked through that email and purchased a plan.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
22
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
We got an order confirmation immediately and
a shipping email came a few days later
(after day 21).

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
23
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA RDSC’s social media was very regular, with one
post to each major platform almost every single
day.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
24
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
They also posted 8 FAQ videos on Day 12.

Browsed site
Android)
Added item to cart
Made an account
Downloaded Android
app
Browsed site
Clicked on email
Chose first set
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
25
Facebook
Days from
start:
Google+, YouTube,
Pinterest
Downloaded iOS app
Push notification
Clicked Abandon
email
Browsed site
Browsed site
Android)
W
2
2
8
W W W WA R
While social was coordinated across platforms, none
of it was coordinated with emails or push.

Now, let’s look at some messaging.

This is the welcome series from Dollar Shave Club.

Nicely coordinated experience.

Beautiful imagery and graphics.

Beautiful imagery and graphics.
Simple calls-to-action.

The series hit on all the important brand differentiators including:
• Price

• Price
• Convenience

• Price
• Convenience
• Product features

• Price
• Convenience
• Product features
• Emotional appeal

They even included an offer code to convince us to try a blade plan.

After receiving the welcome series we felt like we had a really good
understanding of the service.
Great job!

This is the shopping cart abandonment message.

But we only knew that from the subject line:
“Where did you go?”

Matches the design of the other emails.

Displays exactly what you can expect in your first box
if you purchase.

Displays exactly what you can expect in your first box
if you purchase.
But it’s not personalized based on the items in our cart.

Transactional emails matched the design of
all other emails.

all other emails.
Order confirmation included a customized
link to share with friends and get credit.

all other emails.
As well as a link to the preference center.

all other emails.
Loved the package tracking feature
included in the shipping email.

all other emails.
Loved the package tracking feature
included in the shipping email.
Shipping email also included links to
download the mobile apps.

Great additionof Bathroom Minutes (blog content)
in both the order confirmationand shipping emails.
Transactional emails can have up to 20 percent
relevant promotional content and they did a good
job.

Messaging Frequency
Frequency of Email Frequency of Push Frequency of Social Media
8 in 21 days 1 in 21 days 21 days out of 21
• Email frequency was reasonable, but could have been higher.
• Push seems underutilized. Lots of potential for more in
coordination with email (and social media).
• Social media content served as a regular reminder of the brand.

Other Takeaways
• All emails came from “Dollar Shave Club”. Great for consistency.
• Beautiful on desktop. Looked fine on mobile, though not optimized.
• Casual and approachable language, and even humor.
• We noticed lots of paid promotion through display and social media
during these days. Retargeting is definitely one of their strategies.
• No engagement based on behavioral data, other than the one
shopping cart abandonment message.

Suggestions
• Beef up the shopping cart abandonment campaign and other
triggered/behavioral messages.
• Personalize content to encourage conversions.
• Push notifications could play a much larger, coordinated role.
• Great social media presence, would be great to coordinate with
messaging.

Bonus: Post-Teardown Observations
• After the initial 21 days, we’ve only received 2 more messages: the
shipment notification and a confirmation of our service pause.
• While engagement was good in the 21 days (e.g., welcome series),
it has been very spare since.
• Big opportunity for better ongoing engagement.
• Huge opportunity for a re-activation campaign given that we are a
”lapsed” customer!

If you liked this teardown, you’ll enjoy the others:
View them and sign up for notifications of future teardowns:
iterable.com/teardown

That’s it!
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• Download these and past teardown slides: iterable.com/teardown
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Dollar Shave Club’s Billion Dollar User Engagement

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