Acoustic > Case Studies > Harlequin: Boosting Reader Engagement and Revenue with AI-Powered Email Campaigns

Harlequin: Boosting Reader Engagement and Revenue with AI-Powered Email Campaigns

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Technology Category
  • Sensors - Acoustic Sensors
  • Sensors - Barcode Readers
Applicable Industries
  • E-Commerce
Applicable Functions
  • Procurement
  • Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
  • Predictive Maintenance
About The Customer
Harlequin Enterprises ULC is the world's leading publisher of romance novels, having sold more than 6.7 billion books to readers globally. The company offers a diverse range of romance subgenres, from contemporary tales to inspirational romances to paranormal stories. Harlequin publishes more than 110 titles a month and has a dedicated email marketing team that delivers content marketing and customer communications for the entire romance division. The company's newsletter subscribers receive two to six emails per month, based on individual purchase activity and email open rates on harlequin.com. Founded in 1949, Harlequin is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world.
The Challenge
Harlequin Enterprises ULC, a leading romance publisher, was faced with the challenge of significantly increasing its email revenue within a single fiscal year. Despite having a dedicated email marketing team and a robust email program, the task was daunting due to the sheer volume of content and the diverse range of romance subgenres the company offers. With more than 110 new titles released every month, guiding readers to their perfect book match was a complex task. The company's email team, consisting of two full-time marketers, was responsible for delivering content marketing and customer communications for the entire romance division. They had been using Acoustic Campaign (formerly Campaign Automation) to segment and optimize their database of subscribers, but the goal of increasing email revenue required them to find ways to better utilize the software.
The Solution
To meet the challenge, Harlequin's email team launched several campaigns using the Acoustic Campaign software. They implemented email campaigns with dynamic content targeting website visitors who had abandoned browsing and shopping carts, which resulted in high engagement rates. The team also optimized Harlequin’s welcome email targeting new subscribers by changing it from a single email to a series of four, each featuring the best ways to get started with Harlequin. This change led to a significant increase in welcome email revenue and boosted the average order value. Throughout the year, the team used the software’s AI-powered performance insights and reporting features to analyze results and further optimize all campaigns. They conducted A/B testing around subject lines and analyzed data about email performance and revenue generation from different segments.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of dynamic content targeting and optimization of the welcome email series resulted in a significant increase in email revenue and engagement rates. The automated emails targeting abandoned browsing and shopping carts are now virtually maintenance-free and run on a daily basis, freeing up the team to focus on other tasks. The use of AI-powered performance insights and reporting features of the Acoustic Campaign software enabled the team to make data-driven decisions and optimize their campaigns effectively. The team was able to identify key takeaways from A/B testing and apply them across the board, leading to improved email performance. The team also uses the software to prepare monthly executive reports that summarize sales and highlight challenges and key successes, providing valuable insights for future strategies.
Quantitative Benefit
  • 36% increase in email revenue
  • 9x boost to welcome email revenue
  • 50% open rate after abandoned browsing

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