How Curlsmith Gained 100K Email Subscribers with Octane AI
With an Octane AI quiz, Curlsmith enhanced email marketing with personalization, captured more subscribers and increased profits while delivering a better customer experience.
About Curlsmith
Curlsmith is the first gourmet haircare brand specifically created for curls. Inspired by generations of homemade hair remedies, Curlsmith blends fresh curl-loving foods with kitchen cupboard staples and rare organic ingredients to make premium products that really work.
Because of their expertise in curly hair, Curlsmith creates specific formulations for different hair types. This personalization-first approach made them the perfect fit for a quiz-powered customer experience.
Company Info
The Challenge
Curlsmith first approached one of Octane AI's top agency partners, PAASE Digital, to help enhance their email marketing—specifically their campaigns and flows. Curlsmith had a standardized set-up, from database capture tools to pop-ups. While their database was growing, the current process didn't provide enough information around consumers.
The Solution
After PAASE had completed the configuration and implementation of Klaviyo automation flows and segments, prioritizing new flows based on acquisition retargeting and retention, then came Octane AI. The solution was the Curl ID Quiz.
The Curl ID Quiz
The Curlsmith quiz educates customers on their hair type and why the recommended products suit their needs. The way the questions are framed makes each quiz taker understand what elements make up their hair. At the end of the quiz, Curlsmith provides a results page that focuses first on education, followed by a haircare routine that customers can easily add to cart.
Zero-Party Data Collection
PAASE implemented an Octane AI quiz to gather zero-party data about particular hair care needs, creating a better shopping experience where consumers receive personalized product recommendations and content that best suit their preferences.
Curl Type Education
Customers learn what elements make up their unique hair type
Klaviyo Integration
Quiz data flows instantly to personalized email flows
Dynamic Content
Personalized content in automated emails based on quiz results
Easy Add to Cart
Complete haircare routines customers can purchase instantly
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The Full Story
Replacing Traditional Pop-ups with the Quiz
PAASE Digital realized the need to automate the current CRM journey was essential. Curlsmith creates specific formulations for different hair types and had been experimenting with guided selling tools that would better create personalized recommendations.
However, finding a tool that could build out rich customer data and deliver against the breadth of possible recommendation outcomes, while neatly integrating into Klaviyo and Shopify had proved difficult. Or at least it had been before PAASE discovered Octane AI.
“Through testing, we've learned that we could abandon the traditional email subs pop-up ('get 10% off' message) in favor of sending consumers to the quiz, and still see fantastic subs lift. It's a better, more useful journey for our customers and our subscription rates have improved as the quiz ad gets better engagement alongside the high completion and subscription rate that we see from the quiz.”
–Angus Jenkins, Ecommerce Director, Curlsmith
Implementing the Complete Solution
On behalf of Curlsmith, PAASE went on to:
- Implement an Octane AI quiz to gather zero-party data about particular hair care needs
- Create a better shopping experience where consumers receive personalized product recommendations and content that best suit their preferences
- Integrate quiz in a pop-up and home page
- Segment email list based on quiz data
- Create dynamic content-based email automation based on quiz results
The Power of Personalized Email Flows
PAASE took full advantage of the Octane AI + Klaviyo integration by implementing dynamic content during and after the quiz. Curlsmith can now use this zero-party data (such as buyers' preferences) and strategically tailor personal flows to contact the right customer with the right product after the point of quiz completion, nurturing prospects in the pipeline.
Since going live, the email automation of sending quiz results has generated 2.5% of overall revenue month to date.
“The post-quiz email automation has quickly become one of our most valuable activities in email!”
–Angus Jenkins, Ecommerce Director, Curlsmith
Personalized Welcome Flows
The post-quiz flow is working really well for Curlsmith, but that's not all. They also personalized part of their welcome flow to fit within a person's specific wavy type 2 hair ID, ensuring every touchpoint reinforces the personalized experience.
“Our customers love the quiz. Not only do we get great engagement in terms of starts, completions and subscription rates, but it has also given us meaningful data that allows us to better segment our customers and offer improved, personalized product recommendations.”
–Angus Jenkins, Ecommerce Director, Curlsmith
Driving Traffic to the Quiz
PAASE was able to send campaigns, banners and flows targeting the existing database to take the quiz, driving traffic to the website. This multi-channel approach ensured maximum exposure for the quiz and continued growth of their zero-party data collection.
Curlsmith collected over 100,000 new subscribers for their database since turning on the quiz seven months ago. That's not only great database growth but since the new Klaviyo + Octane AI integration, their email revenue grew by 10%!
The Results
Octane AI and the fully integrated quiz experience became a key driver for both email/SMS subscriptions and site revenue for Curlsmith.
In just 7 months since launching the quiz
52,616 unique quiz starts per month
With the new Klaviyo + Octane AI integration
Representing 3,335 orders from the quiz
Up from 7% before implementing the quiz
Collected to power personalization
"Our customers love the quiz. Not only do we get great engagement in terms of starts, completions and subscription rates, but it has also given us meaningful data that allows us to better segment our customers and offer improved, personalized product recommendations."
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