Renewed loyalty, creative refreshes, and growth are top-of-mind topics for Attentive customers this spring.

Our Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are always guiding our customers on best practices, sharing market trends, and ensuring they’re using Attentive to its full potential. We grabbed some time with a few of our CSMs to understand what’s top of mind for marketers as we head into the end of Q1 and get ready for spring. 

In this blog, we’ll provide actionable ideas for campaigns that can resonate with your audience and drive meaningful results in‌ March and later into spring.

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March marketing benchmarks

We ran the numbers to see how March has changed year-over-year in terms of sends and found that across our bigger accounts, there was about a 20.9% increase in total sends comparing March 2024 to March 2023. These sends resulted in a 21.4% increase in revenue. Interestingly, there was a 4.4% increase in image segments (MMS), which tracks with brands getting excited about the rich media capabilities possible with RCS.

We also wanted to look at our data to create these benchmarks for retail, food and beverage, and entertainment and media industries for their March SMS campaign sends.

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Re-engagement strategies have significant potential in the spring

Re-engagement campaigns need to be front and center this time of year. Kelley Hopkins, an Enterprise CSM, shares that spring can be slow for many brands. It’s an excellent time for re-engaging subscribers and testing new strategies. 

Hopkins recommends sending at least one campaign to an unengaged segment per month. Or maybe you have an engaged segment, but they’re not converting—just yet. With spring cleaning and consumers getting more organized and thinking of “out with the old, and in with the new” it’s the ideal time to target engaged subscribers that haven’t yet made a purchase. 

Lauren Lombardo, Lead CSM, Strategic, adds to this and says to think about re-engagement through experiences, like a scavenger hunt with keywords or often testing gamified sign-up units on your website.

Another way to re-engage frequent website visitors who have not yet subscribed is to refresh your signup units’ looks. Here are some quick changes you can make to your signup units to freshen them up (and help them load faster and be easier to read):

• Remove background images
• Replace custom fonts with Google web fonts
• Have clear contrast colors (dark font on light background)
• Enlarge subject lines and discount values
• Add a pre-engagement step
• Remove ‘no’ CTAs and rely only on the ‘X’

For resource-strapped teams, a focus could be on testing when a sign-up unit loads instead of iterating on the design or copy. And, we’re always ready to help optimize your signup units—just reach out to your CSM for specific advice on what changes could increase signups.  

If you’re targeting Gen Z and Millennials, think about re-engaging shoppers with new promotions or deals. According to a report by eMarketer on the fashion ecommerce space, these generations are the highest-frequency shoppers, but they gravitate toward discounted goods to shop frequently but within a budget. 

Both Hopkins and Lombardo agreed that marketers should be thinking about creative refreshes as part of their re-engagement strategies.

Spring is the perfect time for a creative refresh! If you have new seasonal images or are considering A/B testing, it's the ideal time to update campaign strategies and refresh your assets for maximum impact.
- Lauren Lombardo, Lead CSM, Strategic

When asked about spring marketing ideas that feed into re-engagement campaigns, they both were eager to talk about some of their favorite campaigns and ideas.

1. Tap into the power of spring cleaning

Spring cleaning isn’t just about tidying up the house—it’s a powerful theme that can breathe new life into your marketing campaigns. Statista reports that 80% of Americans partake in spring cleaning every year. As the weather warms and the days grow longer, people are naturally inclined to get organized, declutter their spaces, and embrace fresh beginnings. By tapping into this desire, you can create campaigns that resonate with your audience and feel timely. 

You can offer tips and tools for organizing a closet (which also makes room for new items to go into said closet), promote products that help customers start new rituals, or highlight outdoor activities that encourage them to enjoy the warmer weather. 

On your side, these spring cleaning sales can help you clear out winter inventory and clearance items while filling up your customers’ closets. QVC texted subscribers to let them know they could save on sale items and find new looks for the new season.

2. Run a flash sale

March can feel slower after the busy holiday shopping season and running a flash sale could be just the thing to get them to re-engage and shop again. Flash sales create a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging customers to act quickly and take advantage of limited-time offers. By timing your flash sales strategically during the spring, you can capitalize on the positive and energetic atmosphere, boosting customer engagement and sales.

Hopkins talked about a happy hour sale a client of hers runs in the spring that starts at noon on Fridays. The consistency keeps subscribers coming back to see what the weekly deal is and encourages more frequent purchases through this slower shopping season. 

Don’t forget to retarget subscribers who clicked but didn’t convert with a last call or messages that the promo is ending soon. These subscribers showed initial interest and it’s a low-cost strategy as you’re sending to a smaller, targeted (and interested) audience which can lead to a strong CTR and CVR. 

In fact, let’s talk about segment sizes for a second. If you’ve found that your segments are shrinking as subscribers age out, expand your criteria this time of year. Many brands define “active” as “has signed up, clicked, browsed, or purchased in the last 90 days.” Let’s bump that to 120 days. Another tactic to try is adding a broadly targeted send for your best offer to drive clicks and conversions that will reallocate subscribers into “active” segments moving forward.

3. Plan for spring break 

Spring break is a prime opportunity to drive quick sales by tapping into the excitement and freedom associated with spring break. As students and families plan their getaways or look for ways to enjoy the warmer weather, there's a heightened sense of anticipation and a willingness to spend on new experiences and products. It’s the prime time to offer travel deals, discounts on spring essentials like clothing and outdoor gear, or promotions for local attractions and activities. 

Erin Condren used both SMS and email to reach subscribers and inform them about new items that can keep them organized for spring break and beyond. Altar'd State had some fun with their copy and reminded subscribers of upcoming spring break adventures as it is the "sea-sun!"

4. Re-engage and grow your lists

One thing that doesn’t need any spring cleaning or pruning? Your SMS list. While list cleansing and removing subscribers is a common email marketing strategy, as sending to unengaged subscribers can hurt your deliverability, SMS is a different game. SMS subscribers can opt out at any time by replying “STOP,” making it less essential for you to manually remove them.

But you can spruce up your list to use your segmentation to your advantage. Practice progressive profiling or engage in Two-Way Journeys and conversations to learn more about them. Two-Way Journeys helps you better understand their preferences and collects zero-party data from which you can then create custom audiences from, making your future SMS sends more personalized and targeted. 

Consumers want to engage with messages that are personalized—but they also need to be timely. That’s where your automated journeys come in. Luckily for you, it won’t take you much time to make some easy tweaks to your automated journeys and then watch your ROI grow.

• First, turn on session abandon, browse abandon, and cart abandon journeys. Don’t worry about message overwhelm as these are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, meaning even if all three journeys are active, a subscriber will only get one message
• Then, turn on low in stock, back in stock, and price drop to promote your product catalog
• Finally, focus on your re-engagement strategy and ensure that your post-purchase and winback messaging is active

Top tip: Welcome series journeys should have 4-5 messages over the first 7-10 days

Automated journeys take both the guesswork and work out of some of your sends, but you can get even better results when you bring AI into the mix. Start with AI Pro and the Enhanced Attentive Tag that increases revenue from abandonment journeys by 20%+. Or go all out with AI Journeys, where each message is created in real time so that it’s truly unique, and it's trained to match your brand’s tone and style.

You can also use this slower period to engage subscribers across multiple channels. Thread Wallets (example above) gave email subscribers a compelling reason to sign up for SMS as they’d be the first to know about a new product drop.

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Re-engage and grow your audience by promoting values, not just deals

Another way to think about your re-engagement strategy is by connecting with your customers through shared values. When a brand clearly communicates its values, it resonates with consumers who share those beliefs, making them feel understood and appreciated. This alignment can lead to stronger brand loyalty and advocacy–and encourages repeat purchases.

Haircare brand Davines has enjoyed continued success by marketing their values through AI Journeys. These values include their commitment to sustainability and philanthropy. By engaging their subscribers through shared values (and timely, personalized triggered messages), they had an especially impressive Cyber Week. They saw a 445% surge in CTR during Cyber Week, a 64% lift in revenue from their welcome journey, and a 36% lift in revenue from their cart abandonment journey.

We knew we needed to go beyond traditional strategies. Attentive’s AI Journeys allowed us to send data-driven, personalized messages that resonated with our customers. The results spoke for themselves: increased engagement, higher conversions, and improved customer retention, all while staying aligned with our sustainability values.
- Amanda Griffiths, VP, Digital & Ecommerce at Davines

Brands can differentiate their value through quality, innovation, and sustainability. Davines shared their value of sustainability with their subscribers, but other values that resonate with consumers include quality and innovative products. 

This strategy can be especially effective if your target audience is Gen Z. We’ve found that Gen Z seeks community and thoughtful interactions with brands—which is often based on the brand’s and consumer’s values.

Common themes that arise when talking with our CSMs about marketing to Gen Z:

• This generation tends to speak informally and responds well to humor
• They expect behavior-based targeting and know how to game the system–they'll wait for their abandoned cart message before converting
• They’re both more likely to engage in two-way conversations, and respond well to MMS and emojis

Unify your online and offline marketing tactics to keep customers engaged—no matter where they interact with your brand

Consumers move seamlessly between online and offline environments, and a unified brand presence is crucial. When your physical and digital marketing efforts are aligned and mutually reinforcing, you can create a more engaging and memorable customer experience.

A lot of brands are prioritizing that omnichannel feeling. They’re finding that their best customer is someone who’s subscribed to SMS or email and going into the store.
- Kelley Hopkins, Enterprise CSM

Offline marketing

Signage can serve as a powerful extension of your digital campaigns by reinforcing key messages, driving traffic to your website, adding subscribers to your email and SMS campaigns, and encouraging social media engagement.

Have an opt-in/data capture strategy for in-store consumers, such as a sign with a QR code. Craft a specific welcome program for these in-store users to either drive them back in-store or cross/upsell via online incentives. Use geo-targeting to your advantage to drive foot traffic to a physical store. Take this example from Victoria's Secret as they use SMS to get subscribers to shop in-store by promoting exclusive deals.

If you’re not a brick-and-mortar store, consider a pop-up store, work with retail partners, or consider other offline marketing tactics such as out-of-home advertising (billboards) or direct mail that can include a QR code. 

Online marketing

Consider areas of opportunity in your workflows, such as a welcome or re-engagement program, to promote your other online channels.

We showed an example of Thread Wallets using email to promote SMS sign-ups and they also do a great job of promoting their social media channels through email. In this campaign they're showcasing user-generated content and tagging both the content creator and the product. The call to action is simple: Keep tagging Thread Wallets on social with their #carryon hashtag.

March marketing holidays (and examples)

Lastly, we want to share some upcoming holidays that you can anchor your re-engagement campaigns or flash sales around. These sales can truly boost your revenue.

Women’s History Month

A holiday-themed re-engagement campaign that can run all month long can be centered around Women’s History Month. You can engage subscribers by sharing educational or inspirational content that shows your brand’s commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. We mentioned that consumers care about their values and those of the brands they shop with—build a deeper connection with these customers by showing your brand aligns with those values. 

‍The Milwaukee Bucks honored women during one of their Flash Sale Fridays by offering $10 off select women’s t-shirts. Have Some Fun Today offered 40% off sitewide to celebrate women and inspire their future.

International Women's Day

By celebrating International Women’s Day and highlighting women's stories, achievements, and challenges, you can foster a sense of community and solidarity among your customers. Such campaigns can also enhance brand reputation and loyalty, as consumers increasingly favor companies that stand for meaningful causes. 

Inspired to create a sense of community? Borrow ideas from the brands featured above. ReserveBar creates a sense of community by shining a light on their favorite women-owned brands. Happiest Baby reminds parents to take care of themselves so they can be healthy, happy, and strong for their little ones. Blenders Eyewear highlights their influencers that make the world a brighter place (customers might as well snag some sunglasses to handle all the light shining from these influential women).

Daylight Savings

Almost two-thirds of Americans want to abolish the annual time changes, so give your subscribers a reason to see the bright side of losing an hour when Daylight Savings Time starts by promoting a limited-time offer or encouraging them to go out and enjoy the daylight by taking care of their needs, such as Luna Grill did by offering to do the cooking for their subscribers.

Pi Day

Embrace the mathematical magic of Pi Day (3/14) by offering 14% off, pricing items in the $14 range, or multiplying the savings with a BOGO deal. It’s a fun holiday that reminds your subscribers to give into their cravings and indulge—whether that’s treating themselves to actual pie or sweet savings on an item they’ve already had their eye on.

St. Patrick’s Day

It’s a sea of green come March 17, and hopefully some of that green comes from sales. St. Patrick’s Day is a widely celebrated holiday that offers a unique opportunity to connect with customers through themed promotions, special offers, and engaging content. 

NRF reports that 162 million Americans were planning to celebrate the holiday last year and would be spending a record $7.2B on clothing, food, drink, and decorations. Apparel and food and beverage brands have a massive opportunity to create marketing campaigns around this holiday as 82% of consumers planned to wear green to celebrate and 29% planned on making a special meal. 

Let your subscribers try their luck by launching a spin-to-win unit on your website or let them know it’s already their lucky day with a BOGO offer or free shipping.

Quick reference: March marketing holidays:

• Women’s History Month
• March 1: March Madness Sales (AU)
• March 2: Academy Awards
• March 3: Paris Fashion Week
• March 8: International Women’s Day
• March 9: Daylight Savings Time starts
• March 14: Pi Day
• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
• March 20: First Day of Spring
• March 26: Click Frenzy Travel (AU)
• March 30: Eid al-Fitr

Get ahead of April and May marketing holidays by checking out our marketing campaign calendar. 

From holiday sends to spring-themed flash sales, these strategies can help you re-engage your subscribers and boost sales during the spring season. If you’re an Attentive customer and want to review your data more closely and talk through which of these strategies is a good fit for your brand, reach out to your CSM.