Discover how moving away from batch-and-blast and using segmentation and testing led to a significant increase in revenue.

Building a strong SMS presence and scaling personalized communications

When Designstuff first explored SMS marketing with Attentive in 2023, they aimed to improve custom service and evaluate the ROI that SMS could offer. As a lean and agile team, finding a resource-efficient solution was essential. They required a platform and support team that enabled them to scale their efforts to personalize communications with customers. 

Additionally, Designstuff were eager to grow their subscriber list and refine their tone of voice through SMS, ensuring it reached its customers on a more personal channel and with more targeted communications.

Accelerating SMS subscriber growth with Attentive

Designstuff were particularly impressed by the ease of growing their SMS subscriber list with Attentive, thanks to the seamless sign-up flow with Attentive’s patented two-tap mobile technology. Big fans of the UX and UI of Attentive—which they credit as being intuitive and easy to navigate—this patented technology removes friction and makes it easy for people to subscribe to SMS. Their text message subscribers are increasing at a rate of 12% per month.

Another major advantage was the seamless integration with Designstuff’s email platform. Attentive's ability to connect effortlessly with their tech stack ensured no hiccups during their migration. 

”With Attentive, we've seen our SMS subscriber list flourish. The growth rate has been phenomenal, with a consistent 12% increase month over month. Their compliant two-tap sign-up process has been instrumental in this success, making it easier than ever for our customers to opt in.”
- Matthew Harrison, Content and Campaign Specialist, Designstuff

Transitioning from batch-and-blast to segmentation

Attentive played a crucial role in helping Designstuff move away from batch-and-blast to a more personalized messaging approach. They started by introducing Two-Way Journeys™ in their welcome series and asking customers about their interests, since they offer a broad range of products—kitchen, bathroom, décor, etc. This conversational approach enabled them to deliver tailored content from the start, especially around product and collection launches. 

To boost conversions through personalized engagement data, they also targeted customers who had engaged with messages in the past 90 days, re-engaged customers with browse abandonment messages, and tailored campaigns based on additional preferences collected via Two-Way Journeys beyond welcome sequences. Retargeting these high-propensity segments with sales and special offers allowed Designstuff to send follow-up messages like ‘sale ends soon’ to those who appear to be on the verge of making a purchase.

These strategies resulted in more compelling text messages leading to higher conversions, including a campaign ROI of 12x and a Journey ROI of 58x. 

”Our strategies have become more sophisticated. We’ve moved from campaign blasts to using SMS for segmented, personalized journeys that engage customers based on their behavior. The more we’ve tested, the more we’ve realized how effective SMS can be in driving engagement, whether that’s through product launches or interactive campaigns like our reply-to-enter giveaways.”
- Matthew Harrison, Content and Campaign Specialist, Designstuff

Optimizing tone of voice through A/B testing

Designstuff's SMS voice has evolved significantly over time. Having permission to message someone directly on their phone is a privilege—so they adjusted their approach to align with the personal nature of the SMS channel. 

Attentive’s hands-on support was essential in helping the brand refine their strategy. They were provided with A/B testing ideas and tried different approaches to refine their tone of voice over two months. As a company with a Danish founder and influence, they wanted to share that culture with their audience. They tested messages that included Danish words, and the response was positive. It helped build their brand identity and became a signature part of how they communicate through text messages.

They also found that structuring these messages to feel like they were coming from a friend, rather than a company, made a difference—click-through rates increased, and unsubscribes dropped.

”SMS has become an extension of who we are, both as a brand and as the people behind the brand. It offers a unique opportunity to connect with our audience almost immediately, which is something we’ve learned to appreciate more and more. What has really surprised us is how much SMS has turned into a two-way channel of communication. It’s no longer just about sending messages—it’s about listening and interacting, which has been a key shift for us.”
- Matthew Harrison, Content and Campaign Specialist, Designstuff

Achieving exceptional results with Attentive's SMS marketing platform

Designstuff has seen SMS emerge as one of their top-performing channels. A key metric highlighting this success is their list growth, which has seen a 12% increase in SMS subscribers monthly, outpacing email. They also achieved a campaign ROI of 12x, a Journey ROI of 58x, and an overall program ROI of 39x.

SMS has also impacted customer lifetime value, with 21% of their subscribers placing more than one order. 

”While email continues to deliver strong results, SMS is quickly becoming a powerhouse for us. It’s not just growing faster—it’s driving deeper engagement, higher ROI, and stronger customer loyalty, making it a high-impact channel that is critical to our long-term strategy.”
- Matthew Harrison, Content and Campaign Specialist, Designstuff

So what’s next? Designstuff has launched Attentive’s AI Pro tools—featuring Identity AI, Audiences AI, and Send Time AI—created to help brands recognize their most valuable subscribers and connect with them through personalized messages at ideal engagement times. They’ve already attributed a 22% revenue uplift.