How Kendra Scott Blended Style and Strategy to Craft Personalized Holiday Shopping Experiences With Attentive

In a retail landscape where budget-conscious consumers are bombarded with marketing messages from brands, Kendra Scott aimed to make the omnichannel experience better for their customers. They knew they would need to do something special to stand out in the evolving market—that they would need to create more personalized and engaging experiences for their audience—especially during the holidays. 

This realization led Kendra Scott straight to Attentive, drawn in by the platform’s comprehensive SMS marketing capabilities, which would allow them to accomplish exactly what they wanted.

During Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) 2023, Kendra Scott partnered with Attentive to implement a series of marketing strategies crafted specifically for the year-end retail rush. These strategies effectively set the brand apart in the highly competitive holiday market, paving the way for increased customer engagement and notable success.

“Attentive allows us to meaningfully connect with our subscribers exactly when it counts—elevating their Cyber Week shopping experience through timely and targeted engagement.”
- Lauren Zarzour, Sr. Director of Paid & Owned Marketing, Kendra Scott

Bringing a retail mindset to the digital shopping experience

The first step in Kendra Scott’s Cyber Week strategy: creating custom sign-up units to build anticipation for “Yellow Friday,” their biggest sale event of the year. 

Renaming Black Friday to “Yellow Friday” was inspired by "the happiness linked to the yellow box” that Kendra Scott customers are so familiar with. It was a smart and distinctive choice that embodies both their unique brand identity and the joy associated with their products. It also clearly differentiates them from competitors at a promotion-heavy time of year. 

Next, Kendra Scott successfully generated buzz and a sense of exclusivity among their valued customers, enticing them to sign up for texts to “Be the first to know” about their “Yellow Friday” deals.

The key part of their BFCM strategy, though, was to digitally mirror the kind of personalized experiences that customers enjoy in Kendra Scott’s physical stores. They wanted to create an online experience that felt as attentive (no pun intended) as an in-store visit, and Two-Way Journeys™ was the perfect way to do that.

Kendra Scott built their holiday Gift Guide into a conversational campaign, allowing them to interact with customers in a way that felt both personal and accessible. The experience was designed to help customers navigate Kendra Scott's extensive product range during the holidays, simplifying the process of finding and purchasing the ideal gift. 

Whether a customer was looking for luxury items or more affordable options, the gift guide offered product recommendations that matched their price range and style preferences. But the Gift Guide initiative also set Kendra Scott up for success beyond the holiday season, providing them with valuable insights into shoppers’ preferences.  

“We can learn who they’re shopping for, what their budget is, their favorite style, and use that information to recommend the perfect gift for everyone on their list.”
- Lauren Zarzour, Sr. Director of Paid & Owned Marketing, Kendra Scott

Here’s how it worked: The brand texted customers offering to help with their holiday shopping, prompting them to respond with certain keywords to indicate their budget: ‘1’ for gifts under $75, ‘2’ for gifts under $150, ‘3’ for gifts under $250, or ‘4’ for all price points. Depending on their response, each subscriber got a personalized recommendation within their price range. 

This type of communication effectively turned every text message into a personal consultation, mirroring the in-store stylist experience.

Getting creative to transform how customers browse and buy

Part of Kendra Scott's evergreen marketing strategy is using MMS campaigns to support new product launches and special events for the greatest impact.

A standout holiday campaign featured a captivating GIF of various celebrities wearing their popular Mikki Pavé Hoop Earrings. This strategically combined product imagery and celebrity influence with just the right timing to boost customer interest and interaction. By displaying the versatility of the earrings on admired celebrities, Kendra Scott successfully generated excitement among subscribers, creating a desire for them to own and wear the piece themselves.

Another element of Kendra Scott's messaging approach with Attentive was the implementation of a Session Abandonment Journey, which was especially crucial during the highly competitive BFCM sales period.

The Session Abandonment Journey targeted subscribers who visited the Kendra Scott website over Cyber Week but left without making a purchase. In these instances, potential customers received a triggered message reminding them about the ongoing sales and incentivizing them to finalize their purchases. 

With this slight nudge, Kendra Scott successfully recaptured the attention of browsers and converted them into buyers, capitalizing on the heightened website traffic and shopping intent during BFCM.

“We had every confidence Attentive could support time-sensitive messaging during the very busy Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping season.”
- Lauren Zarzour, Sr. Director of Paid & Owned Marketing, Kendra Scott

Turning innovative strategies into shining success

Together, these creative strategies had a memorable—and measurable—impact on Kendra Scott’s BFCM results. 

Launching their distinctive ”Yellow Friday” sale and sign-up unit was more than just a clever marketing move, yielding a solid 55% CTR and 28% CVR. Their conversational Gift Guide initiative achieved an impressive 55% CTR, resulting in a 48x ROI on gifting recommendations. And their star-studded MMS campaign was another highlight, capturing great customer interest with an 11% CVR. 

Additionally, the Session Abandonment Journey, which was strategically deployed during BFCM only, resulted in a 9.7% CTR and a notable 31% CVR—well above the benchmark CVR of 13%. These results showcase the impact of well-timed, subscriber-centric strategies.

“Attentive has provided a platform to engage with our customers in ways that are commonly missed in the digital space.”
- Lauren Zarzour, Sr. Director of Paid & Owned Marketing, Kendra Scott

Drawing a roadmap for a bright future with Attentive

As Kendra Scott continues to evolve their marketing strategies, their focus is on using Attentive AI™ for more intelligent segmentation and greater personalization. The brand is dedicated to maintaining a personal and human touch in their digital interactions, so having a deeper understanding of their subscribers’ preferences and behaviors is crucial. 

They want to continue to bring thoughtfully designed shopping experiences to their customers’ mobile phones, just like they did during the holiday shopping season.