Discover how the best brands use cart abandonment
text messages to engage mobile consumers & drive revenue.
This curated collection of SMS marketing examples we love will help spark creativity and elevate your strategy
TEXTS WE LOVE
Why We Love It:
Men’s clothing brand johnnie-O engaged SMS subscribers in a highly personalized experience using conversational text messaging. In this back-and-forth messaging flow, subscribers responded with their preferred logo placement to trigger a relevant product recommendation. This automated flow promoted the brand’s new product while meeting subscribers’ personal preferences.
Why We Love It:
One week before Black Friday, Overstock Art launched an “Early Bird” holiday sale to their SMS subscribers. The campaign offered TWO enticing discounts with relevant coupon codes (“EARLY50 & THX200”) for each. This early holiday promotion helped the brand get a head start on their competitors and catch shoppers’ attention before the busy sales season.
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Why We Love It:
AfterShokz—a headphone and electronics brand—A/B tested their text message for a new product launch to understand what would resonate with subscribers. In this version, they described the mic as a “desk partner,” and included a GIF to showcase how the product fits customers’ common needs. Beyond driving revenue with the product launch, this test helped AfterShokz identify the highest performing message, while delivering learnings that could help them make data-driven decisions on their future text message sends.
Why We Love It:
Arts and crafts retailer Michaels gave SMS subscribers a heads-up on an upcoming product launch. They built anticipation by specifying the exact time of launch (12:01 am CT) and including an image as an exclusive sneak peek. Letting their loyal SMS subscribers be the first to know created hype around the new product and drove traffic to their online store.
Why We Love It:
Pop-culture inspired fashion brand Hot Topic built a triggered sign-up flow to welcome new subscribers. After a shopper opts in for texts, the brand automatically sends a discount and direct link to their website, encouraging new subscribers to quickly make their purchase. The message is infused with their casual brand voice, making subscribers feel like part of the “HT fam” and excited for the text channel’s perks.
Why We Love It:
Erin Condren encouraged product discovery around the holidays by sending a gift guide to their SMS subscribers. This resource was not only a helpful time-saver, but it also helped shed light on new products. Erin Condren included a GIF that teased the featured items, and a direct link to the guide to help customers avoid the stress of finding the perfect gift, while driving online revenue for the brand.
Why We Love It:
Farmacy Beauty sent a text promoting a mystery product tease, engaging subscribers with a unique guessing game. Just based on the ambiguous product image, any subscriber that texted back the correct answer was congratulated and sent a full-sized version of the new product. This gamified experience and use of two-way text messaging made subscribers feel more connected to the brand.
Why We Love It:
Women’s footwear brand Dolce Vita kept their sales momentum going after Black Friday by launching their “Season of Surprises” multi-day campaign via SMS. In this daily deal, the brand segmented their audience and gave different dollar-off discounts to each. Since the subscribers didn’t know the exact discount until they applied it to their cart, this engaging strategy encouraged them to shop to uncover the surprise.
Why We Love It:
Paper Source sent their SMS subscribers a dual time-sensitive offer on Black Friday. The message created a sense of urgency (“Limited Time!”), and explained the two discount options. This hybrid strategy allowed subscribers to choose their preferred shopping experience, driving both online and in-store revenue.
Why We Love It:
Zero-waste beauty brand EcoRoots announced their new body brush to their SMS subscribers. They showcased the new brush and how to use it by including a GIF in the text. EcoRoots made it easy for subscribers to add the item to their carts by ending the text with a direct link to the product page. Promoting this launch via SMS excited subscribers and encouraged them to be the first to try it.
Why We Love It:
Draper James promoted their latest styles with a “pick-me-up” text message. The clothing brand included an image of a design sketch, giving a glimpse into the brand’s creative process. They sent the message only to their long-term and most engaged subscriber segment—avoiding fatiguing those who may not have been as engaged, while rewarding their most loyal subscribers.
Why We Love It:
In the holiday spirit of giving back, DIFF Eyewear brought awareness to their charitable efforts with their Giving Tuesday sale. After detailing the discount, they reminded customers of their “buy a pair, give a pair” initiative. The focus on their philanthropic mission was the perfect way to excite shoppers about the brand while spreading the word about how they’re making a difference.
Why We Love It:
Greats uses Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up unit on their mobile website to collect both emails and phone numbers in one easy flow. The footwear brand teases their text channel’s perks, like early access to launches and promotions. Once a shopper inputs their email address, they are then prompted to complete their sign-up and receive the offer by opting in for text messages, too.
Why We Love It:
Designer fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff shared a “Secret Sale” exclusively with their SMS subscribers, reserving the deal for these highly engaged customers. Keeping the message short, they used a colorful graphic to stand out and describe the sale’s details. The brand emphasized the sale’s exclusive nature (“SECRET”)—encouraging in-the-know subscribers to take advantage of the text channel perk and shop.
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Why We Love It:
The day before Cyber Monday, FragranceNet gave their SMS subscribers early access to the sitewide sale. The short but informative message included a seasonal poem (“Twas the night before..."), the discount customers could expect (“up to 80% off”), and a clear call to action (“shop now”). This early offer enticed their subscribers to shop the sale before everyone else.
Why We Love It:
Revel Nail launched their “12 Days of Revel” campaign over SMS to encourage repeat website visits after Black Friday/Cyber Monday. The announcement gave subscribers a chance to opt-in for daily deals over text, automatically adding them into a separate segment. This strategy ensured the brand reached their most engaged subscribers—and avoided fatiguing those who may not have been as engaged.
Why We Love It:
Erin Condren Design extended their holiday promotions after Cyber Monday by reminding subscribers to shop the final hours of the sitewide sale. The cheerful message (“stock up on gifts!”) and festive image of one of their signature planners added to the spirit of the holiday season, and drove online revenue from last-minute shoppers.
Why We Love It:
Pura Vida Bracelets used a thoughtful segmentation strategy to keep customers engaged throughout the busy holiday season. After giving SMS subscribers early access to their Black Friday sale, Pura Vida texted a reminder to those who had clicked the first message but had not yet made a purchase. The jewelry brand drove conversions from this segment by emphasizing the “secret” and exclusive nature of the offer.
Why We Love It:
Leading vision care retailer LensDirect uses Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up unit to drive conversions before shoppers leave the website. When a person’s behavior indicates that they’re about to exit the site, this creative pops up with a reminder to “Before you go, save” and a generous 25% off incentive. The exit-intent touchpoint re-engages shoppers while seamlessly growing the brand’s email and SMS subscriber lists.
Why We Love It:
Crocs uses segmentation to send relevant campaigns to high-intent subscribers interested in their latest releases, like the Classic Hiker Clog redesign. The footwear brand created this engaged customer segment by adding a sign-up unit on their New Arrivals page, capturing customers further down the shopping funnel who are more likely to appreciate these timely updates and quickly shop the shoes “while they last.”
Why We Love It:
Michaels encouraged product discovery around the holiday season by sharing a gift guide with their SMS subscribers. The arts and crafts retailer recognized their customers’ desire to give gifts that inspire joy—and a “happy dance”—and made it easier for them to check items off their holiday shopping list. The direct link to the guide helped customers avoid the stress of finding the perfect present while driving online revenue for the brand.
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Why We Love It:
Rainbow uses Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up unit on their website to seamlessly scale their email and SMS subscriber lists simultaneously. After a visitor opts in to both channels, they’re entered to win a $500 gift card. This incentive strategy stands out from the usual welcome discounts, driving sign-ups across both channels.
Why We Love It:
Refurbished electronics brand mac of all trades launched their new rewards program to their highly engaged audience of SMS subscribers. They used the text message copy and the graphic to explain how shoppers can earn rewards—helping the brand start scaling their new program, while ultimately driving customer referrals and encouraging repeat purchases.
Why We Love It:
In the days leading up to Black Friday, stationery retailer Paper Source sent a text message inviting subscribers to “beat the crowds” with curbside pickup. They promoted this option with a 10% off discount and direct link to easily place a curbside order. Highlighting this hybrid shopping experience helped the brand stay top-of-mind ahead of Black Friday and drove early Cyber Week sales.
Why We Love It:
Ole Henriksen used their SMS channel to host a weekly educational skincare series (#ThirstyThursday). At the start of summer, the skincare brand used geotargeting to send a heat remedy tip to their SMS subscribers located in warmer areas of the US. The message ended with a direct link for subscribers to learn more and shop the mentioned product.
Why We Love It:
Medical footwear brand Clove used conversational texting in their welcome flow to personalize each subscriber’s experience and help them choose the perfect pair of Cloves. New subscribers were prompted to reply with the number (e.g. 1) that corresponds with their favorite coffee drink. Then, they received a triggered response with a specific recommendation and direct link to the product page. For future messages, Clove created segments with these responses based on the subscribers’ preferences.
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Why We Love It:
Love Wellness—a multivitamin and health supplement brand—sends new SMS subscribers a “perfect match” quiz two days after they sign up to encourage product discovery. The link included in the text sends subscribers to the quiz on Love Wellness’s website to help them seamlessly find personalized recommendations, while driving online revenue for the brand.
Why We Love It:
Thread Wallets—a lifestyle and accessories brand—used a creative text campaign to stand out from other Labor Day flash sales. They clearly communicated the sale’s details and limited-time nature. The simple but effective GIF was designed to capture subscribers’ attention, setting the message apart from the many sales happening during the long weekend.
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Why We Love It:
Sustainable jewelry brand Pura Vida Bracelets sent an early access offer to their VIP subscriber segment, reserving the deal for their most engaged customers. They emphasized the exclusive and personal nature of the VIP-only offer (“We want YOU”). This special treatment enticed Pura Vida’s loyal customers to shop the sale before everyone else.
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Why We Love It:
True Religion drove online and in-store revenue with their SMS Labor Day campaign. The brand doubled down on the sitewide sale’s limited availability, creating a sense of urgency in both the text and seasonal GIF. They ended with a playful CTA (“Ready, set...SHOP!”) and a direct link for subscribers to instantly take advantage of the limited-time sale.
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Why We Love It:
True Religion used segmentation in their Labor Day strategy to target subscribers who recently added an item to their cart. By pairing the cart abandonment message with their sitewide Labor Day sale, True Religion incentivized these high-intent subscribers to shop without having to offer additional discounts.
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Why We Love It:
Fashion and lifestyle brand Cynthia Rowley announced their new “bonded tee” dress to their SMS subscribers. They paired this text message with a GIF that shows off the dress and styling inspiration, and ended with a direct link to the product page. Promoting this product launch via SMS excited subscribers and encouraged them to be the first to shop the new style.
Why We Love It:
Swap.com sends SMS subscribers a triggered post-purchase text three days after they buy an item, encouraging them to refer a friend. By including a 40% off discount for these active customers, the automated flow drives online revenue, builds brand loyalty, and promotes new customer discovery.
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Why We Love It:
Boot Barn used their SMS channel to stand out during the busy holiday shopping season by offering same-day delivery and personalized gift wrapping. Their engaged subscribers appreciated the help with finding last-minute gifts and making them more meaningful, allowing Boot Barn to increase brand loyalty and holiday revenue.
Why We Love It:
Self-cleaning litter box brand Litter-Robot educated subscribers about their product with conversational text messaging. The brand built a back-and-forth triggered messaging flow, asking subscribers about their biggest litter frustrations. Based on the subscribers’ answer, Litter-Robot responded with a link to a relevant blog post or product page to help them learn how the brand and their products meet their specific needs.
Why We Love It:
Eco-friendly luggage brand Paravel texted subscribers helpful shipping deadline reminders to drive last-minute orders just before the holidays. In their friendly brand voice, Paravel offered free shipping and a discount code to stand out from other brands during the busy sales period.
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Why We Love It:
Cariuma invites new subscribers to join their sustainability efforts with a two-part triggered welcome flow. The footwear brand offers extra insoles as a unique incentive to drive opt-ins. 24 hours after new subscribers sign up, they receive a welcome text about Cariuma’s brand values, connecting with the audience over a shared passion for sustainable fashion.
Why We Love It:
SkullCandy—a headphone and speaker brand—used their SMS channel as a direct and instant way to drive traffic to their one-day flash sale. The brand used segmentation to send a “final hours” reminder to subscribers who hadn’t shopped the sale yet. SkullCandy emphasized the urgency with a countdown (“4 hours remaining”), encouraging subscribers to act fast.
Why We Love It:
Used and rare books retailer Biblio sends a triggered post-purchase text four weeks after a subscriber buys a book, asking them to leave a review. The message offers an ongoing incentive that’s relevant to the individual’s customer lifecycle. This automated flow consistently drives new product reviews, helping other shoppers discover their perfect book.
Why We Love It:
Dorsal Bracelets converts high-intent browsers into subscribers with their mobile website’s sign-up unit. The lifestyle jewelry brand quickly grows their SMS subscriber community by offering a 15% off discount. After subscribers join, they receive an automated series of “welcome” messages introducing them to the brand and their eco-friendly values.
Why We Love It:
Designer fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff supported mobile product discovery with their one-day-only SMS promotion. The brand messaged subscribers about the featured product’s discounted price and benefits to shoppers, using a GIF to showcase the variety of styles. With just one informative text, subscribers knew all they needed to click the link and checkout.
Why We Love It:
45 day after a subscriber’s first purchase, sustainable footwear brand Cariuma invites them to join their referral program. Cariuma’s program’s exclusive perks fuels new purchases and reflects the brand’s eco-friendly mission, while helping retain valuable customers and spread brand awareness.
Why We Love It:
Electronics accessories brand Nomad Goods used conversational texting to quickly resolve an issue the customer was experiencing. A quick text exchange with the brand helped the customer overcome their concern in less than five minutes. The instantaneous nature of text messaging created a magical moment for the customer, leaving a lasting impression of the brand.
Why We Love It:
Stationery and gift shop Paper Source captured back-to-school shopping demand with their 20% off deal for purchases that include an organizational planner or calendar. Not only did their text campaign drive these products’ sales, but it also encouraged mobile shoppers to check out other categories, like notebooks and craft supplies.
Why We Love It:
Arts and crafts retailer Michaels texted subscribers about their range of back-to-school products and seasonal deals. The craft store wanted to prioritize customers’ unique learning needs and help them prepare for the return to school, so they created an opportunity for subscribers to easily find the best supplies for their learning situation.
Why We Love It:
Tech accessories brand Casely sent a final reminder text for their sitewide promotion. While the promo code (“B2S”) reflected their back-to-school marketing, the general sitewide sale appealed to all SMS subscribers and helped drive last-minute revenue.
Why We Love It:
The Happy Planner—an organization and lifestyle brand—used a data-driven SMS strategy in their early back-to-school marketing. They ran this campaign as an A/B test with two different message variations—one asking if subscribers are ready to get back into the classroom. The brand can use this data to find the most impactful messaging strategy for their future back-to-school campaigns.
Why We Love It:
Sustainable clothing brand MATE the Label texted subscribers to promote their popular activewear collection. They maintain their approachable brand voice while using a sense of urgency in the copy (“get MOVE-ing” and “selling fast”). The brand also included a positive product review, knowing that shoppers trust what other customers say. After A/B testing this message, MATE the Label saw the performance advantages of the customer review and implemented it across their channels.
Why We Love It:
Anime merch and clothing store Atsuko used their SMS channel to drive sign-ups for their rewards program. The text alerted existing members of the one-day offer while also encouraging non-members to join. Since SMS subscribers are highly engaged and often repeat customers, Atsuko knew the points rewards and exclusive benefits would appeal to the channel’s audience.
Why We Love It:
Birdies —the footwear brand known for their Instagram-famous flats—uses text messaging to introduce new products, like vegan slides. By hinting at the five color options, Birdies encourages customers to click the link and see for themselves. The shoe brand kept the text short and sweet, ending with a direct link to shop the summer trend right from their mobile device.
Why We Love It:
Online grocery store Thrive Market uses Attentive’s “two-tap” sign-up technology on its mobile website to drive SMS opt-ins. Since their brand is membership-based, Thrive Market prompts shoppers to sign-up by giving them a peek into future offers—without needing to offer a direct discount.
Why We Love It:
MATE the Label—a clothing brand focused on “clean essentials”—used SMS to educate subscribers about sustainable fashion. They released a 2020 Impact Report to share their ethical manufacturing process and environmental footprint. Knowing SMS subscribers are some of their most engaged customers, MATE shared the report over text before their other channels.
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Why We Love It:
Function of Beauty knew they needed to offer something special to compete with Amazon's Prime Day deals and capture shoppers' attention. The brand launched a playful campaign to give their customers “prime” treatment—the chance to get 20% off their entire order for three days only. By aligning their sale period with Prime Day but extending it an extra 24 hours, Function of Beauty was able to get the most out of the shopping holiday and maximize their revenue.
Why We Love It:
After a customer places their order, Paravel uses Attentive's integration with Shopify to send a personalized, automated transactional message with a link for subscribers to keep track of their shipping updates. They also reaffirm their mission by assuring customers that their shipment is carbon-neutral, and say thank you for making a sustainable purchase—helping customers feel even better about the money they’ve spent.
Why We Love It:
To help amplify their educational initiatives, Olive & June sends SMS subscribers an automated post-purchase message asking if they’ve watched their mani and pedi tutorials. They use their positive and uplifting voice in the text message and end it with a direct link to their tutorials.
Why We Love It:
Healthy snack brand HighKey sent a playful text message teasing their "JUMBO-SIZED" announcement. They blurred out part of the picture to keep their announcement a secret, while still giving subscribers a sneak peek at what was coming. The brand also included a 15% off discount in case subscribers couldn't wait. HighKey then followed via SMS up a couple of days later to officially let subscribers know they could purchase jumbo-sized bags of their popular mini cookies.
Why We Love It:
Online art gallery overstockArt.com helped text messaging subscribers ring in the new year by offering them $200 off their next order. The brand included the coupon code (NEW200) and ended the message with a clear, urgent CTA to "Shop Now."
Why We Love It:
The Happy Planner texted its “VIP” subscribers with a special combination offer that included their new storage box and sticker books at a discounted price. The brand included a playful GIF that gave SMS subscribers a preview of the storage box. The Happy Planner ended with a clear CTA to “tap the link to get it now!”
Why We Love It:
Used and rare books retailer Biblio collects email addresses and phone numbers simultaneously through Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up on mobile. This is an effective strategy for seamlessly collecting new subscribers on both channels. Even better—through our integrations, we automatically pass back email data to your ESP, meaning no manual uploads.
Why We Love It:
Used and rare books retailer Biblio encouraged their SMS subscribers to order a new book. The brand included a coupon code for 10% off purchases of $25 or more—for one weekend only. Biblio paired their text message with a fun GIF to ensure it caught subscribers’ attention.
Why We Love It:
Eyewear retailer LensDirect text subscribers to let them know they could skip the waitlist and pre-order their new limited edition sunglasses. To further incentivize subscribers, the brand also included a 20% off coupon code to use with purchase.
Why We Love It:
Grocery delivery brand Mercato sent a helpful text message to subscribers, encouraging them to “save your weekend!” and let Mercato do their grocery shopping. The delivery brand ended the message with a clear CTA to “order now” and direct link to complete their order.
Why We Love It:
Snack brand Utz texted SMS subscribers with exclusive first access to shop their “Snack into Spring” sale before anyone else. They paired the sense of urgency in their text message with a fun, attention-grabbing GIF that echoed the big sale.
Why We Love It:
Online macarons store Pastreez simultaneously collects email addresses and phone numbers using Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up units. New subscribers receive seven free macarons in return for opting in to Pastreez’s email and texts.
Why We Love It:
Online macarons store Pastreez texted subscribers about their new spring macaron flavor, Caramel Pistachio. They focused on building a deeper connection with subscribers by letting them know that the new flavor was their French chefs’ favorites this season. Pastreez ended the message with a link to the new flavor so subscribers could quickly complete their purchase.
Why We Love It:
Lobster delivery service Get Maine Lobster reminds SMS subscribers about items they’ve left behind in their online cart by sending well-timed abandoned cart messages. These automated text messages nudge subscribers to complete their online checkout before it’s gone—an effective way to drive revenue that would have otherwise been lost.
Why We Love It:
Lobster delivery service Get Maine Lobster quickly announced a new BOGO sale to SMS subscribers. They provided a seasonally relevant discount code (“Spring20”), and let subscribers know they would receive free shipping with their orders—an effective promotion whether or not you can offer a discount alongside it.
Why We Love It:
Online Spanish food retailer La Tienda celebrated their 25th anniversary with SMS subscribers. As a family-run business, La Tienda included a photo of the Harris family with a “25th Anniversary” stamp on the image. They ended the message with a CTA to shop their owners’ all-time favorites.
Why We Love It:
Online Spanish food retailer La Tienda texted subscribers about their limited-time sale on “Spain’s finest ham, sliced fresh at La Tienda.” They included the sale’s deadline (“Ends tonight, midnight ET”), an effective way to drive immediate action through SMS.
Why We Love It:
La Colombe Coffee Roasters sent a text to subscribers to let them know their bestselling coffee and cold brews are available in bulk sizes. This is an effective strategy to help subscribers learn more about your brand and encourage them to make a purchase, without having to provide a discount or special offer.
Why We Love It:
La Colombe Coffee Roasters used text messaging to quickly alert subscribers about their back-in-stock Hazelnut Draft Latte. They ensured a sense of urgency by letting subscribers know it’s back only for a limited time, so they should purchase it while they can.
Why We Love It:
Dairy-free coffee creamer brand nutpods texted subscribers about their “Confections Collection” product launch to ensure their audience saw the new item was now available for purchase. They included an image of the new collection and gave subscribers the option to purchase on Amazon or nutpods.com.
Why We Love It:
Dairy-free coffee creamer brand nutpods sends well-time abandoned cart reminders to SMS subscribers who’ve left the site before completing their purchase. The brand uses their playful brand voice in the text (“get to sippin’”) and includes an image to help remind subscribers what they’ve left behind.
Why We Love It:
To help text messaging subscribers celebrate Easter, grocery delivery brand Mercato sent a well-timed SMS reminder that offered $10 in savings on purchases of $50+. They included an eye-catching seasonal graphic and a link back to their site so subscribers could quickly make their purchase.
Why We Love It:
Snack brand Utz texted their subscribers with a seasonal, limited-time offer focused on celebrating National Cheese Lovers Day. This playful message offered subscribers a 20% off discount on cheesy snacks to play into the food holiday. Utz communicated the urgency of this limited-time offer (“TODAY ONLY” and “HURRY! Offer expires at 12pm!”) and ended with a direct link to shop their selection of cheesy snacks.
Why We Love It:
Baked by Melissa texts subscribers helpful shipping deadline reminders to drive last-minute orders just before holidays. For Valentine's Day, the brand created a sense of urgency to purchase while also providing a discount. These helpful reminders drive more online orders and help customers rest assured that their treats will arrive in time to celebrate.
Why We Love It:
Draper James connects with SMS subscribers in a direct, engaging way to learn what they want through two-way text messaging. The women’s apparel retailer sent a text message to all subscribers inviting them to join a virtual Easter Egg Hunt on their website. This campaign created an exciting and unique opportunity to engage subscribers with content specifically relevant to them.
Why We Love It:
Urban Outfitters drives SMS list opt-ins with Attentive’s “two-tap” sign-up flow on their mobile website. Providing new subscribers with the chance to win $500 is an exciting incentive to prompt them to sign-up without offering a direct discount.
Why We Love It:
Sustainable jewelry brand Pura Vida Bracelets sent out this message to its SMS subscribers to promote the Charity Wildlife Collection. The message ends with a direct link to shop the collection and “do some good!” Pura Vida extends their support for social causes to all communication channels, including text messaging, to maintain its authentic brand voice and spread the word about the initiative.
Why We Love It:
Pura Vida Bracelets uses its text messaging channel to communicate with subscribers about the many different causes it helps support. In this message, the brand is promoting their Charity Originals bracelets, ending with the call to action to “shop for good.” By including the image that says “Wearing is Caring,” the message both showcases the product and promotes the cause.
Why We Love It:
Rainbow drives text messaging and email opt-ins with Attentive’s 2-in-1 sign-up unit on its mobile website. Since the apparel brand sees 80% of digital revenue coming from a mobile device, these sign-up creatives are a great way to reach customers and engage them on their preferred platform.
Why We Love It:
Fashion brand Cynthia Rowley used SMS to promote their best-selling dress. The message includes a vibrant image of the dress and a direct link to the product, standing out to subscribers and encouraging them to shop.
Why We Love It:
Cynthia Rowley—a fashion and lifestyle brand—drives text messaging opt-ins on its mobile website using Attentive’s “two-tap” sign-up technology. By offering a 10% off incentive, Cynthia Rowley can quickly grow their SMS subscriber list. After a subscriber joins, they receive an automated series of “welcome” messages introducing them to the brand.
Why We Love It:
American jam band Umphrey’s McGee promoted their Zonkey reissue to their fans via text messaging. In addition to ordering the vinyl, Umphrey’s McGee also let subscribers know that they’d be entered to win a signed copy of the original. They also included an eye-catching graphic of the vinyl and a direct link to shop.
Why We Love It:
The official store of Bruce Lee texted subscribers about new limited edition stamp and postcard sets. They ended the message with a clear call to action to “Get yours here” and a direct link to the new product. They also included an image with the text message that gave a sneak peek of some of the new stamps, a great way to give subscribers a preview and drive more immediate action.
Why We Love It:
The official store of Bruce Lee uses text messaging to update fans on new offers. In this text, they promoted their “Be Water” membership program, where members would have a chance to win monthly giveaways. Bruce Lee included a direct link to join the membership program, and added an eye-catching GIF to catch subscribers’ attention immediately.
Why We Love It:
Country artist Tim McGraw texted subscribers to let them know this was their last chance to get 20% off the entire store. He created a sense of urgency in the text stating that the “Sale ends Friday, December 11!” The text message also included a graphic that listed additional offers, such as 10% off Grit & Grace Book & Book Bundles.
Why We Love It:
Country artist Tim McGraw used text messaging to promote his new MCGRAW MACHINE HITS and an offer to pre-order to get an instant download of one of his new tracks. As a personal channel, text messaging provides an effective way for artists to directly engage with their biggest fans while also driving sales.
Why We Love It:
The Brooklyn Museum celebrated “Museum Store Sunday” with their SMS subscribers by offering a limited-time discount. The text message includes the code (“MUSEUMS”) that subscribers could use at checkout for 35% off.
Why We Love It:
During the holidays, the Brooklyn Museum texted SMS subscribers about the store’s JR collection. The message includes a recognizable image of the artist’s work and conveys a sense of urgency, encouraging subscribers to take advantage of the “today only” offer for holiday gifting.
Why We Love It:
Sloomoo Institute—a pop-up museum dedicated to all things slime—texted subscribers in the New York Tri-State area to let them know they’ve extended their hours of operation. By using geo-targeting in their text send, they ensured that only subscribers that this was relevant to would receive the message. They ended the text message with a link to purchase tickets so subscribers could “take a dip in Lake Sloomoo!”.
Why We Love It:
Sloomoo Institute—a pop-up museum dedicated to all things slime—used their text messaging channel to alert subscribers in the Los Angeles area about their new pop-up location at Westfield Century City. By using geo-targeting in their text send, they ensured that only subscribers who this was relevant to would receive the message.
Why We Love It:
Sloomoo Institute—a pop-up museum dedicated to all things slime—used their text messaging channel to send subscribers an invitation to purchase a ticket for a one-hour virtual Zoom class. They created a sense of urgency in their CTA (“BOOK BEFORE WE SELL OUT!”), an effective tactic to drive immediate action.
Why We Love It:
Food52—innovator in the food, cooking, and home space—used text messaging to let subscribers know about their mini fireplace. They included creative messaging in their signature voice (“yep, that means s’mores are always on the agenda”) to provide inspiration to subscribers on how they could use the fireplace. They ended the text with a direct link back to the product for easy checkout.
Why We Love It:
Food52—innovator in the food, cooking, and home space—promoted their French Oak Serving Boards to text messaging subscribers. They included an eye-catching GIF of the product being used, with “lots and lots of Brie,” to inspire subscribers with different ways to use the serving boards. The text ended with a direct link to the product, so subscribers could easily complete their purchase.
Why We Love It:
Food52—innovator in the food, cooking, and home space—sent SMS subscribers a “foolproof recipe for cinnamon rolls.” They included a mouth-watering image of the cinnamon rolls and ended with a link to their blog post that contained the recipe.
Why We Love It:
WeWoreWhat sent SMS subscribers a message highlighting what other customers were wearing, repurposing user-generated content to showcase the outfits. They used their friendly, approachable voice (“Excuse us while we obsess over how you’re wearing WeWoreWhat”) and ended with a clear CTA to shop the latest collections.
Why We Love It:
WeWoreWhat texted subscribers encouraging them to shop their latest “good mood” accessories. They included a GIF that showcased some of their accessories. This is an effective example of an engaging text message that does not include a discount but still drives revenue.
Why We Love It:
Dr. Caroline Leaf—a communication pathologist, cognitive neuroscientist, and bestselling author—invited text messaging subscribers to register for her free workshop. She let subscribers know that limited tickets were available, a great strategy to drive immediate action.
Why We Love It:
Dr. Caroline Leaf—a communication pathologist, cognitive neuroscientist, and bestselling author—uses text messaging to remind her subscribers to join her for live Q&A’s on Instagram. In the text, she includes what subscribers can expect to learn and ends the message with a link back to her Instagram account.
