Email and Retargeting Drives Pub Subs Gains, Lowers CPA 89%

Case Type: Develop campaign plans against defined CPA goals, execute launch activities, measure performance and optimize to achieve partner objectives

Partner Type: Leading global digital and traditional subscription-based and ad-supported business publisher

Challenge: Consistently drive online and/or traditional print subscription acquisition against a defined cost-per acquisition (CPA) goal

Solution: iSOCRATES Managed Services’ end-to-end development and ongoing management of Email and Email Retargeting campaigns

Approach: iSOCRATES evaluated the Partner’s market and confirmed its business KPIs to develop a campaign recommendation including target profile, geographic considerations, budget, timing and messaging.

Based on the campaign objectives, iSOCRATES recommended an always-on, two-pronged effort using Email and Email Re-targeting to reach a target audience of high-income influencers living in major U.S. DMAs.

The re-targeting was executed by placing a tracking pixel within the Partner’s subscription process to capture those who had started a transaction but did not convert immediately. Those individuals were then re-targeted via an Email during the same 30-day tracking period requesting that they return to take advantage of the special subscription offer. Users who received the initial email but did not subscribe would be sent a second, retargeted email which highlighted the limited-time savings.

The iSOCRATES team tracked campaign performance mid-flight and end-of each month to ensure achievement of the CPA goal. Post-campaign learnings were then leveraged to optimize future activity.

Results: iSOCRATES’ Email program consistently met or exceeded Publisher’s CPA goal on a monthly basis to help generate new subscriber revenue and grow their advertising rate base. CPA for those who received the second, retargeted email converted at a much higher conversion rate, allowing for an 89% lower CPA versus the same timeframe a year earlier.