Case Study- Implementing HubSpot for a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brand

Business Overview- This case study focuses on a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brand selling premium wellness products through its website. The brand operates entirely online, selling a range of health and beauty products, such as skincare, supplements, and wellness accessories. Over the past few years, the brand has built a strong online presence, with an active social media following, and has seen a steady increase in customer loyalty and sales. However, as the business grew, they faced challenges in maintaining personalised customer engagement, scaling customer acquisition efforts, and ensuring a smooth customer journey across all touchpoints.

The Challenge-

  1. Lack of Personalisation in Customer Engagement- With thousands of customers engaging through multiple touchpoints (website, email, social media), the brand struggled to maintain meaningful relationships and personalise communications at scale.
  2. Siloed Marketing and Sales Efforts- The brand’s marketing efforts were spread across multiple platforms (email, social media, website), making it difficult to manage and track customer interactions and ensure consistent messaging.
  3. Limited Ability to Upsell and Cross-Sell- While the brand had great product offerings, there was a lack of an effective strategy for upselling and cross-selling, particularly with repeat customers.
  4. Inefficient Lead Nurturing and Sales Funnel- The brand wasn’t fully capitalising on lead nurturing opportunities. Prospective customers often dropped off in the sales funnel due to lack of follow-up or personalised communication.
  5. Customer Retention- While initial sales were strong, the brand struggled with repeat purchases and long-term customer retention, as there were limited post-purchase engagement strategies in place.

Solution- Implementing Hubspot CRM for Seamless Customer Engagement and Sales Growth

To tackle these challenges, we implemented Hubspot CRM to streamline customer engagement, automate workflows, and provide a 360-degree view of customer interactions. Here’s how we customised Hubspot for this DTC brand-

1. Centralised Customer Data and Personalisation-

HubSpot CRM allowed the brand to consolidate all customer data into one system, enabling them to segment customers based on-

  • Purchase history (which products customers bought, how frequently, etc.)
  • Engagement history (emails opened, links clicked, social media interactions)
  • Customer preferences (based on past purchases, surveys, or browsing behaviour)

Using this data, the brand was able to create highly personalised email campaigns, tailored product recommendations, and exclusive offers that resonated with individual customer preferences, increasing engagement and conversions.

2. Automated Workflows for Lead Nurturing-

The brand faced challenges in nurturing leads effectively, especially for first-time visitors or potential customers who didn’t immediately make a purchase. We implemented automated workflows to guide these prospects through the sales funnel-

  • Welcome series- A series of emails sent automatically to new subscribers, introducing them to the brand, showcasing popular products, and offering a discount for their first purchase.
  • Abandoned cart reminders- If a customer added products to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase, HubSpot sent automated reminders with personalised offers or product recommendations.
  • Product review requests- After a customer made a purchase, HubSpot automatically sent an email requesting feedback or a product review, helping the brand build trust with new customers.

These workflows helped maintain consistent engagement and ensured that leads didn’t fall through the cracks.

3. Seamless Integration with E-Commerce Platform

HubSpot seamlessly integrated with the DTC brand’s e-commerce platform (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce), automatically syncing customer purchase data, cart information, and order history. This integration enabled the brand to-

  • Track customer activity- Understand when customers made a purchase, what products they bought, and how often they bought.
  • Identify high-value customers- By tracking repeat purchases, HubSpot identified loyal customers who could benefit from special offers, loyalty programs, or exclusive access to new products.
  • Targeted upselling and cross-selling- Based on customers’ past purchases, HubSpot automated product recommendations through email and the website, promoting relevant products at the right time (e.g., a follow-up email suggesting a complementary product after a customer purchases skincare items).

This integration made it easier to track customers’ entire buying journey and optimise engagement efforts.

4. Centralised Marketing Efforts

Prior to implementing HubSpot, the brand’s marketing efforts were fragmented across multiple platforms (email marketing, social media, paid ads). HubSpot provided a unified platform to manage all marketing efforts, including-

  • Email campaigns- HubSpot’s email marketing tools enabled the brand to create segmented, personalised campaigns based on customer data, leading to better open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
  • Social media scheduling and tracking- HubSpot’s social media tools allowed the brand to schedule posts, track engagement, and respond to customer inquiries directly from the CRM.
  • Landing pages and forms- HubSpot made it easy to create custom landing pages and forms to capture lead information, allowing the brand to nurture prospects and drive conversions.

By centralising marketing efforts, the brand was able to ensure consistent messaging and improve overall marketing performance.

5. Customer Loyalty and Retention Strategies

HubSpot enabled the brand to implement a customer loyalty strategy through automated post-purchase engagement-

  • Thank-you emails after every purchase, along with personalised product recommendations based on the customer’s previous buying behaviour.
  • Exclusive offers and discounts for repeat customers, encouraging them to return for future purchases.
  • Customer referral programs were introduced, incentivising existing customers to refer friends or family to the brand in exchange for discounts or rewards.

These post-purchase touchpoints helped drive customer loyalty and increased the likelihood of repeat purchases.

6. Advanced Reporting and Analytics

HubSpot’s advanced reporting tools provided the DTC brand with valuable insights into their marketing and sales performance-

  • Customer lifetime value (CLV)- The brand could now track the lifetime value of customers, understanding which channels and marketing efforts brought the most valuable customers.
  • Conversion rates- HubSpot provided detailed reports on conversion rates, email performance, and sales funnel progression, helping the brand identify areas for optimisation.
  • ROI tracking- The brand was able to track the ROI of its marketing campaigns and advertising spend, adjusting strategies to maximise efficiency.

These insights empowered the brand to make data-driven decisions, optimise campaigns, and improve the customer experience.

Results

After implementing HubSpot, the DTC brand saw significant improvements across the board-

  • Increased Sales Conversion- The automated workflows, including abandoned cart reminders and personalised product recommendations, led to a 30% increase in conversion rates.
  • Improved Customer Retention- By implementing loyalty programs and post-purchase engagement strategies, the brand saw a 25% increase in repeat purchases from existing customers.
  • Enhanced Customer Engagement- The brand’s email open rates improved by 40%, and customer interactions through social media became more streamlined and personalised.
  • Increased Upsell and Cross-Sell Revenue- Product recommendations generated through HubSpot led to a 15% increase in upsell and cross-sell revenue.
  • Better Data Insights- The brand gained valuable insights into customer behaviour, which helped refine marketing strategies and optimise sales efforts.

Implementing HubSpot CRM allowed the DTC brand to overcome several key challenges, including fragmented customer engagement, inefficient lead nurturing, and poor customer retention. By centralising customer data, automating workflows, and leveraging personalisation at scale, the brand was able to improve both its sales conversion rates and customer loyalty, driving sustainable growth in the competitive DTC market.

For DTC brands looking to optimise their sales processes, engage customers more effectively, and scale operations, HubSpot offers an invaluable tool to streamline marketing efforts, automate customer journeys, and maximise revenue potential.

Contact emarkable today to learn how HubSpot can help transform your DTC brand’s customer engagement and sales strategies.

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.