Placing the customer front and centre, new CX agency Wonder has built a robust e-commerce and digital ecosystem that has seen Granny Goose coming out of this challenging year stronger than before.
Deloitte Digital’s Digital Commerce Acceleration report from earlier this year notes that ‘the starting point for any organisation seeking to develop a digital commerce strategy should always be: “What problem are you solving for a customer?” To be able to answer this question, a clear understanding of customers’ needs and wants is required.’
The report predicts that consumers’ purchasing journeys will increasingly become ‘a blend of in-store and online shopping experiences across all categories’ and that a strong digital commerce offering is essential to generate growth and future-proof businesses and the brands they’ve built.[1]
Into this landscape stepped Wonder, a new CX agency that ‘recognises the primacy of data, content and technology in building powerful, connected customer experiences’. With three industry heavyweights at the helm, client wins have been quick and Wonder is already running with projects for Unitrans Africa, CURRENCY HUB, Jet, Ascendis Healthcare, Chill Beverages and Sealand. Their work with Granny Goose demonstrates the power of CX innovation.
Founded in 1992, Granny Goose is a well-established luxury bedding brand with seven showrooms, a website, call centre and a staff complement of 20.
When the challenges of lockdown and new retail behaviour bit, they needed to pivot and give support to their online offering.
‘Not only were customers now more online, but production and stores were facing challenges. We needed to identify new avenues to reach customers and also look to grow basket size with new and existing customers,’ says founder Gaynor McVitty.
Granny Goose approached Wonder to develop customer journeys using content and media to draw potential purchasers to a robust digital ecosystem that integrated sales, marketing and production capacity.
Tracking and tracing the user journey
Wonder’s solution was to build a learning system rather than a campaign. “We looked at key drivers of the customer journey and what influences decisions in key moments, then using data- driven insights we refined and optimised to drive maximum sales,” says Chief Strategy Officer Helen Ludwig.
By tracking customer segments, Wonder established which content used with which paid media on which channels would drive response. A strong content strategy was put in place that looked to seasons, purchase likelihood, lifestyle themes and education around product. The messaging and communication positioned Granny Goose as the authority in sleep.
Through Wonder’s paid media partner, Hotseat, that content was seeded with digital marketing. And once customers were drawn onto the purchase pathway, their behaviour and actions were monitored to assess purchase, repeat purchase and likelihood of related purchases. Using these data, different tactics were then applied to convert.
Beyond marketing
‘The system was built up over six months and we integrated marketing, sales, product planning and IT,’ says Ludwig. ‘Because it’s not a campaign-based approach, we see this always-on system continuing to evolve for as long as it’s delivering results.’
She notes that by being truly customer centric and focusing on the customer journey, Wonder built a system that expanded beyond the marketing function, and that constantly learns and iterates based on customer purchase behaviour.
As a result, Granny Goose has experienced five months of new monthly sales records since Wonder took over.
McVitty says that innovation has been a core value of the Granny Goose business, and the company has always strived to meet customers’ changing needs. ‘Wonder has delivered an online presence that ensures that Granny Goose meets our customers where they want to be, with the right message and the right product, at the right time,’ she says. ‘There are some exciting new ranges coming soon and we’re looking forward to introducing them to our customers in our online environment as well as in our retail stores.’
From Wonder’s perspective, partnering with the leaders of a premium market segment and helping them carve their way into leadership of the online retail space has been a privilege: ‘Through collaboration and a strong customer-centric strategy, we’ve digitally transformed the Granny Goose offering, helped grow their customer base and delivered a healthy ROI,’ says Ludwig. ‘It is deeply satisfying.’
ENDS
ABOUT WONDER
As of March 2021,South Africa’s marketing landscape has an innovative new player – a CX agency with three significant leaders at the helm.
Industry heavyweights Gareth McPherson (ex-Virgin Active Chief Marketing Officer and both Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Machine for close to eight years) and Helen Ludwig (local ad industry strategy leader and former Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Director at Saatchi & Saatchi) have joined forces as CEO and Chief Strategy Officer respectively at Wonder, the country’s newest CX-specific agency. Digital maverick Adrian Hewlett is a partner and non-executive chairperson.
Client wins have been quick off the mark, with Wonder already running with projects for Unitrans Africa, Granny Goose, CURRENCY HUB, Ascendis Health, Chill Beverages, Jet and Sealand.
Wonder’s services run across CX strategy and brand development through to content marketing, UX design, data and technology solutions, PR and influencer campaigns, experiential and activation opportunities and through-the-line communication.
ABOUT GRANNY GOOSE
Granny Goose Duvets is a Cape Town based family business that opened its doors more than 25 years ago. Our mission is to provide our customers with the best quality down duvets, pillows and bed linen products, with unsurpassed service. We hope that we can make a small difference in the lives of our customers by offering them the products that will greatly improve their quality of sleep.
[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/za/Documents/strategy/za-Digital-Commerce-Acceleration-2021-Digital.pdf