Leading BEAUTY RETAILER USES Gamification to
supercharge their christmas marketing strategy
Who are SEPHORA?
SEPHORA offer the latest, most innovative and unique beauty selections for their customers. They work hard to discover the best brands and products across the world, so they can offer their customers the most efficient formulas, inclusive ranges, and environmentally responsible selections. Since SEPHORA landed in the UK in 2022, they has been integrating gamification within their email and app marketing, supercharging customer acquisition, engagement and retention.
The Challenge?
SEPHORA aimed to acquire more customer traffic to the app and supercharge revenue raised from both their website and app at Christmas in 2023. Furthermore, in preparation for SEPHORA’S 2024 physical Beauty Calendar, SEPHORA faced customers signing up but not opting in to know when the calendar will be released. SEPHORA wanted to test whether or not they would get more opt-ins if they changed the wording or messaging in their opt in box. This approach should allow SEPHORA to assess the impact of opt-in text and gamified experiences within the app.
The Strategy
SEPHORA pushed a 24-day interactive calendar via their emails and socials which was hosted on the SEPHORA app. Each day, customers received either an email or a notification from the app encouraging them to go find out what the reward of the day was. Every time the customer opened the experience, they could open the door of the day and reveal their prize. Sephora designed the calendar to build excitement and ultimately drive customer acquisition & loyalty. After the success of using gamification for their 2023 Christmas marketing strategy, SEPHORA decided to again utilise the digital calendar in 2024. Sephora also used Odicci’s A/B split testing feature to test different opt in texts for their physical Beauty Calendar, as a way of seeing if they would gain more opt ins if they changed the copy to telling customers they will be notified when the calendar is available.
What were the results?
From using Interactive Calendars to acquire and engage their target audience, SEPHORA supercharged opt-in and traffic to the website and app. The Digital Calendar gained a whopping 272k entries and 11k average daily entries.
Furthermore, SEPHORA gained a 60% uplift from test B of the A/B testing in 2024. The Type B experience gave customers the option to opt-in to updates about the Beauty Calendar, which ultimately supercharged sales. From digital calendars to opt-ins for their physical calendar, SEPHORA were able to truly embrace gamification into their Christmas Marketing strategy and optimise customer engagement during a peak season.
SEPHORAS 2023 Advent Calendar – launched via emails, app notifications, app pop ups and the app homepage.
Experience in Detail
Solution
SEPHORA fully integrated gamification into their 2023 and 2024 Christmas strategy. SEPHORA introduced a 24-day interactive calendar in 2023 across emails, their website, and app, offering daily rewards to keep customers engaged. Due to the success of last year, they are continuing to launch another interactive calendar in 2024. Furthermore, for their physical 2024 Beauty Calendar, they A/B split tested an opt-in feature, encouraging customers to sign up for calendar updates to evaluate if targeted communications would boost sales compared to the previous year. The initiative aimed to build excitement, enhance customer loyalty, and attract new audiences.
Reward Customers Daily With Digital Calendars
Rewarding customers daily helps SEPHORA build stronger customer loyalty by creating consistent engagement and giving them a reason to return to the app and website. It establishes a habit of interaction, keeping the brand top-of-mind while fostering emotional connections through a sense of appreciation. Daily rewards from the digital calendar also drives incremental sales, as customers are more likely to make additional purchases to take advantage of offers or qualify for incentives. Furthermore, it has provided SEPHORA opportunities to gather valuable customer data and refine personalisation strategies.
Due to utilising an interactive calendar during the Christmas season, SEPHORA have been able to promote 24 brands within their roster and achieved major sales for themselves and the brands they work with. Some of these brands include OLAPLEX, Color Wow, La Roche Posay, Laura Mercier YSL, Urban Decay and Fenty Beauty. Gamification taps into the human instinct to compete and win. By combining this instinct with the incentive of rewards from big brands, SEPHORA have created an experience that is perfect for driving revenue and engagement.
Interactive calendars at Christmas give brands like SEPHORA a competitive edge by creating a sense of anticipation and excitement that keeps customers coming back daily. These experiences foster deeper engagement by combining gamification and personalized rewards, making the brand more memorable during a busy shopping season. Additionally, they encourage app downloads, website visits, and email interactions, driving both traffic and sales while strengthening customer loyalty. By standing out with unique, festive campaigns, brands position themselves as innovative and customer-focused, gaining an edge in a competitive holiday market.
Gain A Competitive Edge With A/B Testing
Using A/B testing enables data-driven optimisation of SEPHORAs experience. By testing features such as opt-ins for notifications or different reward structures, brands can identify what resonates most with their audience, maximising engagement and conversions. This iterative approach ensures that their Beauty Calendar not only delights customers but also achieves measurable business objectives, such as more people in stores and on the website. Gaining insights into customer preferences allows brands to refine future campaigns, staying ahead of competitors by delivering highly effective and tailored experiences. SEPHORA achieved a +60% increase in opt-ins from test B to test A, proving to them that copy encouraging users to opt in to notifications works.
SEPHORAS 2024 Advent Calendar Opt In A/B testing- Test A.
In this version, Sephora did not mention the advent calendar on the opt-in button or the exit page.
SEPHORAS 2024 Advent Calendar Opt In A/B testing- Test B.
In this version, SEPHORA included copy about the advent calendar in the opt-in button and exit page.
This proved to be a more successful strategy, achieving a +62% uplift in opt -ins.
Interactive calendars and A/B testing have proven to be game-changers for SEPHORA, enabling them to acquire and engage their target audience effectively during the festive season. By combining gamified experiences with strategic testing, SEPHORA encouraged customers to interact regularly with their app and website, fostering excitement and driving consistent traffic. The brand’s 24-day calendar delivered personalised rewards, creating a seamless blend of engagement and acquisition.
The results speak for themselves: SEPHORA’s digital calendar initiative saw 270k+ entries, with an average of 11,000 daily participants, highlighting its popularity. The gamified experience not only boosted customer involvement but also strengthened loyalty by delivering consistent value throughout the campaign.
A/B testing further amplified the campaign’s success. By experimenting with detailed opt-in features, SEPHORA achieved a 60% uplift in engagement for test B, demonstrating the power of clear, targeted messaging. These strategies allowed SEPHORA to maximise both immediate revenue and long-term customer relationships, solidifying their competitive edge during the busiest time of the year
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