How Sonos Uses In-App Messaging to Personalize the Customer Experience

When it comes to their in-app messaging strategy, Sonos doesn’t follow the crowd.

Laura Whitworth, Sonos’ Senior Director of Global DTC, and Rachel Dudley, Director of Global CRM, shared the strategies and insights that they’re using to drive customer engagement at Airship’s latest Elevate event. Let’s break them down.

Focus Effort on Channels That Work

Sonos is unique: They favor in-app messaging over push notifications and SMS.

Because their app is a necessary part of the customer experience, Sonos doesn’t waste energy trying to reach customers where they’re not. Instead, they focus on the channel where they know they’ll be able to deliver a quality experience for customers.

And Sonos isn’t flying blind: Since the pandemic, they’ve improved their segmentation of users. Much of this process can be automated, which saves both time and money. Segmenting and thoroughly researching their customers allows Sonos to more effectively run in-app messaging campaigns.

Insight: Don’t get caught trying to exhaust every channel. Find what works for your brand, and hone your effort there. Utilize segmentation as best you can.

Put the Customer Experience First

It’s tempting to use in-app messaging like email campaigns, with endless promos and aggressive sales. But, Sonos’ Rachel Dudley cautions against this. Your app is one of the most personal ways to reach customers. Drowning them with promotions can backfire, and might leave your customers feeling frustrated with the experience.

Staying focused on customer experience isn’t always as easy as it sounds. This is especially true when you’ve got multiple teams, each with different goals, trying to work together. Sonos saw big improvements by dedicating a team to managing digital presence on apps. 

Insight: In-app messaging (and, to an extent, SMS) is more intimate than a channel like email. Focus on the customer experience above all else – and be gentle, not aggressive.

Encourage Teams to Collaborate on Strategy

The digital team at Sonos collaborates with their product team on strategy. They come up with a joint roadmap and shared KPIs, so that everyone is in alignment with goals. By doing this, teams have more clarity on strategy – and can surface new insights for in-app messaging.

Different teams will have different goals. Collaborating and aligning can surface new ideas for growth. It’s been a win-win for Sonos.

Insight: Don’t create your messaging strategy in a silo. Collaborate with other teams to define joint KPIs. What goals do you want to hit, and how can you work together to get there?

About Airship’s In-App Messaging Solution

Sonos works their magic with Airship’s in-app messaging solution. It’s built to help your brand send the right messages to the right people. Click the blue button below to contact us today.

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