Happy Foie is the animal-friendly alternative to conventional foie gras, made from the natural liver of free-range ducks and geese that are not force-fed. The brand has built a reputation for high-quality organic products. But every year, Happy Foie faces the same challenge: during the short autumn and winter period, when demand for its delicacies is highest, it needs to reach as many customers as possible.
The problem
Happy Foie is a strongly seasonal product. While demand for the delicacy is relatively low in spring and summer, it peaks in the autumn and winter months. During this short window, the brand needs to activate customers and remind them to stock up on duck and goose liver. Because many customers order only during this brief period, often only once per year, customer activation is especially challenging. After such a long period, customers behave more like new customers in marketing communication, which leads to significantly lower conversion rates. Happy Foie therefore needed a way to reach all of its customers on time for the season, make sure the message was actually read and quickly rebuild an emotional connection to the brand. Classic online marketing channels were not sufficient for that challenge.
The solution
Managing Director Phillip Esser was looking for a direct-marketing provider to reach customers, especially those who could not be reached by email. Happy Foie was lucky. In autumn 2023, PostPal ran a giveaway in which Happy Foie won one of three free postcard mailings with done-for-you service. This direct-mail campaign made it possible to reach nearly 100% of customers right at the start of the autumn season. PostPal handled the entire campaign process, from data preparation and design creation to printing and shipping. That gave Happy Foie a cost-effective and efficient CRM solution.
The campaign
The target audience for the campaign was deliberately dated far back. Customers were contacted if their last purchase was between 360 and 670 days ago. To win customers’ attention, the postcard was designed in an elaborate and emotional way with appealing images. The focus was less on the products themselves and more on the feeling of enjoying Happy Foie. Proven conversion practices were still applied, including clear brand recognition, a clearly visible 20% voucher value and a link to the website. The back of the postcard addressed customers personally by surname and was sent in the name of the managing director to build closeness and brand connection.
The results
The campaign results were remarkable. The campaign conversion rate was 4.3%. Vouchers were used in 2.7% of cases. The overall campaign return on advertising spend was 1,380%. Voucher redemptions were distributed evenly across the campaign period, showing that customers kept the postcards for a long time and used them as a constant purchase reminder.
Mailings to such old and inactive segments usually convert similarly to new-customer campaigns. The specific dynamics of selling Happy Foie, combined with the emotional campaign, tightly defined target audience and clear positioning of Happy Foie as the animal-friendly alternative, produced these outstanding results.
The successful collaboration between Happy Foie and PostPal enabled the brand to overcome its seasonal challenges and activate customers at the right moment. With postcard marketing, Happy Foie increased seasonal revenue and built a closer bond with its customers.