Success Story

How MAC Cosmetics used Insider’s Web Suite and Architect to generate 17.2X ROI and 53,000 new leads in two days

Personalization
InStory
Smart Recommender
Architect

17.2X

ROI

7.28%

increase
in AOV

4.78%

increase
in CVR

53,000

new
leads

Industry

Retail

Category

CDP

Channels

Web Push
Messaging

Solutions

Architect
InStory
Sirius AI

No one should think twice about choosing Insider. I’m completely on board with them and have been very intrigued by how the team at Insider functions; how they think outside of the box when it comes to innovation, especially with their Gen AI-powered tools under Sirius AI, and how their skilled team has become friends, not just people we work with.

Ecommerce Manager

Executive summary

MAC Cosmetics partnered with Insider to revolutionize its customer experience and deliver a seamless journey across mobile and web. Using gamification templates available in Insider’s Web Suite, MAC increased conversion rates by up to 4.78% and average order value by 7.28%. The Smart Journey Creator feature, along with Architect—Insider’s AI-powered journey orchestration tool—enabled MAC to engage customers across 12+ channels with the right message at the right time. Additionally, the team experienced increased speed and agility by leveraging Generative AI features to create campaign copy and images efficiently. Overall, Insider’s platform helped MAC achieve an impressive 17.2X ROI.

About MAC

Since 1984, MAC Cosmetics has pioneered conscious beauty across 120+ countries. With a mantra of “All Ages, All Races, All Genders,” MAC’s iconic products enable limitless self-expression. As a global catalyst for self-expression, diversity, and positive change, MAC empowers individuals to embrace their unique beauty and make a meaningful impact.

USE CASE #1

Using gamification to generate 53,000 new leads in 2 days

The challenge

Entering a new region posed a vital challenge for the marketing team: generating leads to build a robust customer database. This meant turning anonymous website visitors into subscribed customers was critical. However, many potential customers abandoned their carts without making a purchase or signing up for MAC’s newsletter.

The solution

To address this challenge, MAC implemented the Wheel of Fortune template from Insider’s Web Suite. This interactive gamification strategy encouraged first-time visitors to spin the wheel and receive a coupon code in exchange for providing their email address. The gamification strategy successfully converted anonymous website visitors into leads, laying the foundation for MAC to build long-term customer relationships.

The results

53,000

new leads
generated

4.43%

increase
in CVR

64.95%

CTR

USE CASE #2

Increasing CVR by 2.3% with AI-powered smart recommendations 

The challenge

MAC’s ecommerce team was looking to increase sales and knew the best way to do this was by tempting customers with additional products to purchase to increase AOV. However, promoting random products to shoppers was damaging the customer experience due to a lack of relevance. 

The solution

By consolidating all customer data from various channels into Insider’s CDP, MAC was finally able to achieve a 360-degree view of its customers. By leveraging Insider’s AI-powered recommendation engine, Smart Recommender, MAC showcased real-time, relevant recommendations based on customer behavior. Displaying ‘frequently viewed,’ ‘purchased together,’ and ‘top sellers’ on product and cart pages helped to influence MAC’s shoppers to purchase additional complementary products

“The Insider team is always available, and always helping us optimize our customer experience.”

Ecommerce Executive

The results

20.56%

add-to-cart rate

2.3%

increase in CVR

USE CASE #3

Leveraging cross-channel journey automation to tackle cart abandonment

The challenge

Like many online retailers, MAC faced a persistent challenge of cart abandonment on its website. Recognizing the need to recover these potentially lost sales to increase its bottom line, MAC again turned to Insider.

The solution

With customer data unified in Insider’s CDP, MAC knew exactly which products customers had left in their carts. Using Insider’s customer journey orchestration tool, Architect, MAC was then able to re-engage users with personalized messages about these products across different marketing channels. 

By sending personalized Web Push notifications, MAC could target customers even if they weren’t on the website. This cross-channel, AI-driven strategy  ensured that MAC communicated the right message at the right time, encouraging shoppers to return and complete their purchases.

The results

14.45%

click-through
rate

16.69%

conversion
rate

USE CASE #4

Leveraging cross-channel journey automation to tackle cart abandonment

The challenge

Customers shopping on mobile have a very short attention span, and MAC knew  keeping them engaged onsite was a challenge. It was looking for a better way to capture the mindshare of its mobile customers and encourage them to stick around and discover new products from their smartphones.

The solution

Insider proposed InStory, an interactive story overlay that delivers fullscreen Instagram-like experiences on Mobile Web. Using the InStory dashboard, MAC was able to showcase its best-selling and trending products, plus festival and seasonal offers, in an immersive format designed to encourage discovery and engagement. InStory captivated shoppers, guiding them to specific product pages where they could make a purchase. 

The results

123.5%

increase in
mobile CVR

7.28%

increase in
AOV

29%

click-through
rate

5X

productivity
gains

USE CASE #5

Tapping into shopping trends to increase CVR by 10.7%

The challenge

Beauty shoppers often compare multiple products during the buying journey to ensure they pick the right one for them. MAC recognized the pivotal role that comparing products played in CVR, so it was looking to improve product comparability across its website.

The solution

Insider proposed integrating a last-viewed product widget across all of MAC’s product pages using Insider’s
AI-powered algorithm. This strategic addition meant that when a user visited a product page, MAC could showcase the products they’d previously viewed, helping streamline the comparison process and empowering users to make purchasing decisions more efficiently.

The results

43.2%

increase in time spent
on product pages

10.7%

increase in
conversions

13.2%

boost in revenue attributed to recommendations

USE CASE #6

Revitalizing limited-time offer promotions to increase CVR by 4.78%

The challenge

MAC was looking for a fresh and engaging approach to better promote limited-time offers, boosting customer interactions and enhancing the likelihood of purchase.

The solution

Given the success of its previous gamification strategy in driving leads, MAC decided to leverage another gamification template from Insider’s Web Suite: Memory Game. This innovative digital game injected an element of excitement into the offer, providing users with a delightful and interactive experience and increasing their engagement with the MAC brand. To optimize engagement from the outset, MAC also utilized Sirius AI to generate compelling copy, ensuring that the messaging resonated effectively with customers.

The results

4.78%

increase
in CVR

29.28%

click-through
rate

Summary

“At MAC, we are constantly looking to innovate with new trends and features to make a consumer’s shopping journey memorable. Through Insider, we have been able to strengthen gamification, and the exciting new features deployed on our website have helped us in our aim to be seen as a forward-looking brand with long-term desirability to purchase. Additionally, the integration of Sirius AI has significantly increased our team’s productivity, creativity, and performance, allowing us to deliver even more engaging experiences for our customers.”

Brand Head

Looking ahead

Impressed by the impact of Insider’s gamification templates, MAC is now looking to experiment with more gamified strategies. It also intends to expand its use of Architect to build more complex customer journeys with advanced segmentation to ensure a level of hyper-personalization that spans the entire customer lifecycle. MAC plans to utilize the Smart Segment and Journey Creator features more extensively, enabling them to create tailored experiences and optimize engagement from the outset.

Favorite feature

Sirius AI

MAC is thrilled with Insider’s Sirius AI, which has revolutionized their marketing processes by automating tasks like content generation, segmentation, and journey orchestration. By leveraging Sirius AI, MAC has significantly increased the productivity, creativity, and efficiency of its team. The tool has enabled them to create high-performing campaigns in a fraction of the time, delivering hyper-personalized experiences that drive engagement and conversions.

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