Swarovski had a loyal male customer base but they weren’t being fully activated.
Most of the brand’s gifting campaigns targeted predictable occasions like birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas.
The issue? These were calendar moments, not emotional moments.
Our data showed that men accounted for 22% of total transactions, but their average basket size (£110) was 30% higher than female shoppers.
Yet, outside of holidays, engagement dropped to almost zero.
Action:
We decided to test whether emotional, everyday triggers could outperform milestone campaigns.
Using A/B testing, we ran two distinct campaigns:
- Test 1: A traditional “milestone” message that said “The perfect gift for someone special.”
- Test 2: Emotionally timed messages such as “It’s payday, treat her (or yourself).” and “A little something for when you messed up.”
We also layered upsell touch points at checkout and added a follow-up reminder email 48 hours later, showing complementary pieces.
Result:
The impact was immediate.
- +42% increase in conversion rate for the emotional Test 2 campaigns
- +27% higher average basket value (£140 vs £110)
- +36% uplift in repeat purchase rate over the next 90 days
- The male segment grew from 22% to 31% of total revenue within six weeks
The takeaway? When gifting feels personal, relatable, and emotional, men buy more and buy again.
Lesson:
There’s always hidden revenue in your existing data, you just have to look beyond the obvious.
Don’t target by date, target by emotion. When brands move from “buy for an occasion” to “buy because it feels right,” they stop chasing moments and start creating them.
