The importance of "super consumers"

Hello!

I hope your week is off to a good start.

Things are busy over here at the studio. We’ve launched multiple websites, kicked off some exciting projects and I’m having a lot of discussions about our Shopify app Roadmap.

In between the work, I’ve been reading – as I do. And this week I stumbled across an article that mentioned “super consumers”. It’s a term I’d heard many years ago, so with bells ringing in the back of my head, I decided to dig deeper.

While the name feels outdated, the core principles are more relevant than ever – especially in these weird financial times. So I thought I’d share my findings with you along with some ideas to create your own merry band of “super consumers”.

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Strategy
📖 Why super consumers may be the key to growth and resilience

Tactics
🖥️ 8 simple campaign ideas to create super consumers

Conversation
💬 Ask me anything

📖 STRATEGY

Why super consumers may be the key to growth and resilience

I know what you’re thinking.

“Super consumer”. Gross.

It sounds like something from a bad dystopian sci-fi film – a mutant byproduct of rampant capitalism. But if we can get past the horrible marketing jargon for a minute, there’s a positive concept here. Stick with me.

Super consumers make up a small but mighty segment of uber-loyal customers, who contribute disproportionately to a company’s overall sales.

In tough financial times, super consumers become more important than ever. When others shop around for a better deal, super consumers remain steadfast, supporting those brands they feel a deep connection to.

So how do you transform your garden variety consumer to a super one?

Create connections

• Personalisation is great for this. Cater to your customers’ preferences with targeted email marketing. You can also encourage account creation to gather more data so that you can incorporate personalisation within your store.

• Share content that speaks to your values, not just your products. People are placing increasing importance in shared values, turning away from brands that don’t align. Let your customers know who you are and what you stand for. That’s the key to connection.

Deliver value

• People are much less likely to shop around if they feel they are getting good value – and that doesn’t mean heavily discounting your products.* Your customers may actually spend more with you if you present a compelling offer.

• To create a pattern of repeat purchases, it’s important that you reward loyalty. Psychologically, we humans love positive reinforcement.

Now that we’ve covered the theory, how do you put it into practice? I’ve got a few ideas below.

*A few weeks ago, I wrote a newsletter on alternative strategies to discounting. You can revisit that here.

🖥️ TACTICS

8 simple campaign ideas to create super consumers

Objective: Conversion + upsell
Strategy: Deliver value

Seasonal or thematic gifts
Offer a gift with purchase that aligns with seasons or events e.g. Mother’s Day or the arrival of Autumn. This keeps the offering fresh and relevant while delivering value.

Bundle gifts 
Create product bundles where the gift complements the main purchase e.g. free socks with new boots. This enhances the overall perceived value of the purchase.

Tiered gifts based on purchase value  
Implement a tiered gift system where the value of the free gift increases with the purchase amount. This can motivate higher spending.

Cross-sell discounts
Encourage customers to explore different categories and increase their overall cart value by offering a strategic discount. For example, "Buy any dress and get 20% off shoes."

Objective: Loyalty + retention
Strategy: Reward with exclusive perks

Exclusive member gifts 
Offer a special gift for logged-in members with their purchase. This encourages account creation, providing you with further data and marketing opportunities.

VIP-only product releases
Design product releases that are exclusively available to VIP-tagged members. This can be a significant incentive for customers to reach VIP status.

Tag-based early access
Offer early access to secret products for members with specific tags (e.g. VIP, long-term customer). This can be communicated through targeted email campaigns.

Surprise gifts with purchase
For select tagged members, include a surprise secret product with their regular purchase. Be sure to let them know that they’re receiving the exclusive gift because they’re a loyal customer.

Need help implementing these campaigns? All of this is possible with our Shopify app, Roadmap. To get access or have an open chat, reply to this email.

💬 CONVERSATION

Ask me anything

I’ve had an influx of questions following last week’s call-out, so I’m now going to record the video next week.

That means you’ve still got time to submit yours if you want to ask me anything about e-commerce, design, development, conversion, retention, or anything else I might be able to help with.

Reply to this email with your questions before Friday and I’ll share the video with my answers next week.

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Thanks for reading!

Until next time.

Alex Murton
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Studio Almond