Who Gives A Crap grew subscriptions by customizing messages for local markets
About
After learning that 2.4 billion people — roughly 40% of the population — don't have access to a toilet, Danny Alexander, Simon Griffiths, and Jehan Ratnatunga started crowdfunding to raise money for the cause. They wanted to deliver a product that was both better for the environment and more delightful for customers. In 2013, after a successful campaign, they founded Who Gives A Crap. Today, the Australian company makes high-quality, plastic-free, and eco-friendly bamboo and recycled toilet paper, paper towel, dream clothes, and bamboo tissues. People are such huge fans that some have even built custom shelves to display the toilet paper.
In support of their original mission, Who Gives A Crap donates 50% of their profits to build toilets and improve sanitation around the world. To date, they've donated over 10 million AUD.
"We think of our brand as one of the easiest ways to do good, and the ease part of subscriptions is a huge enabler for that intention."
Mike Altman
Director of Lifecycle & CRM, Who Gives A Crap
Challenge
Who Gives A Crap is focused on ease — making replenishment simple, and helping people make a positive contribution with minimal effort. Therefore, subscriptions have been a part of the business model since inception. Since their product ships in bulk, Who Gives A Crap has a unique delivery cadence: they send customers boxes every 8, 12, or 16 weeks.
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With each box containing either 24 or 48 rolls, Who Gives A Crap wanted to ensure every customer received the correct amount of product on the right schedule. They needed to simplify subscription management, so customers could easily pause or delay if they had too much product.
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Finally, Who Gives A Crap is a global brand and has customers worldwide — meaning they had different communication needs for customers in various markets and locations. They wanted to upgrade their communication with customers to make richer connections and to continue driving lasting relationships.
Solution
Who Gives A Crap built out a customer portal to provide subscribers with maximum flexibility. In the portal, subscribers can easily skip or delay their shipments. Subscribers are empowered to adjust and modify their subscriptions to meet their ongoing needs.
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To give their customers an even richer and more personalized experience, Who Gives A Crap partnered with Klaviyo, a powerful SMS and email software. With Klaviyo and Recharge in their tech stack, Who Gives A Crap sends subscribers an upcoming order email three days before the next billing. Then, subscribers can proactively delay an order if they don't need any more product.
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Who Gives A Crap started in Australia and has many customers living in that timezone. Previously, they processed emails, such as these upcoming order reminders, at the same time for all customers. Meaning customers in the USA got notified during the workday, but customers in Australia received emails in the middle of the night. This lack of personalization wasn’t helping them grow customer engagement or satisfaction — customers weren’t interacting with emails arriving at random times.
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With Klaviyo, Who Gives A Crap customizes their communication for localized markets. They can manage when customers get upcoming charge reminders based on their time zone and send a message when the customer is most likely to engage with the email. Who Gives A Crap is majorly focused on customer retention, so nurturing individual customer relationships was vital.
Results
With subscriptions, Who Gives A Crap has both simplified the customer experience and supported their brand mission. Dedicated to ensuring ease, they have designed a convenient and flexible program and built a loyal subscriber base. By integrating Klaviyo, they've built even stronger customer relationships. With Klaviyo, Who Gives A Crap leverages data to deliver relevant messages at optimal times — by adjusting delivery times based on where customers live, they now see an impressive 75% open rate from notifications. By sending these notifications, they ensure that customers are made aware of upcoming deliveries, and can make updates if needed.
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Additionally, 30% of their customers access their accounts monthly via Klaviyo sent emails. Of these customers, 20% utilize quick actions to make instant adjustments to their subscription, so they get toilet paper exactly when they need it. By personalizing communication, Who Gives A Crap encourages subscribers to actively engage with their orders.
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Who Gives A Crap is primarily focused on access — for customers and people worldwide. With subscriptions, they've ensured ease for their customer base — over the last two years, their program has grown 250%. And, with each order, Who Gives A Crap is helping to build a more equitable world.
"We want to make each experience unique. We're able to share more about our brand and connect with customers in new ways."
Mike Altman
Director of Lifecycle & CRM, Who Gives A Crap
