Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh - User Engagement Teardown
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The document analyzes user engagement strategies for meal kit services Blue Apron and HelloFresh over a three-week period after user sign-up. It highlights the differences in communication methods, with Blue Apron focusing on delivery updates and HelloFresh emphasizing promotional content. The evaluation provides recommendations for optimizing marketing approaches through coordinated messaging and targeted customer engagement.
Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh - User Engagement Teardown
- 2. User Engagement Teardown Make sure to watch full screen! Press this button Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 2
- 3. A Quick Word on Iterable Iterable is the growth marketing platform that enables omni-channel relevance at scale. Segment users, build workflows, automate touch points and test strategies without engineering support. Everything you see here (and more) can be done with Iterable. You can see other teardowns at: iterable.com/teardown Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 3
- 4. What is a “User Engagement Teardown?” We analyze user engagement over a defined period post-signup. We offer constructive evaluation and feedback. We cover all types of B2C businesses: e-commerce, marketplaces, media, politics, etc. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 4
- 5. Background on Blue Apron and HelloFresh Blue Apron and HelloFresh are two leading meal kit subscription services. •Blue Apron, founded in 2012, was valued at around $3 billion when the brand initiated its IPO in June 2017. •HelloFresh, headquartered in Berlin, has raised over $360 million with a valuation of approximately $2 billion. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 5
- 6. What We Did We signed up and received messages over three weeks between May and June 2017. We escalated our activity over time: • Completed user profiles • Downloaded mobile apps • Subscribed, then canceled, each service Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6
- 7. On to the User Engagement Timeline…
- 8. User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 8 MessagesUserActivity We’ll show you what we (the user) did here… Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
- 9. User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9 MessagesUserActivity We’ll show you what we (the user) did here… Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push …and the messages we received here. Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
- 10. User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 10 MessagesUserActivity We’ll show you what we (the user) did here… Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push …and the messages we received here. Activities and message types are color coded as shown in this key. Days from start: Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90
- 11. Now let’s look at Blue Apron and HelloFresh’s user engagement. First, Blue Apron…
- 12. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 12 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 13. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 13 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 After we signed up for email communications, we received an email blast with a subscription coupon. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 14. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 14 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 We then received two more blasts encouraging us to subscribe. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 15. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 15 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Two days after subscribing, we received a welcome email. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 16. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 16 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 We signed up for SMS and push on Day 8, but Blue Apron didn’t send any mobile messages during our research. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 17. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 17 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Instead, they sent a blast email featuring their partnership with Seafood Watch, a non-profit organization to promote sustainable seafood. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 18. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 18 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Followed by a transactional email informing us that our shipment was on its way. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 19. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 19 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Blue Apron requires customers to contact their support team if they’d like to cancel their subscription. So we sent them an email. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 20. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 20 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 As a response, we received a transactional support confirmation with instructions on how to cancel, followed by a triggered re-engagement message. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 21. The Blue Apron User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 21 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Although our subscription was canceled, our next shipment had not yet arrived, so we received three more emails regarding its delivery status. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 22. Now let’s look at HelloFresh’s user engagement…
- 23. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 23 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 24. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 24 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 One day after signing up for email communications, HelloFresh sent two blasts encouraging us to subscribe. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 25. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 25 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 We then purchased our subscription, but HelloFresh sent us two more signup offers. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 26. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 26 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Two days after subscribing, we received a welcome email. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 27. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 27 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 We then received four more blasts: two introducing the week’s menu, one regarding a contest, and another promoting the wine club service. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 28. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 28 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 No mobile messages of any type were sent during our study. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 29. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 29 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 On the day we canceled our subscription, HelloFresh sent a re-engagement message: “Thank you for being part of the family.” Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 30. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 30 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 An email blast was then sent to encourage us to install their mobile app, which we already downloaded a week earlier. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 31. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 31 UserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 Two days after cancellation, we received two triggered emails asking us to leave a review, along with a blast about referrals. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile Messages
- 32. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 32 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 The next day, HelloFresh sent a blast email to drive traffic to their social media platforms. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 33. The HelloFresh User Engagement Timeline Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 33 MessagesUserActivity Message TypeActivity Type Blast Transactional Triggered Desktop Mobile SMS/Push Days from start: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 211 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90 As well as a transactional email notifying us of the status of our meal delivery. Signed up for email Signed up for push/SMS Downloaded app Canceled subscriptionSubscribed to service Completed profile
- 34. Frequency Takeaways Over the course of our study, Blue Apron and HelloFresh both relied on email as the primary channel to communicate with customers. Blue Apron: 11 emails HelloFresh: 16 emails Neither company sent mobile messages during the three weeks post-signup. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 34
- 35. Differing Priorities Blue Apron focused on communications after an order was placed and sent more emails notifying customers about their delivery status. HelloFresh engaged with their new users by sending more promotional emails. However, some of these blasts did not align with the customer’s actions. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 35
- 36. Now let’s look at the message content…
- 37. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 37 These are three standard Blue Apron messages (as depicted in Outlook). You’ll notice...
- 38. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 38 Appealing visual elements
- 39. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 39 Clear, consistent calls to action to follow brand on social media and download mobile app
- 40. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 40 Instances of personalization in delivery status updates
- 41. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 41 Promotions of non-profit partnerships
- 42. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 42 These are three standard HelloFresh messages (also depicted in Outlook). You’ll notice...
- 43. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 43 Consistent branding and design
- 44. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 44 Upselling of add-on subscriptions
- 45. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 45 Personalization when requesting customer feedback
- 46. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 46 Animated image relevant to the message
- 47. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 47 However, the tracking link was displayed below the call to action
- 48. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 48 These are the emails that Blue Apron and HelloFresh sent after we canceled our subscriptions.
- 49. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 49 Blue Apron focused on confirming the cancellation and added a call to action to reactivate the subscription.
- 50. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 50 HelloFresh didn’t prioritize reactivation but used a more engaging tone, including language like “We’ll miss you” and “Thank you for your time with our family.”
- 51. Content Takeaways Both brands incorporate strong branding with vivid visuals, but differ in their messaging strategies to new users. Blue Apron: • Entices social following and mobile download consistently • Prioritizes delivery status updates during the customer journey HelloFresh: • Encourages feedback from customers • Promotes new services to upsell beyond the standard subscription Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 51
- 52. Recommendations Both companies could optimize their omni-channel marketing by coordinating messaging across email and mobile channels. Blue Apron could enhance their triggered workflows by automating personalized messages throughout the entire customer journey. HelloFresh could improve their dynamic segmentation to enable effective targeting of customers based on their individual behavior. Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 52
- 53. If you liked this teardown… You’ll enjoy the others! View them and sign up for notifications of future teardowns: iterable.com/teardown Join the discussion on Twitter @Iterable, using #UEteardown Iterable, Inc. All Rights Reserved 53