LSKD's Bold App Marketing Strategy Drives 40% of BFCM Sales

156%
higher CVR than website

51%
higher AOV than website

218%
higher revenue per session than web

ABOUT THE BRAND

How LSKD’s App Amplifies Community Engagement

LSKD is an Australian functional sportswear brand that prides itself on producing high-quality clothing with a street aesthetic. Founded in 2007, they’ve always been inspired by the "restless few who influence style, shape the future, and chase the vibe.” Their #1 best seller? Leggings.

For them, community is everything, and they were in serious need of an outlet to reach their shoppers directly and on demand — without paying a third party for access to their attention. Enter Tapcart.

“We’re not this fast fashion acquisition brand that's going out there trying to spend boatloads of cash to get new customers in every week. We want to develop our community — and that comes from executing well-planned out marketing campaigns and listening to what customers want.” Locke Fitzpatrick, Digital Marketing Manager

LSKD launched its app in 2021 and now has apps for both Australia and the United States.

THE CHALLENGE

Like so many ecommerce DTC brands at the time, LSKD’s biggest re-engagement and acquisition channels were Meta and email. However, these channels had limitations, like rising costs and diminishing returns, making it difficult to grow their customer base. They needed a more efficient, direct, and cost-effective channel to engage and acquire customers.

The team knew having a mobile app would be a lucrative and forward-thinking investment that would secure long-lasting customer relationships. Retention and being at the top of their customer’s minds was the crux of their decision to launch a mobile app.

THE SOLUTION

LSKD’s app launch generates 35% of total revenue in three months

The LSKD team quickly realized how intuitive the Tapcart platform is, from creating the app to launching and managing it. Updating content is even easier on the app than on the website. That made launching the app in 2021 a breeze.

How LSKD created an immediate revenue spike in two months

To encourage early app downloads, the LSKD team ran multiple launch campaigns with promotions like:

In-app exclusive products
Limited-time offers
Various incentives

Their main goal was to encourage app downloads and grow their push notification opt-in rates. They saw push notifications as a lucrative alternative marketing channel where they could engage with their customers in their own brand voice.

The app launch was a resounding success. LSKD’s total revenue increased by 32.5% in the app’s first month and 45.3% in the second month after launch. Despite selling its products online for over ten years, LSKD’s app generated 35% of its total revenue in just three months.

The VIP customer experience

The LSKD mobile app launched with a conversion rate (CVR) 3.1 times higher than their mobile web. Push notifications were the clear traffic driver. Combined with the app’s significantly better shopping experience than the mobile web, it was a no-brainer for their customers.

“What we do really well at LSKD is create this FOMO and heart for the community. A lot of that comes down to the content that we create, and when we release it, it's all about timing. When we execute well on that, we see a great return in terms of revenue.” Locke Fitzpatrick, Digital Marketing Manager

The mobile app's searchability is far superior, making it easier for customers to find the products they are hunting for. Customers can create their own wishlists to save items and share them with friends and family.

THE STRATEGY

LSKD’s successful app marketing strategy

LSKD’s app marketing strategy can be summed up in one sentence: They’re not afraid to take big swings. Their bold strategy focuses on building hype across digital touchpoints, including push notifications, social media, email, and SMS.

They build their marketing calendar around three big events throughout the year:

An extended Black Friday Cyber Monday sale (+ Cyber Week)
“Trust Us” boxes event in February
Mid-year sale

Driving community growth with the app

Because of the app’s ease of use, it fits easily within LSKD’s ecosystem and community. App users are more likely to make a purchase than customers on their website, with 156% higher app CVR. This reflects the app’s ability to provide an engaging shopping experience.

App customers also spend more per purchase, with a 51% higher AOV than the website. The app also sees a 218% higher revenue per session, proving how effective LSKD is at turning engagement into sales. The app provides a better overall shopping experience.

Adding value with a push notification strategy

Push notifications have become an extension of their brand experience. They use push notifications to speak to their audience in a less intrusive way than SMS. While they do share sales, exclusive deals, and product-focused messages, they also use push notifications to engage with their customers and build a culture of hype.

“We just try to provide as much value as we can in our push notifications. A little feel-good message in the morning or on a Sunday afternoon just brightens people’s days.” Locke Fitzpatrick, Digital Marketing Manager

Taking advantage of the agile nature of push notifications to boost sales

Push notifications are inherently quicker to create and send to customers compared to email and SMS. This makes it easy for them to pivot their strategy when necessary, especially during sales.

LSKD’s powerful BFCM marketing strategy pays off

Several days before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, LSKD shuts down its entire website and app. The only thing they leave on the web page is a countdown and signup form. Leading up to Black Friday, they saw app downloads grow by over 200% in the first two weeks of November.

They reopened the app and the website at midnight on Black Friday, consistently riding the hype all the way to the #1 spot in the Apple App Store rankings. This strategy has led to impressive results, including making 40% of their total BFCM sales.

In 2024, LSKD held a giveaway for a Suzuki Jimny, aiming to incentivize app downloads and customer purchases, resulting in over 20,000 new downloads.