The challenge
A fast-growing online retailer of premium wines needed a more reliable way to manage customer data and run consistent marketing. Their priority was practical: reduce repetition, remove manual list handling, and improve visibility across marketing, events, and order fulfilment without adding unnecessary tooling.
Before the engagement, customer and prospect data was distributed across tools and processes. That made it difficult to segment audiences reliably, measure campaign performance, and follow up consistently. Manual list management was also creating deliverability risk through invalid and unengaged contacts.
What SME Software Help delivered
A joined-up CRM and email marketing setup designed to keep data accurate, automate routine work, and improve customer engagement.
- CRM structure built around consistent tags and custom fields for segmentation and reporting.
- Website newsletter sign-up automation into the CRM and marketing list, with correct tagging on entry.
- Conditional follow-up sequences for hot, warm, and cold leads, with tailored messaging.
- List hygiene processes, including invalid address removal and a 120-day inactivity prune to protect domain reputation.
- Operational workflows using CRM projects for marketing planning, events, and order fulfilment visibility.
Phase 1: CRM consolidation and segmentation
The first step was to create a single source of truth for customers and prospects. We introduced a simple, repeatable data model: tags to capture key attributes, and custom fields to capture detail that needed to be reported on or used in automation rules.
This created a consistent foundation for marketing and sales activity, including lead temperature classification. It also reduced duplicate records and helped the team move faster with less uncertainty.
Before and after the engagement
Phase 2: Email marketing automation and campaigns
With a clean data model in place, we turned to automation. The aim was to remove manual steps from the most time-consuming parts of the marketing process.
The automation we put in place
-
Automated newsletter sign-ups
Website form submissions now create or update contacts in the CRM and add them to the newsletter audience automatically. Contacts are tagged at the point of entry, ensuring permissions are clear and segmentation is immediate.
-
Conditional follow-up sequences
We implemented conditional automations to tailor follow-up based on lead temperature. High-intent leads receive a more responsive sequence; early-stage prospects get a lighter-touch nurture cadence.
-
List hygiene automation
We ran an initial list clean to remove invalid email addresses, then introduced a self-pruning automation. Contacts who have not engaged with any email in the previous 120 days are removed from ongoing sends, protecting domain reputation and reducing wasted volume.
Phase 3: Multi-channel execution and operational visibility
Alongside email campaigns, the marketing team used the platform to schedule social posts and send SMS reminders in the lead-up to events. For planning and coordination, CRM projects were used to organise activities and provide visibility across marketing, events, and fulfilment.
Results and impact
- Customer and prospect data centralised, with consistent segmentation for targeting and reporting.
- Monthly newsletters delivered reliably, with significantly less manual work.
- Improved engagement through relevant follow-up sequences aligned to lead intent.
- Reduced marketing waste and cost by removing invalid addresses and pruning inactivity.
- Clearer coordination of campaigns, events, and fulfilment through structured project workflows.
Key takeaways for e-commerce and premium retail teams
- Start with a clean data model. Automation is only as effective as the data driving it.
- Use segmentation to improve relevance, not to increase complexity.
- Automate capture and tagging at the point of entry to remove manual administration.
- Build list hygiene into your operating rhythm to protect deliverability and reduce costs.
- Use lightweight project workflows to coordinate marketing and operations in one place.
Want more from your email marketing?
If your data is spread across tools, or your newsletters depend on manual work, we can help you simplify the setup and make it scalable.
Achieving similar results on other platforms
The approach in this case study is platform-agnostic. The same outcomes can be achieved using other tools when the underlying data, segmentation, and hygiene practices are implemented properly.
HubSpot
Use HubSpot workflows to automate lead routing, nurture sequences, and list management. (Create workflows in HubSpot)
Mailchimp
Use marketing automation flows for sign-ups, segmentation, and nurture journeys, then maintain list health using engagement-based audience management. (Mailchimp marketing automation)
ActiveCampaign
Use conditional automations with tagging and engagement tracking to run segmented follow-up and maintain deliverability over time. (ActiveCampaign marketing automation)
Note: platform features vary by plan. The most reliable route is to define your segmentation and processes first, then choose the toolset that supports them cleanly.