Background
Smilodox is one of Germany’s leading athleisure and fitnesswear brands, known for high-quality, performance-driven apparel that blends functionality and style.
Like many direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, Smilodox faces increasing competition in digital channels—particularly in email and social media advertising, where engagement and open rates have steadily declined.
Challenge
Ahead of its Summer Sale, Smilodox wanted to create real momentum. The goal was to quickly activate its community and generate a significant spike in revenue within just a few days.
Traditional channels such as email were losing impact, while paid social campaigns had become expensive and unpredictable. Smilodox needed a direct, personal, and measurable communication channel that could cut through the noise.
Solution
Together with Chatarmin, Smilodox decided to launch its campaign via WhatsApp Marketing—meeting customers exactly where they are most engaged.
The strategy was simple but highly effective:
- A one-time broadcast campaign announcing the start of the Summer Sale exclusively via WhatsApp.
- Delivery to pre-qualified, high-affinity contacts from Smilodox’s CRM.
- Short, clear, and conversion-focused message content linking directly to the online store.
The setup required minimal time or technical resources. Within just a few hours, the campaign was ready to go live.
Results
The outcome exceeded all expectations:
- €261,676.06 in revenue generated via WhatsApp
- €27,181.46 campaign cost
- 9.6x Return on WhatsApp Spend (ROWS)
- €2.07 revenue per recipient
- €105.94 average order value
WhatsApp outperformed both email and social channels across every key metric. The immediacy and personal nature of the medium drove faster conversions and stronger engagement than any previous campaign Smilodox had run.
Conclusion
“The campaign was a complete success. WhatsApp is no longer an experiment for us—it’s now a core part of our marketing strategy.”
— Mesut K. & Uwe Schüder, Smilodox
With Chatarmin as their technology partner, Smilodox proved how direct-to-consumer brands can activate their community and generate tangible business results through conversational marketing.
The success of this Summer Sale campaign marks the beginning of a long-term strategy in which WhatsApp plays a key role in Smilodox’s CRM and performance marketing ecosystem.