Brewing a stronger relationship with customers - Melitta USA

The situation:

Melitta came to Kobie for help in two distinct areas: for starters, the membership in its direct-delivery coffee program had stalled. Secondly, the Web site was not generating the visitor traffic, visibility on the Internet, and new member enrollments that Melitta wanted. Although initially Kobie had simply teamed up with Melitta to help execute its Free Coffee for a Year sweepstakes, we knew that our expertise in customer communications as well as Web site redesign could build stronger relationships between Melitta and its customers. We brewed ourselves a pot of Melitta coffee, and went to work.

The results:

Kobie initiated a three-part strategy to help Melitta meet its objectives of improving customer retention, increasing the membership of Melitta Direct, and gaining greater visibility on the Web. We redesigned the Melitta USA Web site to rank higher in search engines, attract more traffic, and increase enrollment in the Melitta Direct program. We also initiated an e-mail acquisition program, testing offers and creative strategy to make more effective use of the e-mail address database and to generate member signups. And third, we created a unique monthly communications package and special offers for current members to encourage longer participation.

The results? Stronger, all around! The re-launched Web site is already increasing visibility and traffic significantly. The award-winning member communications attracted member interest and participation, while the e-mail acquisition efforts have consistently exceeded industry benchmarks.