Award Winning Campaign: Increasing Customer Acquisition for Browns Books

Client

Browns Books

Services

Data

Mail

Sectors

Education

Retail

Browns Books catalogue cover featuring the carbon neutral stamp offset carbon emissions as part of the print and mail campaign with Webmart

Overview

Browns Books were facing print quality issues and excessive numbers of returns – and they also wanted to make their catalogue more sustainable.

Webmart assessed Browns previous production and distribution processes and after applying our EcoMetrics environmental measurements, created a solution that would mitigate and offset carbon throughout the process while ensuring data and production quality issues were improved.

The result was just what Browns Books were looking for.

FSC paper and biodegradable polywraps saved over 10Kg of CO2e (or equivalent), and we offset the 19.25 tonnes of print and distribution CO2e through accredited carbon offsetting schemes.

The new sustainable catalogues were hugely well received with returns dropping to Zero. Browns were able keep well within budget, improve quality and expand distribution by 60%.

The Challenge

Browns Books, a leading UK-based supplier of books, eBooks, and educational resources, has been supporting schools, colleges, and libraries since 1973. Renowned for providing personalised support and tailored services, they help educators and librarians select the right materials through an intuitive online platform, ensuring that their wide range of educational materials meets diverse curriculum needs.

Facing ongoing challenges with their promotional catalogues, including excessive returns, print quality issues, and unsustainable materials, Browns Books sought a partner who could deliver on both sustainability and cost efficiency.

With Webmart, Browns found a solution that could address these concerns while offering green policies and an enhanced customer experience.

The Solution

For the Summer 2024 catalogue campaign, Webmart worked closely with Browns Books to ensure the project aligned with both environmental and business objectives. Leveraging Webmart’s EcoMetrics carbon calculator, the team assessed the carbon footprint of every element of the campaign and implemented a range of sustainable changes.

Sustainable Materials: We switched Browns to FSC-certified paper and introduced biodegradable potato starch polywraps, replacing standard plastic wraps. The inner page weight was reduced from 100gsm to 90gsm, saving over 10kg of CO2 without compromising the catalogue’s high-quality feel.
Carbon Neutral Campaign: The entire campaign’s carbon emissions were calculated at 18.69 tonnes CO2e for 35,000 copies. We offset this through accredited schemes and used their climate-positive postal service, Enviromail, to further offset the emissions from distribution. The final total carbon offset for the campaign reached 19.25 tonnes, ensuring a fully carbon-neutral print and mailing service.
Enhanced Targeting: We implemented a robust data cleansing process, refining Browns’ mailing list to ensure catalogues reached the most relevant and active contacts. This contributed to reducing waste and improving the overall targeting of the campaign.

The Results

The Summer 2024 campaign delivered exceptional results, showcasing how sustainability can drive business success:

60% more reach

Browns was able to expand their distribution by 60%, growing from 22,000 to 35,000 recipients while staying within budget, thanks to the cost savings from Webmart’s sustainable solutions.

70% reduction

Catalogue returns decreased by more than 70%, dropping from over 1,000 to less than 300—a significant improvement attributed to better targeting and the use of higher-quality, sustainable materials.

Zero Complaints

For the first time, Browns Books received zero complaints about the campaign, a monumental achievement compared to the 75 complaints and 50 unsubscribes from the previous year.

153 New accounts

The 300 returned catalogues were redistributed to prospects not on the original mailing list, resulting in 153 new account sign-ups.

Sustainability Recognition

The campaign’s success earned Webmart the 2024 Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) Gold Award for Sustainability. This recognition highlighted the campaign’s innovation in responsible marketing and its contribution to reducing Browns’ carbon footprint.

Looking Ahead

Browns Books, impressed with the outstanding results, has committed to working with Webmart for their future seasonal campaigns, furthering their efforts to deliver both business growth and sustainability improvements.

What our client said

We are absolutely delighted with this latest mailing campaign run with Webmart. Their support and aftercare have been amazing. We are already working on our second campaign of the year, with Webmart again handling the printing and logistics.