Business Platform
Venchi
To build customer relationships by reliably delivering innovative marketing content
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
To deliver sweeter sales and more efficient customer service, Venchi builds a reliable, consolidated communications channel on WhatsApp that improves message open and click rates, while generating more subscribers and contributing to more coupon sales.
95%
message open rates in WhatsApp
5X
message click rates in WhatsApp compared to SMS
4,000+
new subscribers to WhatsApp in two-week VIP campaign
2X
coupon sales primarily attributable to WhatsApp
*All results are self-reported and not identifiably repeatable. Generally expected individual results will differ.
Their Story
Satisfying the world’s sweet tooth
Venchi was founded by Silviano Venchi in 1878, following the tradition of the Piedmont Master Chocolatiers. Initially known for its classic flavor, made with only pure chocolate and I.G.P Piedmont Hazelnuts paste, Venchi has expanded to sell quality chocolate, and gelato to customers around the world.
Their Goal
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Sweeter relationships with customers
When Venchi delivered marketing materials for major campaigns and events to customers over SMS and email, some customers missed the messages and called individual stores or a small marketing team on the main corporate line. The company wanted to engage customers by ensuring that messages about sales and events were delivered through a more popular and reliable channel.
Their Solution
WhatsApp click rates for Venchi’s VIP week were 5x higher than SMS
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Creative, reliable customer outreach
For over 140 years, Venchi has delighted chocolate lovers worldwide. The company’s Hong Kong team operates an online storefront, as well as a network of stores where customers can savor fresh gelato or go all out for luxurious gift boxes.
Wanting to update shoppers about events and offers to satisfy any sweet tooth, the team sent marketing materials through SMS and email. However, customers sometimes didn’t receive messages and missed out on promotions – especially for the twice annual VIP Week sales – prompting them to phone individual Venchi stores or a corporate line operated by a small marketing team. Live agents needed to balance the needs of these customers with other shoppers calling with questions about their existing orders, store locations, or product availability.
Team members fielded one call at a time, limiting opportunities to gather information about the promotions. To build even sweeter relationships with customers, the company needed a communications channel to support marketing and support services. With individual stores turning to WhatsApp to connect with customers, the team conducted additional research confirming that WhatsApp is widely popular in Hong Kong.
Partnering with Omnichat, a one-stop ecommerce messaging platform, Venchi developed an automated communications channel with WhatsApp Business Platform. When customers access WhatsApp through the company’s website or QR codes offering coupons on displays within stores, they’re greeted by a menu allowing them to redeem that sales coupon, opt-in to marketing campaigns and messages, and contact customer care. Customers can also choose to contact sales agents from specific stores directly through WhatsApp.
To promote one of the company’s VIP Weeks, Venchi created original campaign content and sent it out to different customer audiences through WhatsApp broadcast messages. The more seamless, reliable way of communicating ensures that customers are more likely to receive messages – while reducing calls to individual stores or the corporate line.
“Using WhatsApp for our VIP Week, our message click rates were five times greater than traditional text messages. Customers are so excited to receive new deals and consult with sales agents over WhatsApp that our message open rates reached 95 percent.”
Alvin Tang
Regional E-commerce Manager, APAC, Venchi
“Using WhatsApp for our VIP Week, our message click rates were five times greater than traditional SMS. Customers are so excited to receive new deals and consult with sales agents over WhatsApp that our message open rates reached 95 percent,” says Alvin Tang, Regional E-commerce Manager, APAC, Venchi.
As customers opt in through campaigns attached to different QR codes or engage with marketing content, their preferences are routed to a highly secure, centralized database created by Omnichat. Venchi frontline sales and customer care teams can access a customer’s recent history with the company to provide customized recommendations and faster, more efficient service.
“Our sophisticated platform allowed Venchi to consolidate WhatsApp accounts from individual stores into one powerful, versatile channel in roughly a month, and today, customers still feel like they’re receiving one-on-one attention,” says Alan Chan, CEO & Founder, Omnichat.
To hold the attention of customers after the peak holiday shopping season, Venchi used WhatsApp to offer select promotions, like coupons for the Chinese New Year collection in January to customers who purchased from the Christmas collection. Understanding that chocolate lovers can still be health conscious, Venchi also partnered with a fitness group to promote their newly launched collection, with 70 percent less sugar.
“The speed and convenience of sending messages in WhatsApp inspires us to be more innovative in delighting our customers. Our campaign around reduced sugar candy received over 4,000 subscribers through WhatsApp in only two weeks,” says Tang. “As roughly 90 percent of customers prefer to engage through our social media channels, including WhatsApp, we’ve seen coupon sales double.”
There are plans to send large-scale message blasts around major sales events like VIP Weeks, holidays, and other regional festivals. The team is also looking to develop more targeted promotions to groups of customers based on past purchases and interactions.
“Through WhatsApp, we bring a modern flavor of communication to the classic, customer-centric approach that has helped us grow globally for over a century,” says Tang.
WhatsApp provides a modern flavor of communication to Venchi’s classic, customer-centric business
Their Success
Venchi builds a reliable communications channel over WhatsApp Business Platform that supports marketing and customer support while improving message click and open rates, increasing subscribers, and contributing to doubled coupon sales.
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Higher engagement and sales
- 95% message open rates in WhatsApp
- 5X message click rates in WhatsApp compared to SMS
- 4,000+ new subscribers to WhatsApp in two weeks for one campaign
- Doubled coupon sales partially attributable to WhatsApp
*All results are self-reported and not identifiably repeatable. Generally expected individual results will differ.
“It is a pleasure to collaborate with Venchi, a brand that values the significance of delivering prompt and excellent customer service to its clients. It is exciting to witness their notable accomplishments in terms of acquiring new customers and generating sales through coupons.”
Alan Chan
CEO & Founder, Omnichat
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