Plushie Dreadful: The Storytelling Strategy That Increased Flow Revenue By 198%

The Challenge

This wasn’t about fixing problems. Plushie Dreadfuls was scaling fast. But there was a disconnect between the magic of their brand and what customers experienced in their inbox.

Their products invited people into a universe of characters and stories. Their flows? Functional, but forgettable.

What they needed:

• Lifecycle marketing that felt like their brand
• Storytelling that resonated with their community
• Strategic optimization to unlock that untapped potential

What we did

Automated Flows
Black Friday/Cyber Monday strategy and execution

Automated Flows

We became an extension of their team, injecting their brand’s soul into every touchpoint.

We completely rewrote their flows. Instead of “Your cart is expiring,” we wrote messages like:

“You’ve Got Visitors!”
“A few of the other creatures heard that you chose their friend and now they’re curiously looking over to say hello.”

No countdown timers. No discount codes. Just emotional connection.

The result? This storytelling-driven email achieved 83% higher click rates than the standard urgency version. People who ignored two reminders suddenly engaged.

We built new flows that didn’t exist before:

Checkout Abandonment: Poetic, immersive copy like “The Signal is Fading” that turned abandonment into part of the brand experience.

Browse Abandonment: Playful emails like “Saw You Looking” that captured passive interest without being pushy.

Welcome Series: Brand-aligned onboarding that introduced customers to the Plushie Dreadfuls universe.

Every flow became a narrative journey, not a transaction.

Data Meets Creativity

We backed every creative decision with:

• Behavioral segmentation across customer journey
• A/B testing on subject lines, imagery, send times
• Real-time performance optimization
• Campaign rhythm aligned to product launches

The goal wasn’t just better metrics. It was creating experiences that deepened customer relationships while driving measurable growth.

What Changed:

Before: Default templates, generic urgency, transactional tone

After: Brand-aligned storytelling, emotional resonance, immersive experiences

Performance highlights:

• Abandoned cart storytelling email: 42.5% open, 7.5% click (83% lift in CTR)
• New checkout abandonment: 49.6% and 52.7% open rates across sequence
• New browse abandonment: 52.7% open, 6.6% click (pure incremental revenue)

Strategic Wins:

• Reduced discount dependency while increasing conversions
• Built sustainable campaign calendar
• Created replicable storytelling framework
• Transformed lifecycle marketing into revenue engine

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Black Friday/Cyber Monday is arguably the most important weekend for any eCommerce store, but the stakes were even higher with this project as we launched their new website consecutively with a robust marketing strategy.

We created 13 emails and 6 SMS messages throughout the month of November to build the anticipation of the biggest shopping weekend of the year. 

We employed several tactics throughout the course of the strategy, from the first teaser emails to the “last calls.”

1. Scarcity as a Catalyst for Urgency
   The Goal: To trigger genuine FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) by aligning marketing with production realities.
   The Result: Staggered releases ensure that every “drop” feels significant, encouraging immediate purchase decisions because the threat of a sell-out is real.

2. Emotional Storytelling to Elevate Value
   The Goal: To transform “toys” into “symbols.”
   The Result: Customers develop a deep personal connection to the plushies. When a product represents a significant part of a customer’s identity or emotional experience, the drive to convert is much higher.

3. Premium Positioning to Ensure Longevity
   The Goal: To train the audience to value quality and exclusivity over “deals.”
   The Result: Rewarding loyalty with early access and bundles—rather than price cuts—protects profit margins and builds long-term brand equity. This ensures the brand remains a premium destination rather than a commodity.

The proof is in the numbers; our strategy was successful. Shopify revenue increased 17% year over year, and Klaviyo attributed revenue also increased by 42%. Revenue from the campaigns we created also got a boost and increased 19% compared to the same time period in 2024.

Success is never finished

Even when you’re winning, there’s another level.

When you infuse lifecycle marketing with the same soul and narrative power that makes your products special, everything amplifies. Engagement deepens. Conversions increase. Customers become advocates.

For Plushie Dreadfuls, that meant unlocking growth that was always there, just waiting for the right narrative to bring it out.