Win-Back Campaign: Definition, Examples and What Research Says
By Alva Chew · Updated
Definition A win-back campaign is a planned effort to get customers who stopped buying to buy again. It has four parts: a list of lapsed customers, a reason to return, a first-visit-back offer and a count of who came back. In a café, restaurant or shop it can run entirely in person, and members of a points program are the easiest group to list.
What is a win-back campaign?
A win-back campaign is a planned effort to get customers who stopped buying to buy again. It differs from general retention work because it targets a specific group that has already gone quiet, which you would call lapsed customers.
The word “campaign” suggests a mailing, but it only means a plan with a start, a target group and a result you count. A shop owner who writes down ten regulars they have not seen for two months, speaks to each when they pass and notes who returns has run a small win-back campaign.
What are the parts of a win-back campaign?
Every win-back campaign, large or small, answers four questions.
| Part | Question | Counter example |
|---|---|---|
| Target list | Who has lapsed? | Members with no purchase in your lapse window |
| Reason to return | What has changed or what do they still have? | A fixed queue, a returning menu item, a points balance |
| First-visit-back offer | What makes the first visit easy? | A small add-on given by hand, for one visit |
| Count | How many came back? | Names on the list who bought within 30 days |
Skip the second part and the offer has nothing behind it. Skip the fourth and you cannot tell whether the effort paid for itself.
Who should you target?
Not every lapsed customer is worth the same effort. RFM analysis ranks customers on recency, frequency and spend, so a former weekly regular with a good average order ranks above a one-time visitor. Start with the top of that ranking and work down as far as your time allows.
Fix the lapse window before you build the list. Your own visit rhythm decides it. A customer who normally comes twice a year is not lapsed after 90 days. Our lapsed customer page shows illustrative windows and why to keep them fixed.
Does a discount belong in a win-back campaign?
Research gives a cautious answer. Thomas, Blattberg and Fox studied customer win-back and modelled both whether a lapsed customer returns and how long the second relationship lasts.
| Finding | Scope |
|---|---|
| A low reacquisition price followed by higher prices after reacquisition was optimal for their application | One firm’s customer data, abstract only, no figures quoted here |
Source: Thomas, Blattberg and Fox, “Recapturing Lost Customers”, Journal of Marketing Research 41(1), February 2004. We read the abstract, not the full paper.
Treat this as a reason to test a small offer, not a rule to copy. A deep discount to everyone can teach regulars to wait for the next one, and a discount does nothing for a customer who left after a slow or wrong order. Our guide on how to win back lapsed customers covers finding the cause first.
How do you run a win-back campaign without messaging?
A counter business has a channel most online sellers lack, which is a face. A practical routine:
- Build the list from your members and from staff memory.
- Rank it by past value and take the top group.
- Speak to each person when they next appear, and ask before you offer.
- Give a small first-visit-back treat by hand, for one visit only.
- Note who returned and when.
Be realistic about size. This works on tens of customers, which suits one shop. Gimify does not send SMS or email campaigns, so any messaging you add comes from other tools you already use.
How do you measure a win-back campaign?
Count the names on your list who bought again within a fixed period after you reached them, such as 30 days. Divide by the size of the list and keep that as your win-back rate for the campaign. Compare it with a period when you made no effort, because some lapsed customers return unprompted. Over time, your churn figure should show fewer customers slipping away. The rate counts only the people you targeted, so say so when you report it.
Win-back campaigns with Gimify
Each Gimify member keeps a live points balance on their Google Wallet card, so a returning customer can open it and see what they have earned. Gimify keeps one balance across every outlet, which lets you treat a member who moved to another branch as one person. The free plan covers one outlet with unlimited members.
Questions owners ask
What is a win-back campaign?
A win-back campaign is a planned effort to get customers who have stopped buying to buy again. It targets a defined group of lapsed customers, gives them a reason to return and measures how many did.
Does a win-back campaign have to use email or SMS?
No. For a café, restaurant or shop it can be a conversation at the counter, a small welcome-back treat or a hello to a former regular nearby. Messaging is one channel among several. Gimify does not run SMS or email campaigns, so the examples here are in person.
Who should a win-back campaign target?
Start with customers who used to visit often and have gone quiet for longer than your lapse window. RFM analysis scores recency, frequency and spend, so a former weekly regular ranks above someone who came once.
Should a win-back campaign offer a discount?
Possibly, and small. Thomas, Blattberg and Fox (Journal of Marketing Research, 2004) found that for the firm they studied a low reacquisition price followed by higher prices after return was optimal. It is one firm's data, so test a small offer and return to normal prices.
How do I measure whether a win-back campaign worked?
Count how many people on your list bought again within a set period, such as 30 days after you reached them. Compare with the same list size in a period when you did nothing.
Read next
Start free
Gimify is free for one outlet with unlimited members and no time limit. Unlimited outlets are one flat monthly price.
See plans