Latest / The Retention Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Email, SMS, and Loyalty for Repeat Customers / How Owala Uses Email to Drive Repeat Water Bottle Purchases
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we're at episode 150, and I wanted to look at a brand that's been quietly cracking one of the hardest problems in retention marketing: how do you drive repeat purchases for a product that's built to last? I'm talking about Owala, the water bottle company. You know the one with the FreeSip lid. Luna: Oh, the ones that look like they're from the future? I've seen those everywhere. But water bottles are durable goods. You buy one, you're set for years. How do you get someone to buy a second? Lucas: Exactly. And that's the puzzle. Most retention playbooks are built for consumables — coffee, skincare, vitamins. Owala's challenge is that a single bottle can last a decade. Yet they've managed to build a devoted following of collectors. I looked at their email and SMS flows, and there are three specific moves that stand out. Luna: I'm all ears. Because I bought a bottle last year and I love it, but I've never even considered a second one. Lucas: Right. The first move is the post-purchase email flow. Most brands send a confirmation, a shipping update, a 'we hope you love it' note. Owala's flow lands about three days after delivery, and it's not a generic thank-you. It asks a question: 'What's your color?' Luna: Your color? Like, they're asking which color you picked? Lucas: Not exactly. See, Owala has this whole color philosophy. Every bottle is named after a color combo — like 'Tide's In' or 'Salted Lime.' The email shows you a grid of all the colorways and says, 'Which one is yours?' It's an engagement play. It gets you to reply, or to click through to see your bottle featured. Luna: And what does that do? Besides making me feel part of some color club. Lucas: It does two things. One, it opens a two-way conversation that most brands never start. Two, it casually introduces the idea that there are other colorways out there. The email isn't pushy — it's just showing you the full spectrum. And that plants the seed for the collector mindset. Luna: So it's like a gateway to a second purchase, disguised as a fun quiz. Sneaky. Lucas: Exactly. And the second move is the limited color drop. Owala doesn't just release new bottles whenever. They drop a special colorway every few months, often in collaboration with an influencer or a retailer. These drops are announced via email and SMS, and they create a scarcity loop. Once the drop sells out, it's gone. Luna: I've definitely seen that with their 40-ounce Tumbler. There was a color that sold out in like a day. And people were reselling it on eBay for triple the price. Lucas: That's the third move, actually. The resale market is a huge driver of the hype. But for the brand, the scarcity works because it taps into FOMO. If you missed the last drop, you're more likely to jump on the next one. And the email list is the first to know. Subscribers get a 24-hour early access window, which makes the list itself feel valuable. Luna: So the email list isn't just for discounts — it's for access. That's a whole different value prop. Lucas: Right. And that's why their SMS program works too. They use SMS sparingly — maybe once a month, for a drop or a restock alert. When a text arrives, it feels urgent because it's rare. They don't spam. That keeps the opt-in rate high and the unsubscribes low. Luna: I can see that. I've unsubscribed from brands that text me every day. But a monthly heads-up about a limited color? That I'd stay for. Lucas: There's also the care email. About a month after purchase, Owala sends a 'how to keep your bottle fresh' email with cleaning tips — how to wash the lid, how to remove odors. On the surface, it's helpful. But it serves a retention purpose: it keeps the bottle top of mind, and it subtly reinforces that the bottle is a long-term companion, not a disposable purchase. Luna: Right, because if you know how to care for it, you're less likely to toss it and buy a cheaper one later. That's smart for building brand loyalty. Lucas: And it also opens the door for accessory cross-sells. Owala sells replacement straws, boots, and carry handles. Those are low-cost add-ons that can bump order value without requiring a whole new bottle. So the care email often includes a gentle nudge: 'Is your straw looking tired? Here's a replacement.' Luna: That's a clever way to get a second transaction without a second bottle. Small ticket, but it keeps the relationship active. Lucas: And it's a great example of segmenting your email list. They can tell who's bought a bottle in the last month versus six months ago. The recent buyers get the care sequence. The older customers get the drop announcements and maybe a win-back offer if they haven't bought anything in a year. Luna: So they're using lifecycle stages. That's textbook, but the execution is what matters. Do you know if they actually send a win-back? Lucas: I don't have their exact flows, but based on what I've seen, they do a 'We miss you' email with a 15% off code for a new colorway. They're not trying to get you to repurchase the exact same bottle — they're tempting you with a new shade or a different size, like the 24-ounce versus the 32-ounce. Luna: That makes sense. If you already have a 32-ounce, the 24-ounce is a different use case — for the gym bag, for the car. It's not a duplicate; it's a complement. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the key insight for any durable goods brand. You can't sell the same product twice to the same person unless you create a reason. Owala's reason is color, limited drops, and slightly different formats. Luna: It's almost like a collectible strategy. Like Funko Pop, but for hydration. Lucas: Ha, that's a good comparison. And it works because the product itself is genuinely good — the lid is patented, the bottle is leak-proof, and people love it. So the marketing amplifies an already satisfying product. That's the foundation. Luna: Yeah, you can't retain people with pretty colors if the bottle leaks in their bag. So the product has to be the hero. Lucas: And honestly, that's the kind of conversation we love having on this show. If these marketing breakdowns have given you an idea you've actually tried at work, that's great — and if you ever feel like supporting what we do, there's a simple way. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's it. No pressure, just a small way to keep us ad-free. Luna: Yeah, we love making this show, and it's nice to know some of you find it useful. But back to Owala — I want to dig into the psychology a bit more. Lucas: Sure. I think the big psychological lever here is what's called the endowment effect. Once you own a product, you value it more. Owala leverages that by making you feel like your bottle is part of a larger collection. The color naming gives each bottle a personality, which makes it harder to part with and easier to want another. Luna: That's interesting. So it's not just about the utility of the bottle; it's about identity. You're not just a person who drinks water — you're a person who owns a 'Salted Lime' Owala. Lucas: Exactly. And they reinforce that through user-generated content. They encourage people to post photos of their bottles with the hashtag OwalaLove. Then they feature those photos in their emails and on their social feeds. That turns customers into advocates and gives them social validation for their purchase. Luna: And that UGC probably feeds back into the scarcity loop. When you see someone else's limited edition bottle, you want it even more. Lucas: Right. And they're smart about the timing. They release drops in seasons — summer colors, fall colors. That gives a natural rhythm to the year and gives email marketers a reason to reach out without it feeling random. 'The new fall collection is here' — that's a legitimate reason to email. Luna: So they're using seasonal triggers. That's a classic retail tactic, but it works especially well for a product that's not seasonal by nature. Lucas: And here's a specific stat that shows how well this is working: Owala reported that repeat purchase rate among email subscribers is nearly double that of non-subscribers. That's not just correlation — their flow is clearly driving behavior. Luna: Wow, that's a strong number. Do you have any sense of what the actual repeat rate is, or is that just a relative comparison? Lucas: I don't have the absolute figure, but the fact that it's double is meaningful. And it makes sense: subscribers are the ones seeing the drops, getting the early access, and feeling the FOMO. Luna: So for a brand with a durable product, the email list is essentially the engine of repeat sales. That's a lesson any brand can apply. Lucas: Absolutely. And the last thing I'll say is that Owala doesn't rely on discounting. They rarely offer site-wide sales. Instead, they offer value through access and community. That protects their margin and keeps the brand premium. Luna: That's a good reminder. Discounts can train customers to wait for sales. Owala trains them to wait for drops instead. Lucas: Exactly. It's a different muscle, but once you train it, you've got a loyal base that's excited to buy at full price. And that's the dream for any retention marketer. Luna: So, Owala's playbook: post-purchase engagement, scarcity drops, care content, and a community built on color identity. That's a solid blueprint. Lucas: It is. And I think the bigger takeaway is that retention isn't just about nudging people to buy again — it's about creating a reason to love the product beyond its function. Owala did that with color, and it's working.