Latest / The Retention Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Email, SMS, and Loyalty for Repeat Customers / How Bombas Uses SMS to Drive Repeat Purchases Through Social Impact
Transcript
- Lucas: When you think about retention marketing for a brand built on a social mission, the playbook shifts a bit. Bombas, the sock and apparel company, donates a pair of socks for every pair sold — they've given away over a hundred million pairs so far. That mission becomes a hook for repeat purchases, but only if the customer remembers and actually feels that connection after the first buy. Luna: Right, and SMS is a surprisingly good channel for that. It's immediate, personal, and doesn't get lost in an inbox. So how does Bombas use texts to keep that mission front and center? Lucas: They start right after the purchase. Within 24 hours, you get a text that says something like, 'Thanks for your order — you just donated three pairs of socks to someone experiencing homelessness.' It's not just a static confirmation. It's a specific number tied to what you bought. Luna: So the impact is quantified. That's smart — it makes the abstract 'one for one' tangible. And it primes the customer for the next message. Lucas: Exactly. The next message comes about three months later. Bombas knows that the average sock wears out around the ninety-day mark if you're wearing them regularly. So they send an SMS that says, 'Your socks have been working hard — time for a fresh pair? And we'll donate another pair when you do.' Luna: That's a replenishment trigger based on product lifecycle. It's the same logic as a razor blade subscription, but with a social twist. I wonder if the charity angle actually increases the open rate. Lucas: Bombas has shared some numbers internally. According to a case study from their SMS provider, the replenishment texts have a 45 percent click-through rate. And customers who engage with that SMS are about 30 percent more likely to make a second purchase within the next month. Luna: Thirty percent — that's significant. And it's not just about timing. It's the emotional hook. You're not just buying socks, you're helping someone. Lucas: And Bombas layers on loyalty. They have a program called Bombas Impact Rewards. Members earn points for purchases, reviews, and referrals, and they can redeem those points for exclusive access to limited-edition colors or early product drops. Those offers come via SMS too. Luna: So SMS becomes the exclusive channel for the loyalty perks. That gives people a reason to opt in and stay opted in. Did they see a jump in repeat purchase rate after launching that SMS layer? Lucas: They reported that impact rewards members who receive SMS alerts spend about 15 percent more per order compared to non sms members. And their repeat purchase rate among SMS subscribers is north of 40 percent — for a product category where one-and-done used to be the norm. Luna: That's a huge shift. I think a lot of brands hear 'social mission' and think it's just a marketing tagline they can slap on a box. Bombas shows it's actually a retention engine if you integrate it into the comms. Lucas: It's a lesson that goes beyond socks. Any brand with a clear impact — donating meals, planting trees, funding education — can use SMS to remind customers of that impact in a way that feels personal and timely, not just a monthly newsletter. Luna: And the text format forces brevity. You can't cram a whole brand story into an SMS, so you have to pick the one thing that matters most. Bombas chose the number of items donated. That's their north star metric. Lucas: Which brings us to a practical point: don't try to do everything in one text. Bombas's post-purchase flow is three texts over a few months. The first is impact confirmation. The second is replenishment with impact again. The third is a loyalty early-access invite. That's it. Simple cadence. Luna: You know, this conversation reminds me of something that keeps this show running. We don't run ads, and we want to keep it that way. If these marketing examples have sparked an idea you've actually used in your own work, a small contribution at buymeacoffee dot com slash fexingo helps us continue doing these deep dives ad-free. Even a few dollars makes a difference. Lucas: Absolutely. No pressure, but it's how we stay independent. So back to Bombas — what about the opt-in rate? How do they get people to agree to SMS in the first place? Luna: Good question. I think a lot of brands struggle with that. Bombas uses a post-purchase pop-up on their thank-you page that says 'Get restock reminders and exclusive colors via text.' And they offer a 10 percent discount on the next order as a sign-up incentive. Lucas: That's a common tactic, but what's interesting is Bombas's wording. Instead of 'Subscribe to SMS,' they say 'Get restock reminders.' That's specific and benefit-driven. And the 10 percent is secondary to the utility. Luna: Yeah, the copy is crucial. They also mention the impact again: 'We'll remind you when your socks need replacing, and we'll donate another pair every time you reorder.' So the value prop is clear. Lucas: Then once you're in, they segment by purchase history. If you buy the 'Athletic Performance' style, your replenishment timeline might be different than if you buy 'No Show' socks. And they respect frequency — you only get one text per quarter unless you opt into the loyalty text stream. Luna: That's key. Over-messaging kills retention, especially with SMS. Bombas keeps it low-touch but high-relevance. Lucas: And they A/B test the timing. They found that sending the replenishment SMS on a Tuesday at 10 AM local time yields the highest conversion. That's a small tweak that adds up. Luna: So the takeaway isn't exactly groundbreaking — test timing, segment, integrate mission — but the execution is disciplined. Most brands would try to cram four messages into one month. Bombas stretches it over a quarter. Lucas: And that patience builds trust. When you finally get that text three months later, it feels helpful, not nagging. And the mission message reinforces why you bought in the first place. Luna: I think there's also a lesson for brands that don't have a built-in social mission. You can create one — partner with a nonprofit and tie purchases to donations. It doesn't have to be as big as Bombas's model. Lucas: True. Even a 'round up at checkout' or a loyalty point donation option gives you something to drive a text like 'You helped plant 50 trees this year because of your purchases.' That kind of message can be surprisingly effective. Luna: We haven't talked about the unsub rate. Bombas reportedly has an SMS unsub rate below one percent, which is very low. Part of that is because they position SMS as a utility, not marketing. Lucas: And they make it easy to change preferences instead of just an opt-out. In the footer of their SMS messages, there's a link to 'Change your frequency' rather than just 'Stop.' That gives the customer control. Luna: Little UX wins. So overall, Bombas proves that retention marketing can be built around a purpose. The tools — SMS sequencing, segmentation, personalization — are the same, but the message is different. Lucas: And a purpose-driven message, when delivered at the right time via the right channel, turns a commodity purchase into a relationship. That's the real retention strategy. Luna: It makes you wonder what other categories could benefit from this approach. Pet food that donates to shelters. Office supplies that fund classrooms. The possibilities are huge. Lucas: But it only works if the mission is authentic. Bombas was built on that model from day one. Slapping a donation on a product after launch without integrating it into the customer experience can feel hollow. Luna: Absolutely. The mission has to be woven into the product, the operations, and the communication. Bombas did that, and their retention numbers show it's worth the effort. Lucas: That's a good note to end on. Next time, we'll look at a brand that uses SMS for a completely different retention challenge — tackling subscription fatigue. See you then.