Bubble has successfully built a consumer-centric brand by leveraging a community-first approach to subscriptions. This strategy has been instrumental in their growth, and they have achieved this feat with the help of Smartrr, a subscription management platform.
Bubble was founded by Shai Eisenman, who identified a gap in the skincare market for Gen Z consumers. She aimed to create an affordable skincare brand that offered high-quality products. From the outset, Bubble prioritized community involvement, with over 5,000 consumers providing feedback on every aspect of the brand, from planning to product development and testing.
This led to the creation of Bubble's first modern, affordable, science-backed skincare line that cleans, balances, and hydrates young skin. All Bubble products are vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free, and priced under $20, making them ideal for younger consumers.
As Bubble grew, it became evident that their products were not just for Gen Z but also for anyone seeking a gentle yet effective skincare routine. The brand also emphasizes self-care beyond skincare and donates 1% of all proceeds to non-profit organizations supporting young people struggling with mental health issues. Bubble also educates consumers about skincare through its Skin School, offering a skin type quiz, debunking skincare myths, and much more.
Bubble's community-led approach has been key to developing strong relationships with their loyal customer base. Their brand ambassadors lead the Bubble community and receive perks like exclusive access to brand updates, product testing, chatrooms, and more. This tight-knit community is integral to Bubble's growth, as the team continuously uses direct feedback from customers to improve their customer experience and product offerings.
Recognizing the high demand for their products within their community, Bubble naturally transitioned to a subscription model. Many repeat customers requested a subscription option to ensure they never ran out of their favorite products. Bubble initially tried another legacy subscription app but faced issues with the final steps and lack of support. They then switched to Smartrr, following a recommendation from Create CX.
“The experience of launching Smartrr was 1,000 times easier than the other subscription option we were considering, and the team has been incredibly supportive. We were able to onboard in only a week, which allowed us to have things up and running ahead of the huge holiday rush.” – Emma Standing, Head of CX and eCommerce at Bubble
The onboarding process was easy and quick, enabling them to get things up and running ahead of the holiday rush. After launching subscriptions with Smartrr, Bubble conducted a massive email campaign announcing the new program, offering additional discounts to incentivize subscribers. This led to significant growth in their subscriber base.
Bubble also leveraged Smartrr's Trending List feature and the Instagram Feed feature in the customer account portal to enhance the subscriber experience. Most customers subscribed at a 30 or 60-day cadence to their star product, the Slam Dunk hydrating moisturizer, and a few other single SKUs. Bubble's team frequently delves into their subscription analytics provided by Smartrr, which offers robust insights into customers' purchasing patterns.
Bubble's success story doesn't end here. The brand experienced a viral moment on TikTok, leading to a 700% increase in sales on their DTC website. Subscriptions played a crucial role in sustaining this viral moment, as many new customers signed up for subscriptions on their first order.
“Our customer success manager, Samantha, does an incredible job of proactively introducing these new features and optimizations to us so that we can take full advantage of them. I love the fact that she is constantly approaching us with updates so that we’re continuously refreshing our offerings, which our customers really appreciate. The fact that our subscription program has already grown to over 600 subscribers within the first month and a half shows that it has already been ultra-successful.” – Emma Standing, Head of CX and eCommerce at Bubble
Looking ahead, Bubble plans to launch numerous products in 2023, including additional over-the-counter products, a top request from their community. They also plan to launch internationally with select retailers and focus more on subscription-focused marketing campaigns throughout the year.
Read the full case study on Smarterr, Bubble Case Study
