Case studies

Dropbox

Enabling Dropbox customer growth
through personalisation

Problem

Dropbox were on a multi-year journey to transform from a passive storage utility to a collaboration workspace used by the world’s most innovative teams.

An early leader in software-as-a-service platforms, Dropbox have a growing suite of cloud storage and collaboration products to help deliver on this vision. A central part of their acquisition strategy has always been a free tier that brings in new users before converting them into advocates and paying customers.

Their challenge is in effectively using their data and messaging to nudge these customers towards conversion, with an increasingly sophisticated set of technology platforms and optimisation required to stay ahead of competitors.

To orchestrate this conversion pipeline at scale, data needs to be paired with the right technology to create nuanced messaging that speaks to customers on a personal level.

There is also the complexity of creating localised storytelling, with differences in how Dropbox was being used across key APAC markets: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

They had established MBS&, their innovation lab, with the mission of being:
“A catalyst for trailblazers to solve the biggest learning problems and launch innovations that redefine how curious learners and organisations grow.”

A beta incubator program would be the initial vehicle for achieving this mission, proving out the innovation model through a series of new ventures.

MBS& needed support to define processes with their team, upskill and expand their capabilities, build confidence across the organisation, and lay the foundation for the program to operate and succeed.

As the leading business school in Australia, backed by business for business, MBS were in a unique position to create a different approach to learning innovation that sits outside traditional academic, corporate, or startup structures.

To orchestrate this conversion pipeline at scale, data needs to be paired with the right technology to create nuanced messaging that speaks to customers on a personal level.

There is also the complexity of creating localised storytelling, with differences in how Dropbox was being used across key APAC markets: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Dropbox objectives

The high level objectives for pushing conversion through the acquisition funnel.

Approach

We collaborated with Dropbox teams globally and in each APAC market, plus our IPG partners MediaHhub, to join the dots between platforms and create personalised messaging that pushes customers to convert.

A series of first-party data points and other available signals were used to develop this new technology architecture, allowing us to define the best content to present to customers through different media and internal channels, including:

Website engagement
Behavioural attributes
Contextual IDs
Geolocation

This included consideration of the right platforms and messaging for each part of the acquisition funnel, from upper funnel brand storytelling through to product benefits and lower funnel trials.

Website engagement
Behavioural attributes
Contextual IDs
Geolocation

This included consideration of the right platforms and messaging for each part of the acquisition funnel, from upper funnel brand storytelling through to product benefits and lower funnel trials.

Dropbox media

Content created as part of the program and used across media platforms.

Outcomes

Based on this new architecture, we were able to optimise conversion costs across the APAC region, delivering an exceptional cost-per-trial of 60.7% lower than the global benchmark.

The strategy and thinking behind this approach was adopted by Dropbox teams globally, reducing media spend and increasing use of Dropbox first-party channels to deliver personalised, meaningful communications to customers.

Introducing media platforms such as Teads and The Trade Desk allowed us to identify high impact opportunities for connecting with customers, with an increase in engagement of over 600% compared to previous formats Dropbox were using across markets.

Overall this helped Dropbox move towards their long term objectives, nudging customers towards conversion while in the natural flow of using Dropbox platforms and experiences.