Case Study: Increasing Ankorstore Referrals Through Ankorstore Academy

Date: 2022–2023

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Context

Ankorstore's mission is to empower independent retailers by offering the best commercial conditions and giving brands access to more than 300,000 retailers across Europe.

Business Problem

Increase referrals and user engagement to generate more sales.

As Ankorstore grew from 3,000 to 30,000 brands, referrals had traditionally been driven by discounts and vouchers—a business model that was no longer sustainable.

At the same time, there were no longer enough sales representatives to manage every account.

Role

Communications Strategist and content manager

Solution

After conducting an in-depth cohort analysis, we discovered that the brands most likely to refer others were those that had already experienced success on the platform.

This meant that the most effective long-term way to increase referrals was to accelerate the time to first purchase and increase each brand's average order value.

Based on these insights, I designed a lifecycle strategy built around three brand cohorts, each with a tailored engagement approach.

Long-tail brands were supported through a fully automated lifecycle and a one-to-many communication strategy designed to educate, engage, and activate them at scale.

This approach helped brands succeed on the platform, made the referral program more sustainable and profitable, and remained aligned with Ankorstore's mission.

Communication target: 30,000 independent brands

Methodology

1. Communication Strategy

To support this major shift in the Brand Program's value proposition, I developed a comprehensive training program that enabled brands to unlock the platform's full potential and generate qualified referrals more effectively.

2. Lifecycle Design

Messages and trigger mapping

I mapped the entire customer lifecycle—from registration to first sale, ongoing engagement, and abandonment—and created the corresponding communication plan. I also repositioned the Brand Program and refined its tone of voice to reflect the new value proposition.

3- Content & training plan :

I developed a comprehensive training, defined CRM lifecycle triggers, and oversaw the creation and execution of all communication assets to ensure consistency across channels.

To support one-to-many communication at scale, I created:

• A webinar program deployed across six countries

• The Ankorstore Academy YouTube channel

• Educational guides

• Sales team training and a dedicated toolbox

4. Team Enablement

Finally, I rolled out these resources across every customer touchpoint and designed a tailored training program to help the sales team confidently support and advise top brands.

The training was deployed across:

• Customer Success

• Sales

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