Aura Bora is a beverage company known for its unique and refreshing sparkling water infused with botanical flavors. Seeking to gain deeper insights into their consumer base, Aura Bora aimed to alter their survey methodology to capture the information that aligns with their business objectives.
The Story of Aura Bora
Aura Bora, founded in 2019, by Paul Voge is a pioneering brand in the sparkling beverage industry that has gained significant attention and popularity in recent years. Unlike traditional carbonated beverages, Aura Bora offers an exquisite range of sparkling water infused with unique herbal and fruit flavors. The brand’s commitment to delivering a refreshing and innovative drinking experience has helped it stand out in a highly competitive market.
The Problem / Challenge
Aura Bora’s collaboration with Kno stemmed from their desire to gain a comprehensive understanding of their consumers through zero-party data. Recognizing the potential of this data, Aura Bora turned to Kno’s expertise in data analysis and consumer insights to unlock a deeper understanding of their consumers.
“The deeper understanding of our consumer really educated us on who we would target at the top of the funnel to have that be a less, a more risk-averse investment.”
– Cameron Faist, VP of Growth
By partnering with Kno, Aura Bora aimed to optimize advertising efforts by targeting their consumers with top-of-funnel ads. Through the analysis of zero-party data collected through Kno’s platform, Aura Bora sought to identify key demographic segments and interests among their users. This valuable information would enable them to create highly targeted and personalized top-of-funnel ads, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and increasing their chances of engaging and converting potential customers.
The collaboration between Aura Bora and Kno also revealed further opportunities for capturing insights from their users. By leveraging Kno’s platform, Aura Bora could access additional data points and metrics that would provide a more comprehensive view of their consumers’ behaviors and preferences. This deeper level of understanding would empower Aura Bora to refine its marketing strategies, tailor their product offerings, and deliver more personalized experiences to its target audience, ultimately driving growth and success in the market.
How Aura Bora Expanded into Retail Markets
Success in Retail Markets:
One of the key drivers of Aura Bora’s success lies in its strategic move into the retail markets. Recognizing the importance of expanding its distribution channels, the brand partnered with KnoCommerce, to capitalize on the growing online sales landscape. By effectively utilizing the data gathered from the surveys, Cameron was able to provide valuable information to potential retail partners, leading to successful collaborations.
Aura Bora had a robust online presence but realized that a significant portion of its target audience preferred purchasing products in physical stores. They aimed to leverage this demand and expand their reach by partnering with retailers. To support their case, Cameron turned to KnoCommerce’s post-purchase surveys, which provided valuable data and insights on consumer behavior and preferences.
Addressable Market and Consumer Demand:
Through the surveys, Cameron discovered that 27% of their online customers bought products from Aura Bora’s website because they couldn’t find the products in physical stores. This information became a compelling talking point when engaging with potential retail buyers. By highlighting the existing addressable market, Cameron effectively communicated the consumer demand for their products in physical stores, which was welcomed by retailers in the region.
Validating Partnership Opportunities:
Cameron presented the data collected from a specific retailer, Ralphs, which boasted a 90% coverage in their target region. Among Ralphs customers, 51% had never made an in-store purchase. This data presented an opportunity for Aura Bora to demonstrate to Ralphs that they could bring in new consumers and complement their status as a premier grocery account.
Recency and Frequency of Purchases:
Aura Bora also focused on providing valuable information on consumer behavior to potential retail partners. By asking specific questions about in-store purchasing habits, Cameron obtained data that demonstrated the frequency and location preferences of their customers. A notable finding was that 23% of their consumers made multiple purchases per month. This data point further emphasized the potential for frequent sales if Aura Bora’s products were made available in physical stores.
Immediate Retail Offer Redemption:
One loaded yet effective question in the survey revealed that 89% of customers stated they would redeem a retail offer on the same day it was received. This statistic emphasized the opportunity for immediate foot traffic and sales conversion if Aura Bora’s products were stocked by retailers. The data-supported claim of a readily addressable market was persuasive for retail partners, as it indicated the potential for immediate impact.
Targeted Placement and Consumer Profile:
To further strengthen their case, Aura Bora’s surveys provided insights into the preferences and demographics of their consumers. The survey data revealed that their over-indexed consumer community consisted of sober or sober-curious trendsetters. This information allowed Aura Bora to tailor their placement suggestions to retailers, such as being located in the sparkling water section AND near alcoholic beverages. Additionally, 48% of their customers had a household income exceeding $100,000, aligning with the higher income demographics of Ralphs’ target area. Furthermore, 58% of Aura Bora consumers from the zero-party data were females aged 25 to 44, matching Ralphs’ target consumer profile.
Success with KnoCommerce Surveys:
Cameron highlighted the impact of KnoCommerce’s post-purchase surveys on securing partnerships with retailers. He mentioned that the data and insights derived from these surveys were pivotal in influencing the decisions of retailers to partner with Aura Bora. The retailers recognized the value of the DTC data, considering it a low-risk addition that brought significant benefits.
Why Aura Bora Chose KNO
When Aura Bora decided to use KnoCommerce, their primary goal was to gain a better understanding of their unique consumer base. They recognized the importance of delving deeper into the preferences, behaviors, and characteristics of their customers in order to tailor their marketing and product offerings more effectively. By working with the KNO team and customizing the survey questions, they aimed to gather specific information about their consumers’ households, income levels, personalities, and their individual identity as humans. This customization allowed Aura Bora to move beyond generic survey templates and obtain unique insights that could be translated into actionable strategies.
The inclusion of questions about household income provided Aura Bora with valuable demographic data that helped them understand the economic context of their consumers. This information allowed them to refine their pricing strategies and develop targeted marketing campaigns that aligned with the financial capabilities of their target audience. Additionally, by exploring the personality traits and individual identification of their consumers, Aura Bora gained deeper insights into the motivations and values that drive their purchasing decisions. This knowledge enabled them to create more personalized and engaging brand experiences, fostering stronger connections with their customers.
How Kno Came In
“I worked with Jeremiah and Landon one-on-one to really understand how to take those DTC insights from the first post-purchase and reengage that user after their second, third, and fourth purchase.”
After years of experience, Cameron never expected that sending surveys to users who abandoned their carts would yield such insightful responses but they have proven to be highly impactful. Through these surveys, we have discovered that the primary reason customers abandon their carts is simply affordability. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the user experience or the brand itself.
Overall, the customized approach to surveying with KnoCommerce empowered Aura Bora to unlock key insights about their consumers, leading to the identification of strategic opportunities. By going beyond generic templates and tailoring their surveys, Aura Bora was able to gather nuanced data that informed their tactical decision-making processes, ultimately driving their business forward.
The Results
This newfound understanding sparked a significant shift in their strategic approach. Instead of relentlessly targeting abandoned carts and investing in retargeting efforts, Aura Bora focuses on targeting existing users who have the means to afford our products.
“We acknowledge that we cannot expect someone to magically raise their income to fit our pricing. This realization has not only saved us substantial amounts of money but has allowed them to enhance the new website, which was launched last quarter.”
Aura Bora’s primary goal now is to convert those who can truly benefit from their offerings, rather than attempting to convert every single visitor to the site.
Interested in learning more about what KNO can do for your company or brand? Schedule a demo with us today, and we’ll walk you through the surveys that Aura Bora used to get their beverages in the hands of more customers.
