It’s not every day you see a Leopard Shark in your inbox. This was an opportunity too good not to take. So we did…
The Client: Port Stephens Animal Adventures
Think rescued wildlife encounters with a dash of ocean salt and spray in the tourism mecca of Port Stephens.
Port Stephens Animal Adventures brings people face-to-face with sharks, rays, birds, and more. They’ve got the tours. They’ve got the animals. They’re are rescued animals too, so its a cause we love working for!
And sitting quietly in the background? A database of over 10,000 email subscribers, sitting deep in the proverbial rock pool, collecting moss.
The database was just waiting to be added to a magic potion of smart email strategy and a dash of Oddball jazz.
The Challenge: Big List, Small Budget
Their email list was like an attic: plenty of good stuff, but it needed serious sorting. Plus, the budget called for something lean. No enterprise tools. No fancy flows. Just Mailchimp and some solid strategy.
They needed help getting it live, keeping it clean, and turning it into a channel that could drive real revenue, especially during the school holidays.
The Strategy: Warmups, Cleanups, and a Bit of Email TLC
First, we got them set up on Mailchimp properly. That meant authenticating their domain, uploading the subscriber list, and capping it at 5,000 to keep things tidy and affordable. This can be tricky process dealing with multiple third-party’s but we have it down pact.
Then we ran targeted re-engagement campaigns to warm up the audience. No spammy blasts, just thoughtful check-ins with the kind of people who’d want to come back for a sting ray selfie.
We cleaned up the list too. Removed bounces. Pruned the dead weight. And as new contacts rolled in, we kept everything under 5,000 to stay within their plan, like digital spring cleaning, twice, thrice over.
This wasn’t a one-off fix. We’ve now repeated the process over two major school holiday campaigns, and each time, the list has got smarter, stronger, and more valuable.
The Results: A Healthy, Happy Email List That Actually Works
- Fully authenticated Mailchimp setup
- Optimised contact limit to stay under 5,000 and within budget
- Two full re-engagement cycles with improved deliverability and open rates
- Ongoing replenishment of new, high-quality contacts
- Cleaner, leaner, revenue-ready email marketing
Why It Worked
Because sometimes it’s not about having the biggest list. It’s about having the right one, and treating it with care.
By warming things up slowly, maintaining a manageable database, and only sending emails people actually wanted, Port Stephens Animal Adventures turned their forgotten list into a living, breathing marketing asset.
So if you have an unused email list, don’t give up on it! Just give it some strategic love.
