The Upstream, specializing in mobile marketing solutions, has stood out for its innovative approach, which has been transforming the e-commerce scenario in Brazil. At the recent E-commerce Brazil Forum, the company demonstrated its growing influence in the sector, the result of a strategy focused on mobile messaging, including SMS, RCS, and WhatsApp. Since 2022, the company has significantly expanded its presence in technology for e-commerce worldwide. In Brazil, the Greek-origin company has established itself as a partner of major companies in the e-commerce sector and has been instrumental in optimizing Brazilian e-commerce operations, helping retailers improve user navigation, increase revenue, raise conversion rates, and recover abandoned carts, through the Grow platform.
In addition to consolidating its presence in the e-commerce market, Upstream has stood out for its innovative solutions that go beyond simple communication. During the E-commerce Brazil Forum, the company presented some of the most effective strategies to engage and convert users, with a special focus on gamification as a powerful tool to increase opt-in rates and strengthen customer relationships.
Innovations in gamification and opt-in conversion
Patrick Marquart, Head of Corporate Sales at Upstream shared insights on how to increase opt-in conversions through gamified solutions. “Building an active customer base is not a simple challenge, but we have a solution for that,” he explained. “Today, our customers naturally, using our solution, convert around 5% to 6% of the traffic that arrives monthly within the e-commerce, blog, or content page they own.” Clarified
Gamification is one of the most effective strategies at Upstream, doubling conversion rates by engaging users in a fun and interactive way. “Our solution features pop-ups that can be gamified and, moreover, segmented so that the customer has a unique strategy on how to capture and, in the best way, lead within the site,” emphasized Marquart.
Successful gamification tools
Among the most successful models are the roulette, scratch card, and surprise box. “The first model that converts a lot is the roulette. The user signs up and, to be able to spin the roulette, he has to provide the phone number and cell phone to us. At the moment he registers, he can spin the roulette and the roulette will give him a discount coupon, free shipping, or something else that can add more relevance and sales to it,” explained Marquart.
Transforming e-commerce with Upstream
One of the biggest pains for e-commerce is cart abandonment. Michely Ramos, a CRM performance analyst at ZZ MALL, shares how Upstream assisted in this process.
“We got to know Upstream through a pain point: journey and cart abandonment. We implemented pop-up strategies for communication before and after abandonment, with two fronts of action through SMS in two steps, as well as WhatsApp blasts. Upstream helped us understand the customer journey touchpoints, identifying the reasons for abandonment and how to bring them back. Customers come to our site from various sources, including paid media, an area in which I operate, and often abandon navigation on the homepage itself.
Michely, highlights that with Upstream, strategies have been adopted to encourage customer data collection, taking them out of anonymity, which is crucial due to LGPD and data protection.
“Before, we used to pay for customers who never converted. Thanks to Upstream, we reduced cart abandonment rates by 20% and increased CRM channel participation by almost 16% since March. We were able to segment emails and SMS to work better with potential customers and send personalized journeys. We consider Upstream an essential partner to sew this 360° journey, understanding the customer’s moment, whether in the acquisition or retention phase. This brings more intelligence to our business and keeps us present in the user’s life. If you’re not seen, you’re not remembered, so we need to be everywhere, communicating consistently on social networks and proprietary channels.” Celebrates the Analyst.
Caio Velasco, from the CRM team at Granado, considers the partnership with Upstream essential to better understand customers and improve communication through various channels.
“We have over 150 years of operation in Brazil, with more than 100 stores spread across the country, as well as presence in Europe and the United States. In my CRM role, I work in those stores as well as B2C and B2B websites, including an international site that covers all of Europe and the USA. Recently, in 2024, we started talking to Upstream about a challenge we had: capturing and converting customers effectively. Although we were able to reach many people, our conversion rate was not satisfactory. Upstream was the final touch we needed, bringing about a significant change. They helped us understand who our customers are and how to impact them at the right time and channel.”
He complements that through strategies with Upstream, it was possible to significantly increase the number of new customers and better identify these customers to work on repurchase strategies.
“Upstream has provided us with a complete view of the process, from acquisition to loyalty, transforming our customers into loyal followers who follow all our news and promotions. The partnership with Upstream has been essential, especially in the issue of abandoned shopping carts, where we have been working together for some time. We believe there is great potential to develop and deepen our projects with their help, taking advantage of all the new possibilities and innovations they have brought to Granado”. Notes.
Market Impact and Event Participation
Upstream participated in three editions of the E-commerce Brasil Forum and also VTEX Day, standing out as an innovative company that serves enterprise clients with a constant focus on news and improvements. “Gamification is changing the game, we are converting more users and this is bringing more revenue to the retailers,” concluded Marquart.
