Unbound:
Customer Engagement
Targeted emails, well crafted landing pages, and key touchpoints. Mapping the user journey. (2019)
The problem
Unbound faced a critical challenge: many sponsors would sign up and commit but remain hands-off, never engaging with their sponsored friend. The goal was helping sponsors understand the importance of making personal connections—complicated by sponsored friends often being in remote regions where timely communication was difficult.
Additionally, we needed to convert donors to sponsors, then deepen their involvement through personalized experiences.
Challenge
I created touch points to engage users throughout their journey—from donor to sponsor to deeply engaged advocate. The challenge was nurturing relationships and building connections despite communication barriers and geographic distance.
Goals
Our primary goal was increasing conversions from donors to sponsors, then getting sponsors actively engaged through personalized experiences. We needed to help sponsors understand the impact and rewarding nature of building connections.
Methods
We mapped the user journey to identify key touchpoints for meaningful engagement, including email campaigns, targeted landing pages, and mini sites designed to reach users at different stages.
Insight
Many sponsors needed guidance on meaningful engagement. The solution was creating a structured onboarding experience that progressively introduced different aspects of being a sponsor while building confidence and understanding.
Ideation & Prototyping
We developed a 6-week email series introducing new elements weekly:
- Getting to know your sponsored friend through letter writing
- Our Global Community
- How We Work
- What does it mean to be a sponsor?
- Effective and Efficient
- Our Journey is just beginning: How to get more involved
We also developed landing pages and mini sites to drive deeper exploration of specific programs and involvement opportunities.
Key Decisions
The progressive email series was critical—introducing concepts week by week rather than overwhelming new sponsors. Landing pages and mini sites provided focused experiences for users ready to explore specific aspects of involvement.
Final Design
The coordinated engagement strategy created multiple touchpoints throughout the user journey. The email series provided structure and guidance for new sponsors, while landing pages and mini sites offered opportunities for deeper exploration.
Impact
Results were overwhelmingly positive, generating significantly more sponsorships and increased donation funds. The structured approach helped sponsors understand their role and feel confident engaging despite geographic and communication challenges.
Takeaways
Constant engagement is essential to nurture user relationships. The more they know about you, the more willing they are to engage. Building trust and loyalty is key for both growth and continually replenishing your core user base. Creating a thoughtful journey with progressive touchpoints proved essential for converting interest into meaningful, lasting engagement.