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Applied AI in marketing automation unlocks huge revenue uplift for global retailer

We partnered with a global retail chain facing challenges caused by fragmented and inconsistent marketing processes across its 200 sites.

Overview

Working closely with their marketing team, we quickly identified human-focused automation opportunities. After validating these through targeted pilot projects, we implemented a centralised marketing automation process using Make.com. We developed a bespoke roadmap, including staff training, to fully deploy a complete solution in just eight weeks. This delivered a saving of 585 hours per month and a projected revenue impact of $14.5M.

Challenge

A fragmented, manual approach across 200 stores was leading to inconsistent campaigns with low engagement rates.

  • No effective segmentation or personalisation.

  • Manual workflows were consuming 780+ hours/month.

  • Email open rates of 12% and click-through rates of 2.1% lagged industry benchmarks.

Solution

We implemented our proprietary four step process:

Phase1. Assessment

In-person workshops analysed regional marketing workflows to identify high-ROI opportunities for automation:

  • Centralised campaign management.

  • AI-driven customer segmentation.

  • Automated email personalisation.

We agreed hard objectives including 30% increase in email engagement and 50% reduction in manual effort.

Phase 2. Prototype

We developed targeted automation concepts for proof of value:

  • AI-driven email personalisation and send time optimisation.

  • Machine learning model trained on 7 months historical customer data.

  • Automated content generation segmented by loyalty members and new customers.

We then validated these cases with a 4-week pilot campaign targeting 50,000 customers.

Phase 3. Scale

Following successful validation, we scaled up the concepts to create a centralised marketing automation process orchestrated through Make.com.

  • AI enabled segmentation responding dynamically to purchase patterns and behaviour.

  • Personalised emails generated in real-time for human validation.

  • AI scheduling determining optimal send times for each recipient.

  • Seamless HubSpot CRM integration for lead nurturing.

We trained the marketing teams on the new automated process, completing full deployment across 100% of campaigns across UK and US regions in just 8 weeks.

Phase 4. Measure

We tracked performance for 6 months post-implementation to quantify business value:

  • Email open rates rose by 47%, click-through rates more than doubled rising by 138%.

  • Manual effort was reduced by 75% saving 585 hours per month.

  • Conversions increase by 23% generating $2.4M incremental revenue.

In the first year, the savings amounted to a direct ROI of 315%, and the project is projected to deliver $14.5M in extra revenue over five years.

Conclusion

This success story demonstrates four deep’s structured approach to delivering automation solutions. By focusing on clearly defined, measurable outcomes throughout, we empowered our retail client to transform its marketing operations generating a huge uplift in revenue.