Floating Flame
A lifecycle email system for a premium portable fire pit brand, taking customers from first product discovery to confident purchase while increasing repeat revenue through post-purchase education, cross-sells, and seasonal outdoor campaigns.
The Challenge
Floating Flame is a considered purchase, not an impulse buy — subscribers need to move from lifestyle inspiration to product education to real customer trust before they're ready to invest in a premium boating accessory.
The Goal
Help the email programme move new subscribers from discovering the boating lifestyle to understanding the product to buying with confidence, then keep past customers engaged season after season.
My Role
Lifecycle strategy, copy direction, email design, Klaviyo-ready build logic, and QA.
Key Deliverables
- • Welcome flow
- • Site abandonment flow
- • Browse abandonment flow
- • Account/checkout abandonment flows
- • Post-purchase flow
- • Review request flow
- • Winback flow
- • Sunset flow
- • Campaign calendar
- • Klaviyo build plan
Brand Assets & Customer Overview
The thinking before the email work.
Brand Overview
- Category: Outdoor lifestyle — portable propane fire pit
- Positioning: the only fire pit approved for safe use on boats, also suited for camping, tailgating, patios, beaches, and backyard gatherings
Founder Story
Founded by Ben, an entrepreneur and engineer who previously built Spike Brewing Equipment. The idea originated after people showed more interest in the portable fire pit in photos of his boat than the boat itself, leading him to redesign and improve the concept.
Main Product Features
- Propane-powered (standard 20 lb grill tanks and 1 lb camping cylinders)
- Designed for pontoon boats and marine environments
- Smokeless, ash-free operation
- Built-in coolers on both sides (up to 12 cans each)
- Four integrated cup holders with storage
- Phone/key storage compartments
- Lightweight (~40 lb without propane tank)
- Over 20 hours of burn time on a 20 lb propane tank
- Dimensions: 40" × 19" × 24"
Target Customers
- Boating
- Lake houses
- Tailgating
- Camping
- Backyard cookouts
- Beach gatherings
- Ice fishing
- RV travel
Brand Positioning
- Premium outdoor lifestyle
- Convenience over wood-burning fire pits
- Safety on boats
- Easy portability
- Social gatherings and entertaining friends outdoors
Pricing
- Floating Flame: US$999 (discounted from US$1,199)
- Includes free shipping
- Ships within 24 hours
- 1-year warranty
Flows designed based on the buyer’s journey.
Flow Map
Welcome Flow
5 emails • Guide new subscribers from introduction to first purchaseFlow Progression
Outcome
Introduce the brand, educate new subscribers, answer objections, build trust, and encourage a confident first purchase.
Site Abandonment Flow
2 emails • Re-engage visitors who left the website earlyFlow Progression
Outcome
Bring visitors back to the site, highlight popular products, and offer assistance before purchase intent disappears.
Browse Abandonment Flow
4 emails • Move product viewers toward adding items to cartFlow Progression
Outcome
Reinforce product value, resolve hesitation, and encourage customers to return and continue shopping.
Cart Abandonment Flow
4 emails • Recover abandoned carts before intent fadesFlow Progression
Outcome
Address buying concerns, strengthen purchase motivation, and recover abandoned carts.
Checkout Abandonment Flow
4 emails • Help customers complete checkoutFlow Progression
Outcome
Remove final barriers to purchase and encourage customers to complete their order.
Post-Purchase Flow
5 emails • Turn first-time buyers into repeat customersFlow Progression
Outcome
Help customers get better results, strengthen brand loyalty, and naturally introduce the next purchase.
Winback Flow
4 emails • Re-engage inactive customersFlow Progression
Outcome
Reconnect with inactive customers using multiple messaging angles before they become permanently inactive.
Sunset Flow
2 emails • Make one final attempt before suppressing inactive subscribersFlow Progression
Outcome
Give inactive subscribers one final opportunity to re-engage before removing them from future marketing communications.
Copy
How strategy became messaging.
Strategy & Copy — Popup
Build the Floating Flame Crew list with lifestyle-first messaging before ever asking for a purchase, using a 3-step signup: interest, email, optional SMS.
Final Popup Design
Strategy & Copy — Welcome Email 1
- Objective:
- Welcome new subscribers, introduce the Floating Flame lifestyle, and make a strong first impression — the first of 5 emails moving subscribers from curiosity to ownership.
- Target customer:
- New subscriber, hasn't purchased yet
- Subject line:
- “Welcome to the Floating Flame Crew 🔥”
- Preview text:
- “Here's to unforgettable nights on the water.”
- Hook:
- Thanks for joining the Floating Flame Crew.
- Headline:
- “Where Every Lake Night Gets Better.”
- Body-copy direction:
- Introduce the brand's core promise (turning ordinary evenings on the water into unforgettable moments), spotlight what makes the product different (smokeless propane flame, designed for pontoon boats, built-in cooler and storage, quick setup), then list what subscribers receive as part of the Crew (boating inspiration, customer stories, product tips, early access).
- Primary CTA:
- Shop Floating Flame
- Offer / angle:
- None — brand and lifestyle-led welcome, no discount mentioned.
Design Brief
The brief used before designing each email or campaign.
Email objective
Re-engage visitors who explored Floating Flame but left without purchasing, reminding them of the lifestyle and removing hesitation
Target audience
Site visitors who left before purchasing
Customer context
First email in the Site Abandonment flow, sent 1 hour after leaving
Key message
Bring the fire to the water — turn ordinary evenings into unforgettable moments
Offer or angle
None — lifestyle and education-led, no discount
Required sections
Full-width lifestyle hero, lifestyle introduction, four icon-based benefits, storytelling block, CTA
Visual direction
White background, charcoal text, brand-red CTA, warm flame-orange accents, bold 36–48px headlines, premium boating lifestyle photography
Product / image assets
Large sunset lifestyle image of Floating Flame in use on a pontoon with friends gathered around
Primary CTA
Explore Floating Flame
Mobile requirements
Single-column layout, large CTA buttons after each section, consistent 32–48px spacing, rounded corners
Other design briefs for this brand
Additional briefs follow the same template for each remaining campaign and flow email — available on request or in the linked brief document.
Campaign Calendar
Klaviyo-Ready Build Logic
Welcome Flow (5 Emails)
Trigger
Subscribed to Email List
Delay
Immediate → 1 day → 2 days → 2 days → 3 days
Flow filters
- Has not placed an order since starting this flow
Conditional splits
- Has viewed a product since subscribing?
- Welcome offer claimed vs not claimed (optional)
- Quiz completed vs not completed (if quiz exists)
Segments
- New subscribers
- Email subscribers only
- No purchase
Exclusions
- Existing customers
- Unsubscribed profiles
- Suppressed profiles
Dynamic product blocks
- Best Sellers
- Personalized recommendations
- Recently viewed products (if available)
Personalisation
- First Name
- Discount Code
- Signup Source
- Quiz Result (optional)
Site Abandonment Flow (2 Emails)
Trigger
Active on Site
Delay
1 hour → 2 days
Flow filters
- Has not viewed a product since entering flow
- Has not placed an order
Conditional splits
- New visitor vs Returning visitor
- Mobile vs Desktop (optional)
Segments
- Site visitors
- No product viewed
Exclusions
- Purchased after trigger
- Entered Browse Abandonment
- Existing customers (optional)
Dynamic product blocks
- Best Sellers
- Trending Products
- New Arrivals
Personalisation
- First Name
- Homepage recommendations
Browse Abandonment Flow (4 Emails)
Trigger
Viewed Product
Delay
45 min → 1 day → 2 days → 3 days
Flow filters
- Has not Added to Cart
- Has not Started Checkout
- Has not Placed Order
Conditional splits
- First-time visitor vs Returning customer
- Product category viewed
- High-value product vs Low-value product
Segments
- Product viewers
Exclusions
- Purchased viewed product
- Added item to cart
- Entered Cart Flow
Dynamic product blocks
- Viewed Product
- Related Products
- Similar Products
Personalisation
- First Name
- Viewed Product Name
- Product Image
- Product Price
Cart Abandonment Flow (4 Emails)
Trigger
Added to Cart
Delay
1 hour → 12 hours → 2 days → 4 days
Flow filters
- Has not Started Checkout
- Has not Placed Order
Conditional splits
- Cart value above free shipping threshold
- First purchase vs Returning customer
- Cart contains bundle vs Single item
Segments
- Cart abandoners
Exclusions
- Started checkout
- Purchased
- Empty cart
Dynamic product blocks
- Cart Items
- Complementary Products
Personalisation
- First Name
- Cart Items
- Cart Value
- Free Shipping Status
Checkout Abandonment Flow (4 Emails)
Trigger
Started Checkout
Delay
1 hour → 12 hours → 24 hours → 48 hours
Flow filters
- Has not placed order
Conditional splits
- First-time customer vs Repeat customer
- Cart value above discount threshold
- Shipping country
Segments
- Checkout abandoners
Exclusions
- Completed checkout
- Cancelled checkout
Dynamic product blocks
- Checkout Items
- Checkout Summary
Personalisation
- First Name
- Cart Items
- Checkout URL
Post Purchase Flow (5 Emails)
Trigger
Placed Order
Delay
Immediate → 3 days → 10 days → 21 days → 45 days
Flow filters
- Order fulfilled (for education emails if needed)
Conditional splits
- First Order vs Repeat Order
- Product Purchased
- Subscription vs One-time Purchase
- Order Value
Segments
- Customers
- First-time Buyers
- Repeat Buyers
Exclusions
- Refunded orders
- Cancelled orders
Dynamic product blocks
- Complementary Products
- Frequently Bought Together
- Personalized Recommendations
Personalisation
- First Name
- Purchased Product
- Order Number
- Loyalty Status
Winback Flow (4 Emails)
Trigger
Placed Order
Delay
90 Days After Last Purchase
Flow filters
- Has not placed another order
- Has not entered another Winback Flow recently
Conditional splits
- High LTV vs Low LTV
- Product previously purchased
- VIP Customer
Segments
- Lapsed Customers
Exclusions
- Recent purchasers
- Suppressed profiles
Dynamic product blocks
- Previously Purchased Collection
- New Arrivals
- Personalized Recommendations
Personalisation
- First Name
- Last Purchased Product
- Days Since Last Purchase
Sunset Flow (2 Emails)
Trigger
Segment Entry
Delay
Immediate → 7 days
Entry segment example
- Has not opened email in 90-180 days
- Has not clicked in 90-180 days
- Has not purchased in 180+ days
Flow filters
- Still inactive
Conditional splits
- Opened first email?
- Clicked first email?
Segments
- Inactive Subscribers
Exclusions
- Recent purchasers
- Active engaged subscribers
Dynamic product blocks
- Best Sellers
- New Products
Personalisation
- First Name
Exit logic
- If subscriber opens or clicks any email → Remove from flow
- If subscriber remains inactive after final email → Add to Suppressed Segment (or suppression workflow, depending on account policy)
Global Flow Settings
- Smart Sending: OFF for all abandonment flows (Cart, Checkout, Browse) to avoid skipping high-intent emails.
- UTM Parameters: Automatically append UTM tags to every email.
- Send Time Optimization: Disabled for triggered flows; use fixed delays instead.
- Email Frequency: Allow flows to override campaign cadence for high-intent events.
- Exit Conditions: Automatically remove anyone who completes the flow goal (typically "Placed Order") before subsequent emails.
- Dynamic Recommendations: Use Klaviyo catalog feeds for viewed products, cart contents, complementary products, and personalized recommendations wherever applicable.
Pre-Send QA
- Correct audience and segment
- Trigger and flow logic checked
- Exclusions checked
- Subject line and preview text checked
- Personalisation checked
- Discount or offer checked
- Links and buttons checked
- Mobile layout checked
- Image quality and loading checked
- Footer, legal text, and unsubscribe checked
- Test-send check
What I Would Measure and Test Next
A complete ecommerce email system.
This case study shows how I move from brand understanding and customer journey strategy to copy, Figma email design, Klaviyo-ready flow logic, and pre-send QA.