Sandboxx is a mobile app focused on connecting the military community through military mail, content, community, and news. The flagship feature, Sandboxx Letters, allows users to send physical letters to recruits in training where digital communication is not possible. 

Sandboxx also delivers always-up-to-date content to guide and prepare military families for the journey ahead, alongside a community platform where users can connect and share experiences, fostering camaraderie and support.

To expand on their success connecting the military community, the Sandboxx team set out to deliver a more holistic, relevant, real-time experience to customers. Although they were already engaging via email, with 11.2 million unique sends in 2023 alone, they knew that email was not enough. 

In their efforts to take ownership of all the channels available to them, the Sandboxx team decided to add Iterable’s Embedded Messaging to their cross-channel marketing strategy.

What is Iterable’s Embedded Messaging?

In a nutshell, Iterable’s Embedded Messaging are messages that are displayed inline in mobile and web applications, alongside all other native content. These messages can range from hero banners and info boxes to scrolling carousels and feeds. They’re designed to fit seamlessly into an app experience—no overlays, pop-ups, or push notifications necessary.

Sandboxx Integrates Embedded Messaging for Enhanced Engagement

What appealed to Sandboxx’s marketing team about Embedded Messaging was the ability to populate personalized content directly into the product, targeting multiple locations within the app. And, because these messages are fully dynamic, they can be displayed or removed in real-time, based on their relevance to individual users.

When it came to integrating Embedded Messaging, Jeremiah used two words: “simple and seamless.” He said once the team decided to add the feature, the rest was smooth sailing.

“We already had everything we needed with our initial Iterable implementation, so handling things like actions and URLs was a piece of cake. Because Embedded Messaging is API-driven, all we have to do is ask for data, and then we get that data and render it however we want.” ~ Jeremiah Runser, Head of Marketing at Sandboxx

The Sandboxx engineering team was quick to agree with Jeremiah. They felt Iterable’s support team was extremely helpful throughout the entire implementation. It’s a common fear that onboarding a new product will require a fleet of technical resources, but the engineers at Sandboxx were surprised by how few people they needed and how little time it took to get up and running.

Putting Embedded Messaging Into Action

Once Embedded Messaging was implemented, Sandboxx began putting it into action with these four core use cases:

1. Onboarding and Activation. To encourage a user’s first purchase and optimize for a higher lifetime value in the long run, the team created educational content that explained how to get the most out of the Sandboxx app and shared the stories of existing customers. These messages were designed to expand product knowledge during onboarding and increase advocacy through social proof.

2. Sequential Content. Sandboxx hosts weekly training updates on the web, and Iterable data feeds enable them to be displayed across all devices in real-time. Anytime that changes are made to the user field {{letterRecipient.trainingWeek}}, those changes are reflected in the embedded weekly training updates.

3. Targeted Promotions. Sandboxx marketers aren’t interested in sending mass promotions in the hopes that only a small handful of recipients will actually make a purchase. Instead, the team uses Embedded Messaging to meet customers where they are with targeted and timely promos. Because users are already in the app, it’s easier for them to convert, allowing for more cross-sell and upsell opportunities with reduced friction.

4. Partner Advertising. In addition to enhancing Sandboxx’s content, Embedded Messaging has provided an opportunity to monetize promoted content from advertisers. The native delivery of these ads mimics the look and feel of the Sandboxx brand, helping partners meet their impression KPIs and offering a superior experience compared to traditional sponsored content. All the team has to do is set the display priority according to the specific campaign’s goals.

Regardless of the use case, with Embedded Messaging, Sandboxx marketers never have to wait to get information in front of customers. Whenever a message is updated on their website, that content is reflected in the app in real time thanks to data feeds. 

And the results speak for themselves. Since adopting Embedded Messaging in early 2024, Sandboxx has achieved 5.7 million impressions and increased its click rate from 2.48% on average to 15.82%. That’s a jaw-dropping 538% improvement compared to engaging via email only.

The Path Ahead for Sandboxx

As Jeremiah put it, Embedded Messaging has been a way for Sandboxx to make everything they were already doing with Iterable “just better.” They now have a fully native, integrated messaging solution with robust segmentation to enhance their cross-channel marketing campaigns across both their website and app.

By embedding dynamic messages directly on web and mobile, the Sandboxx team has been able to deliver a superior user experience, reach customers with more personalized content, and dramatically improve their key metrics that impact the bottom line. 

Messages mean everything for military families to stay connected. And now, with Iterable’s Embedded Messaging, Sandboxx can send better messages to achieve its mission.

If you’re interested in connecting more closely with your customers, reach out and schedule a demo of Iterable’s Embedded Messaging today.