How Tandem Translated Embedded Messaging Into a 10% Revenue Lift

Tandem, the global language exchange platform with millions of members, faced a common conversion ceiling. Standard lifecycle tactics—email, push notifications, and static pop-ups—had plateaued. For Rodolphe Helderwerdt, VP of Marketing, the objective was to move past interruptive “growth hacks” toward a strategy where marketing feels like a native component of the product.

Converting free users to pro subscribers required a shift in how upgrade prompts were delivered. Traditional “one-size-fits-all” prompts were often disconnected from the user’s immediate actions. Tandem needed a way to trigger upgrade moments that were:

• Behavior-driven: Responding to specific user actions in real-time.
• Non-intrusive: Integrated into the app UI rather than interrupting the workflow.
• Scalable: Manageable via a lean team without constant engineering intervention.

Tandem reimagined its approach by leveraging a modern, composable data stack consisting of Snowflake, Hightouch, and Iterable.

1. Centralized Intelligence (Snowflake)

Snowflake serves as Tandem’s single source of truth. Every granular behavioral signal—from an abandoned payment to the specific use of a Pro feature like “Unlimited Translations”—is captured and stored here.

2. Real-Time Activation (Hightouch)

Tandem uses HighTouch to bridge the gap between its warehouse and its engagement layer. Hightouch syncs dynamic audiences from Snowflake to Iterable in near real-time, allowing for instant responsiveness to user behavior.

3. Native Execution (Iterable Embedded Messaging)

Rather than relying on static in-app overlays, Tandem leveraged Iterable’s Embedded Messaging to integrate dynamic content directly into the UI. By building an upgrade journey fully driven by user data and behavior, they traded generic prompts for contextual, timely messages. The result was a series of personal “upgrade moments” that felt like a natural extension of the user experience rather than an interruption.

Countdown Timers: For expiring subscriptions, an embedded countdown provided a persistent reminder of value without a disruptive pop-up.

Feature-Specific Recovery: Abandoned payment messages were tailored to the exact feature the user had just interacted with (e.g., “Get Your Profile Highlighted”).

Exclusive Birthday Offer: On a user’s birthday, a special offer is available for 24 hours. This upgrade screen was intentionally hidden from the normal app flow and accessible only from the message center. Users described it as a delightful, rewarding moment tailored just for them

By bridging the gap between data storage and real-time execution, Tandem has successfully moved beyond the limits of traditional lifecycle marketing. The shift to a composable architecture—utilizing Snowflake for depth, Hightouch for agility, and Iterable for native delivery—demonstrates that technical precision is the most effective path to user-centric growth. This initiative didn’t just meet a revenue target; it established a scalable, automated framework that ensures every upgrade prompt is as relevant as the product itself.