The secret behind Hernö Gin's spot-on newsletter – a design journey in Rule
- Who are Hernö Gin?
Hernö Gin was founded in 2011 in Dala, outside Härnösand, by Jon Hillgren, and is now the world’s leading and most award-winning producer of craft gin. They are proud to be Sweden’s first distillery entirely dedicated to gin, with over 100 international awards. With a focus on craftsmanship, transparency at every step, and the highest quality, Hernö Gin wants to make premium gin something everyone can enjoy at home. With a small but passionate marketing team, they manage to create consistent branding in all content, in their newsletter, on social media, and on their website.
- Hernö Gin customer case
A growing brand in need of better tools
With a strong brand and an engaged audience, the team at Hernö Gin felt that the email platform they were using was no longer up to scratch. Many crucial features were missing, which limited their ability to create emails that reflected their brand. For example, they lacked the ability to create automated email flows, editing options were limited, and it was difficult to work with design and segmentation in an efficient and seamless way.
As interest grew in building stronger relationships with their gin-loving customers, they realized they needed a more flexible tool. They saw the great potential of email marketing to increase engagement and sales and looked for a platform that would let the Hernö Gin brand shine.
We are extremely satisfied with Rule as our platform of choice. I highly recommend it to other companies that want to level up their communication with their target audience.
Emelie Kjaergaard, Head of Communications at Hernö Gin.
- Hernö Gin customer case
Smoother platform and more creative freedom with Rule
With Rule, Hernö Gin got exactly what they needed: a tool that makes it easy and convenient to create stylish, brand-aligned mailings without having to jump between multiple tools. To be able to use a base in all mailings, they have built their own templates in Rule, which saves time and ensures a consistent visual style. In addition, they began experimenting with segmentation and automation, which led them to discover a new way of working with their email campaigns.
Suddenly, they could communicate with their members based on interest, location, and level of engagement. They set up new automated onboarding flows to welcome new subscribers, and Rule’s integration with the Shopify e-commerce platform opens up the possibility of soon launching various “abandoned cart” flows.
"We don't have to work in lots of different tools and can do everything directly in Rule — it's very convenient,"
Emelie Kjaergaard, Head of Communications at Hernö Gin.
Impressive statistics in figures
70%
increase in customer base in less than six months.
200%
higher newsletter opening rates compared to the industry average.
650%
higher newsletter click-through rates compared to the industry average
- Hernö Gin customer case
The result – a community that grows in line with engagement
Since switching to Rule, Hernö Gin has seen impressive growth, increasing its customer base by almost 70% in less than six months. But it’s about more than just more subscribers. Open rates are high, averaging over 65%, churn is low, and engagement, with a click-through rate of over 15%, is very impressive.
“I feel proud that people are signing up—the statistics show that the content is high-quality, well-thought-out, and appreciated,” says Emelie.
The team at Hernö Gin is very selective about what it sends out to its target audience. The newsletters serve as an extension of the brand. The goal is to inspire, build relationships, and drive additional sales. Each mailing is visually well thought out, intuitive, and click-friendly. By tracking statistics and click behavior, they see exactly what subscribers appreciate most and tailor the content accordingly.
Successful tips from Hernö Gin
1.
Always start with a template that feels stable and can serve as a foundation. But don’t get stuck there; the important thing is to adapt and continuously develop the template.
2.
Dare to be personal and fun! This could be by challenging your brand and, for example, adapting the visual elements to the season. As long as you don’t compromise the core of your brand, this can make your newsletters more relevant and engaging.
3.
Consider the value your content provides to the recipient. By creating content that inspires and feels meaningful, you strengthen your relationship with your target audience, and it is precisely that relationship that drives sales.
“We work hard to understand what is actually valuable to our subscribers — not just what we want to push,”
Emelie Kjaergaard, Head of Communications at Hernö Gin.
Above are various recent emails from Hernö Gin.