From historical meeting place without a customer database - to 20,000 contacts in one year

For over 100 years, Östermalms Saluhall has been a natural place for food and meetings. A brand with a strong tradition, high recognition and thousands of physical visitors every week. Their challenge was that the relationship (with customers) ended when the visit was over. This in turn meant a lack of insight into who the visitors actually were, what drove them back and how often they returned. All communication became generic and the ability to build loyalty, drive return visits or measure impact was limited. Together with Reaktion and with Rule as a platform, a clear goal was set: to build a data-driven foundation for long-term relationships and to own their data.

The challenge

The market hall had a strong physical presence, but lacked a corresponding digital structure. A year ago, for example, there was:

No customer database or first-party data
No strategy for digital communication
No dedicated channels, like newsletters, to reach visitors over time

As a result, knowledge of target audience behavior was limited. It was known that people came – but not who they were, what engaged them or how often they returned. The relationship began and ended in the physical environment of the hall.

The solution

The ambition was to build a modern and scalable platform that makes it possible to collect, structure and activate first-party data and thus create the conditions for future omni experiences and long-term relationships.

With the help of Reaktion they wanted to lay the foundations for a stable digital structure. And instead of chasing short-term campaigns, it focused on building a sustainable ecosystem where each new contact is nurtured, followed up and developed over time.

Reaktion developed a new website and in parallel built a structured database in Rule. The newsletter was established as the hub of communication. Not only as a pure campaign channel, but as a way to extend the experience of Saluhallen beyond the physical location.

"It's not about growing fast - it's about growing right. When you combine clear value for the recipient with a structure where the data is actually used, then 20,000 contacts can be the start of something long-term. It's only when the relationship is relevant that it becomes scalable."

Jascha Trygg, Reaktion, Account Manager Östermalmshallen

The result

Once the technical and strategic elements were in place, the real work began: building relationships. With Rule as the hub for data collection and communication, a structure was created where each new contact was actually nurtured, not just collected. Growth was driven by a combination of digital visibility, clear touchpoints and thoughtful value exchange. This included working with:

Data collection via the website, with strategically placed forms and incentives
Targeted Meta-campaigns that drove traffic and conversion to subscription

Communication today is based on inspiration, retailers’ offers, seasonal content and experiences & offers linked to Saluhallen. A clear value in every mailing.

In one year, Östermalms Saluhall has gone from having no digital relationships to owning a growing database. Proof that brands can build future relationships when they start with the right foundation and let strategy and data guide the way forward. With that also a communication that can be measured, optimized and developed.

Next steps: from communication to conversion

With the database in place, the focus has now shifted from building to refining. The next step is to start linking communication and actual action, for example through transactional mailings linked to bookings at individual operators in Saluhallen. At the same time, there is a clear direction ahead: to gradually develop a full omnichannel strategy where email is complemented by SMS and later on also RCS.