Real-world examples of win-back campaigns examples that actually bring customers back

Standout examples of win-back campaigns examples in 2024

The best examples of win-back campaigns examples right now share a few traits: they’re specific, they’re triggered by behavior, and they feel like they were written for one person, not a list of 50,000.

Instead of blasting generic “We miss you” emails, leading brands are combining:

• Time-based triggers (e.g., 30/60/90 days since last purchase)
• Behavioral signals (e.g., cart abandonment, app inactivity)
• Personalized incentives (e.g., category-based discounts, loyalty points, upgrades)

Let’s walk through real examples of win-back campaigns examples across different business models, with a focus on what you can copy tomorrow.

Ecommerce example of a win-back campaign: The “You left your favorites behind” sequence

In ecommerce, the classic example of a win-back campaign starts with abandoned cart recovery and evolves into a broader lapsed-customer strategy.

Imagine a fashion retailer noticing that a customer hasn’t bought anything in 60 days, after previously ordering once a month. The win-back flow might look like this:

• Day 60: A personalized email with the subject line: “Still thinking about these?” featuring items they browsed or added to cart last visit.
• Day 67: A follow-up with social proof: “These are still bestsellers” plus reviews and photos from other customers.
• Day 75: A time-limited incentive: “10% off your next order — good for 48 hours.”

What makes this one of the best examples of win-back campaigns examples is the progression: it starts with relevance (remembered products), then builds urgency only at the end. Brands that do this well lean heavily on product recommendations and customer reviews, which aligns with research showing that social proof significantly influences online purchase decisions (FTC guidance on endorsements and testimonials).

Key takeaways you can reuse:

• Use browsing and purchase history to populate product blocks.
• Don’t lead with discounts; lead with relevance and reminders.
• Cap the sequence at 2–4 messages to avoid feeling spammy.

Subscription box example of win-back campaigns: “Pause, don’t cancel” plus comeback offer

Subscription brands (meal kits, beauty boxes, pet supplies) have some of the clearest examples of win-back campaigns examples, because churn is highly visible.

A typical high-performing approach:

• At cancellation: Offer a “pause” option instead of a hard cancel, highlighting flexibility.
• Post-cancel, 30 days later: An email or SMS with: “Ready to come back? Your favorites are still saved,” plus a one-time discount on the next box.
• Post-cancel, 60–90 days: A “new collection” or “new menu” teaser aimed at FOMO: “You missed these new drops.”

This works because it acknowledges that customer needs change over time. The brand isn’t just dangling a coupon; it’s reframing the relationship as on-demand. That matches what many consumer behavior studies describe: customers are more likely to return when the friction to rejoin is low and the value proposition feels updated, not recycled.

For your own subscription win-back campaigns, examples include:

• Saving customer preferences so their “next box” feels already curated.
• Offering a free add-on item rather than a blanket percentage discount.
• Giving returning customers access to “members-only” items to make coming back feel like an upgrade.

SaaS example of a win-back campaign: Product-led reactivation instead of discounts

SaaS companies often rely less on coupons and more on product value. A strong example of a win-back campaign in SaaS focuses on:

• Feature education
• Data reminders
• Frictionless reactivation

Consider a B2B analytics tool where a user cancels after a few months. A thoughtful win-back flow might look like this:

• 14 days after cancellation: “We’ve kept your data warm” message explaining that their dashboards and settings are still available if they return.
• 30 days: A product update email: “You asked, we shipped” highlighting new features that address common reasons for churn (e.g., better integrations, easier reporting).
• 60 days: A time-boxed trial: “Come back for 14 days on us — no credit card required.”

This is one of the best examples of win-back campaigns examples for B2B because it focuses on reducing perceived switching costs and addressing the original reason for leaving. Academic work on switching barriers and customer retention in services (see, for instance, research indexed via Harvard’s business and marketing resources and other university libraries) consistently points to reduced friction and improved perceived value as drivers of reactivation.

For your SaaS win-back strategy, consider:

• Mapping churn reasons to specific product updates in your messaging.
• Offering temporary, limited access instead of permanent discounts.
• Highlighting success metrics they achieved before leaving (e.g., “You created 27 reports and saved 15 hours last quarter using [Product]”).

Retail loyalty example of win-back campaigns: Point expiration and VIP status

Retailers with loyalty programs have a powerful lever for win-back: points and status. A classic example of examples of win-back campaigns examples in retail:

• 60 days of inactivity: “You’re just 200 points away from your next reward” email, nudging a low-friction purchase.
• 90 days: “Your points are about to expire” with a clear deadline and a reminder of what those points can buy.
• 120 days: A status-based message: “Keep your Gold status — shop once this month to stay VIP.”

This approach taps into loss aversion, a behavioral economics concept where people feel the pain of losing something more strongly than the pleasure of gaining something of equal value. While much of the foundational research in this area comes from behavioral science and economics programs at universities (many summarized in materials from institutions like Harvard University and other academic sources), the practical marketing application is straightforward: remind customers what they stand to lose if they stay inactive.

To adapt this example of a win-back campaign:

• Make sure customers understand the dollar value of their points.
• Use clear, bold deadlines.
• Combine email with app push notifications or SMS for higher visibility.

DTC brand example: Values-based win-back instead of pure discounts

Direct-to-consumer brands in beauty, wellness, and lifestyle are increasingly using values-based messaging rather than endless promotions. One of the more modern examples of win-back campaigns examples looks like this:

• A lapsed customer receives an email titled: “We’ve made some changes we think you’ll like.”
• The body highlights improved sustainability practices, new ingredient standards, or better sourcing, with links to third-party certifications or research.
• The call to action offers a small incentive, but the main message is: “We listened to feedback and improved.”

This strategy aligns with broader trends in consumer trust and transparency. Surveys and public health communication research (for example, around trust in institutions, as discussed by organizations like the National Institutes of Health) show that clear, evidence-backed claims build long-term loyalty. When you apply that lens to win-back, you’re not just asking customers to come back; you’re giving them a better reason than before.

Examples include:

• Highlighting third-party lab testing for supplements.
• Showing before/after product reformulations.
• Linking to educational resources or standards bodies to back up your claims.

Email newsletter example of win-back campaigns: “Choose your own frequency”

Publishers and content brands have a different problem: inactive subscribers drag down open rates and can hurt deliverability. A smart example of a win-back campaign here is preference-based re-engagement instead of a hard unsubscribe.

A typical flow:

• After 60–90 days of no opens, send: “Still want to hear from us?”
• Offer options: weekly digest, monthly summary, topic-only emails, or unsubscribe.
• If they choose a lower frequency, confirm with: “You’re all set — here’s what you’ll get from now on.”

This approach respects user autonomy and can improve list health. It mirrors best practices in digital communication and consent that you’ll see echoed in guidelines from organizations like the Federal Trade Commission around email marketing and consumer choice.

For your own newsletter, a strong example of a win-back campaign would:

• Use a simple, honest subject line: “Do you still want this newsletter?”
• Make it one-click easy to change preferences.
• Remove unengaged subscribers if they don’t respond, improving your overall performance.

B2B sales example: Account-based win-back with targeted content

In B2B, the sales cycle is longer, and relationships are more complex. That means some of the best examples of win-back campaigns examples look more like mini account-based marketing programs than simple email flows.

Consider a mid-market software provider that lost a deal 12 months ago. A thoughtful win-back motion might be:

• A personalized email from the account executive sharing a new case study from the prospect’s industry.
• An invitation to a short, problem-focused webinar (not a generic product demo).
• A follow-up offering a short, free diagnostic or audit, framed as “helping you benchmark where you are now versus last year.”

This works because it’s not begging for another shot; it’s offering value that stands alone. When you look at case studies from business schools and marketing research centers (many accessible via Harvard’s business research guides and similar academic portals), you see a recurring pattern: B2B win-back success correlates with relevance and senior-level engagement, not spray-and-pray outreach.

To build your own B2B win-back campaigns, examples include:

• Targeting only high-likelihood accounts (e.g., those that almost closed, or that churned for budget reasons, not product fit).
• Using custom landing pages that reference the original conversation.
• Coordinating marketing and sales touches over a 30–60 day window.

How to design your own win-back campaigns using these examples

Looking across these real examples of win-back campaigns examples, a few patterns emerge that you can apply regardless of industry:

1. Define “lapsed” precisely.

Your win-back trigger shouldn’t be random. For a daily-use app, 14 days of inactivity might be enough. For furniture, it might be a year or more. Use your own purchase or usage data to set these thresholds.

2. Segment by value and behavior.

Not all inactive customers deserve the same treatment. High-value customers may get richer offers or more personal outreach, while low-value, highly price-sensitive customers might get a short, discount-led sequence and then be suppressed if they don’t respond.

3. Lead with relevance, not just discounts.

The strongest examples of examples of win-back campaigns examples don’t start by slashing prices. They start by reminding customers what they cared about before: the products they loved, the problems they were solving, the benefits they achieved.

4. Limit the sequence and know when to stop.

A good rule of thumb is 2–4 touches per win-back cycle. After that, if there’s no engagement, it’s often better to suppress or sunset the contact rather than hammering them indefinitely.

5. Measure beyond immediate revenue.

When you evaluate your own examples of win-back campaigns examples, don’t just look at one-off orders. Track:

• Reactivation rate (percentage of lapsed customers who come back)
• Post-reactivation lifetime value
• Discount dependency (are you training customers to only buy on sale?)

By treating these real examples as templates rather than scripts, you can design win-back campaigns that feel tailored to your customers and your brand voice, instead of canned sequences that everyone has seen before.

FAQ about examples of win-back campaigns

Q: What are some simple examples of win-back campaigns I can launch quickly?
A: Start with a basic lapsed-customer email at a clear time trigger (for example, 60 days since last purchase). Make the first message a personalized reminder of what they bought or browsed, and follow up with a limited-time incentive. For SaaS or apps, a quick example of a win-back campaign is a “We’ve added new features you asked for” email paired with a short free trial.

Q: Is offering a discount always the best example of a win-back tactic?
A: No. While discounts appear in many real examples of win-back campaigns examples, they’re not always the best move. For high-end or B2B brands, feature improvements, better support, or VIP access can be more effective than cutting price. Overusing discounts can also train customers to wait for offers.

Q: How many messages should be in a win-back sequence?
A: Most of the best examples include 2–4 touches over a defined period (for instance, 2–3 weeks). Too few, and you may miss people; too many, and you risk spam complaints. Always monitor unsubscribe and spam rates as you iterate.

Q: Can I use the same example of a win-back campaign across countries and regions?
A: The structure can be similar, but messaging, timing, and incentives often need localization. Purchasing power, cultural norms, and even email engagement patterns differ by country. Test variants before rolling out globally.

Q: What metrics show that my win-back campaigns are working?
A: Look at reactivation rate, incremental revenue from reactivated customers, and their retention over the next 3–6 months. Strong examples of win-back campaigns examples don’t just produce one extra order; they restart a profitable relationship.