How Trendhim Unlocks Marketing Insights with Amplitude

Trendhim, a renowned men's lifestyle and contemporary brand, offers a wide array of accessories, jewelry, watches, and bags direct to consumers across 27 markets. With such a vast reach and diverse product offerings, Trendhim needs reliable data to make strategic marketing decisions.

We recently sat down with Bjorn Seaton, a marketing analytics manager at Trendhim who has been instrumental in Trendhim’s marketing analytics journey, to discuss how moving from Google Analytics to Amplitude has empowered Trendhim to do exactly that.

Transitioning from Google Analytics to Amplitude

Before implementing Amplitude, Trendhim used Google’s Universal Analytics (UA) in tandem with Amplitude for product analytics. But when Google made the decision to sunset UA in favor of its new GA4 product, Trendhim began weighing alternatives. After thoroughly vetting GA4, Trendhim felt it lacked refinement and community support. On the other hand, Trendhim was pleased with Amplitude, which it liked for its functionality and the vibrancy of the Amplitude community. Amplitude was the clear choice.

Navigating GDPR compliance and data loss

In today's marketing landscape, transparency and privacy are priorities. As Bjorn highlights, the evolving tracking landscape and GDPR regulations have necessitated reevaluating data practices to ensure compliance while leveraging valuable insights. Despite concerns about data loss, which typically ranges from 3% to 5%, the impact on campaign decision-making at Trendhim has been minimal. This loss is comparable to that caused by tracking prevention software and privacy-focused browsers, indicating a relatively even distribution across channels.

However, in markets with stricter consent regulations, such as Denmark, where default options heavily favor non-consent, data loss can be as high as 25%. Despite this, Trendhim adopts an informed decision-making approach, relying on post-purchase survey responses to supplement missing data. Fortunately, the data provided by its consent management platform enables Trendhim to navigate GDPR compliance effectively.

In essence, while GDPR compliance does result in data loss, Trendhim's approach ensures that this loss does not significantly impact campaign decision-making. Trendhim is committed to responsible data practices by prioritizing transparency and user consent while leveraging valuable insights to drive marketing strategies forward. This balance enables Trendhim to maintain compliance while making informed decisions based on available data.

Elevating Trendhim's marketing analytics approach

The transition from GA to Amplitude marked a significant shift in Trendhim's approach to marketing analytics and overall operations. One notable change was the way greater access to and responsibility over data analysis transformed the marketing team. Instead of relying on default reports, team members were tasked with building their own dashboards and ad hoc charts to evaluate performance, fostering a culture of deeper inquiry and critical thinking.

This shift has represented a sea change, challenging team members to think more strategically about what metrics truly matter and how to derive meaningful insights from the data. Unlike the limited paths to precision offered by default reports in UA, Amplitude offers tailored solutions, enabling users to define exactly the questions they want to ask and build analyses to answer those questions. With access to granular data and the ability to segment without sampling or thresholding limitations, Trendhim has gained unprecedented clarity into campaign performance and effectiveness.

Segmenting revenue into distinct channel groups using Amplitude channel classifiers enables the team to accurately assess the impact of marketing efforts and allocate resources accordingly. This enables Trendhim to much more confidently evaluate what pieces of its comms mix are succeeding. This level of granularity was challenging for Trendhim to achieve with previous tracking software but has become seamlessly attainable with Amplitude's capabilities.

Fostering data creativity at Trendhim

As Trendhim embraced the flexibility afforded by Amplitude's Digital Analytics Platform, the need for guardrails to guide data interpretation and analysis became apparent. While flexibility allows for creativity, there's also a risk of misinterpretation or inconsistency in data interpretation. To address this, Trendhim has implemented several strategies to ensure clarity and alignment in its data analysis practices.

First and foremost, the team emphasizes the importance of clear question definition upfront. The aim is not to just enforce specific formats for presenting conclusions, such as funnels or segmentation charts, but to do so with a question in mind. This clarity sets the foundation for meaningful analysis and interpretation.

Moreover, they encourage a culture of collaboration and feedback. Trendhim uses a shared Slack channel as a hub for posting analysis work, fostering transparency, and sharing knowledge among team members. Feedback loops are integral to this process, with team members actively seeking input and peer validation. This collaborative approach enhances the quality of analysis and strengthens team cohesion and learning.

Direct interactions further facilitate collaboration, with team members exchanging chart links and engaging in conversations to refine the analysis. The simplicity of sharing analyses without formal publishing requirements streamlines this process, enabling rapid iteration and refinement.

Enhancing campaign decision-making at Trendhim

At Trendhim, Amplitude's insights have proven instrumental in refining marketing campaigns and optimizing budget allocation, with two distinct categories of campaigns: smaller, single-channel initiatives and larger, cross-functional endeavors.

The approach is straightforward yet impactful for smaller campaigns, typically confined to a single channel. The team conducts ad hoc analysis, leveraging Amplitude's data to swiftly assess campaign performance. This agile approach enables quick decision-making, with conclusions shared within the team to inform future actions efficiently.

However, the real value of Amplitude's insights manifests in larger campaigns that span the organization. Take, for instance, Trendhim's Black Week campaign: a full customisation of Trendhim’s site and all communication channels, offering discounts on all items, that gets rolled back after being executed. Here, each team within the commercial division contributes to an Amplitude notebook, compiling charts to assess campaign performance. This collaborative effort offers a nuanced understanding of campaign impact across various channels and touchpoints.

Cultivating a culture of continuous learning and adaptation with Amplitude insights

It’s not just about adopting a new analytics platform; it's about fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation based on data. With a team accustomed to traditional reporting methods, the transition to Amplitude prompted a shift in mindset—from passively consuming reports to actively defining questions and building analyses to answer them.

While Trendhim doesn't organize formal hackathons, the spirit of experimentation and exploration permeates daily operations. Through ongoing collaboration and discussion, team members engage in continuous improvement, identifying areas for optimization and strategic focus.

Looking ahead, Bjorn Seaton offers valuable advice for companies considering transitioning to platforms like Amplitude. First, have a clear plan for data structure and event tracking priorities. Establishing a structured approach ensures that insights are meaningful and actionable. Additionally, invest in training and the right mindset for effective data analysis and decision-making.

Deepen insights with Amplitude Session Replay

Trendhim continues to evolve its data-driven marketing approach. Next on its list: using Amplitude’s new Session Replay to gain deeper insights into user interactions, enhancing its ability to improve user experiences and drive business growth. Session Replay marks a significant advancement in user analytics by complementing quantitative analysis with qualitative insights and providing a holistic understanding of user behavior.