Summary
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) leveraged WebEngage to automate sales communication across its retail network, bridging on-ground execution gaps with intelligent, localized automation.
- Implemented 15+ automated journeys, including onboarding, reorder nudges, cart abandonment, and absentee triggers.
- Deployed 3M+ personalized messages weekly, powered by segmentation and dynamic variables.
- Used 24-hour conversion tracking to measure business impact.
- Ensured brand-wide consistency in engagement across regions and products.
The result: automated outreach covered 70%+ of the active retailer network, converting roughly 1 in every 6 engaged outlets into digital purchasers, all without manual intervention.
Objective 1: Automating Order Recovery During Salesman Absenteeism
When on-ground sales representatives were absent, retail orders dropped sharply. Manual outreach wasn’t feasible at scale, and missed visits led to lost revenue opportunities.
WebEngage Solution
- Integrated salesman attendance data into WebEngage.
- Identified impacted retailers automatically whenever a salesman was absent.
- Triggered personalized notifications prompting self-ordering through the Shikhar app, dynamically inserting the assigned salesman’s name.
- Delivered messages in 9 regional languages for localized communication.
- Used push notifications as the primary channel with SMS fallback to ensure delivery.
Impact
- 9% uplift in orders from previously inactive outlets.
- End-to-end automation with zero manual intervention.
Objective 2: Strengthening Retailer Engagement and Retention
With a massive retail base spread across geographies, maintaining consistent engagement proved challenging. Dormant or inactive retailers required reactivation at scale without relying solely on manual field efforts.
WebEngage Solution
- Built dynamic retailer cohorts based on order frequency, last transaction, and purchase category.
- Automated re-engagement journeys for dormant retailers.
- Integrated local language personalization to improve recall and relatability.
- Enabled retailers to reorder instantly through embedded app links.
Impact
- 2M+ retailers reached through targeted automation.
- 1.2M+ retailers digitized via Shikhar.
- Significant increase in repeat orders and app-driven transactions.
Objective 3: Increasing Retail App Adoption and Usage
Retailers often waited for calls from sales representatives instead of placing orders independently on the app. HUL needed to boost adoption and regular usage of its retailer app so partners could transact digitally without depending on field visits or calls.
WebEngage Solution
- Designed onboarding and education journeys for new retailers.
- Shared bite-sized feature explainers via push and SMS campaigns.
- Encouraged app transactions through contextual reward communication and localized prompts.
- Used data-based segmentation to identify app drop-offs and re-target those users with reminders.
Impact
- App-led orders increased steadily quarter-over-quarter.
- Improved retailer independence and reduced manual dependency on field sales teams.
The Business Impact (Apr–Sept)
| Metric | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Retailers Digitized | 1.2M+ |
| Retailers Reached | 2M+ |
| Personalized Messages | 3M+ weekly |
| Automated Journeys | 15+ live monthly |
| Conversion Uplift | 9% |
| Languages Supported | 9 regional languages |
Why It Matters
HUL’s collaboration with WebEngage shows how large-scale FMCG ecosystems can close operational gaps using automation, personalization, and localization. By integrating real-time data with journey orchestration, HUL transformed daily disruptions into predictable, revenue-driving behavior, turning automation into one of the most effective growth levers in its retail distribution network.
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