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When Pooja Bavishi set out to launch her ice cream business, Malai, she did so with a clear, personal vision. “I launched Malai because I wanted to celebrate the flavors I grew up with as a first generation Indian American in a popular and mainstream way,” she says.
“Everyone has an ice cream memory from their childhood, and it is almost always about going to the local ice cream shop for a scoop with loved ones,” Pooja says. That infusion of nostalgia has taken Malai from a stand in local food halls and markets to grocery store freezers, pop-up carts around New York City, and a bustling flagship store in Brooklyn offering local and national delivery.
Read on to learn how Pooja shaped Malai’s business and brand, and how she combines her own strategy with marketing tools like Squarespace Email Campaigns to grow sales and build customer connections.
Balancing strategy and instinct
After completing an MBA program, Pooja launched Malai, taking a thoughtful and thorough approach to every part of the business. Her strategic mindset sets the foundation for much of Malai’s business plan.
“It often feels like I’m running very separate businesses,” she says of the brand’s many income streams. “But I also love that it allows me and my team to stay nimble. The food industry is unpredictable—especially over the past few years, as the pandemic shifted consumer buying behavior so dramatically. An omni-channel structure means we can always tap into another part of the business if one is struggling.”
Other times, choosing the right strategy for Malai means understanding when to trust her instincts. For example, when the brand was just launching, focus group participants weren’t totally on board with Malai’s rose with cinnamon roasted almonds flavor. It’s since become Malai’s most popular flavor and a permanent fixture on their menu.
“When it comes to making decisions about your company, you have to trust your gut—especially when it’s something as personal as flavors,” Pooja says. “Rose was such a staple flavor in my family’s kitchen when I was growing up that I couldn’t dream of launching Malai without it. So I kept it, and I’m so glad I did!”
But, Pooja also knows when to follow the feedback. “We have a good idea of what our customers like, and we create flavors that feel true to us and to them, and it works,” she says. “But sometimes it doesn’t, and we take those learnings and move on.”
Building brand loyalty with Squarespace Email Campaigns
That combination of business sense and customer focus is part of what’s helped Malai find success with a steady stream of new customers and brand devotees. Marketing emails in particular have been key in Malai’s brand building strategy.
With such a strong aesthetic and voice behind the brand, Malai needs tools that make it easy to keep their communications consistent. “It is a top priority for us that customers get a fully branded Malai experience from beginning to end, and Squarespace’s email marketing allows us to do that,” Pooja says. “We are able to brand the welcome email and use our voice in that first touchpoint with customers. That’s something we carry through our automated emails, where we have the opportunity to reiterate that voice and brand experience.”
Building that list of email subscribers takes active work not just from Pooja, but employees across the Malai business. “We use email marketing as a way to communicate with our most loyal customers. But we are always telling customers to become a part of this group,” Pooja says. “We encourage our in-store customers to sign up via a QR code by the register, and we often remind our social media community about newsletter subscriber perks.”
Those perks include “exclusive access to new launches, discount codes for existing products, or first access to brand news,” says Pooja. “Our goal is to get as many people as possible on our email marketing list, because it’s a captive audience.”
Using email marketing and metrics to boost sales
Those newsletter campaigns aren’t just helpful for building customer relationships—strategic discount promotions and subscriber metrics also help Pooja and her team shape strategy for Malai’s future. “When we offer discount codes via newsletters, we certainly see an uptick in click-through rates,” Pooja says. “Being able to track those metrics helps us determine how to market for other launches,” she adds. "We are also able to track customer buying behavior through the metrics provided, which helps us build and launch even more successful marketing campaigns as we grow.”
She also emphasizes the importance of email for entrepreneurs looking to scale their brand. “Email marketing has a large reach, which means we can deliver messages to our customers quickly. It’s also a great way for us to stay connected with our most loyal fan base: people who have been subscribers from the beginning,” she says. “Email campaigns are one of the most effective marketing tools for small businesses.”
Inspired by Pooja’s story? Start building your own brand on Squarespace.