Design Direction Update (April 2026)
Primary Color: Bay of Many dark blue (#2D3C88) replaces Killarney green as the primary brand color per client brand guide. Green (#5DAF57) is a secondary accent.
Font: Open Sans (hosted on SBF Shopify CDN). Bold for headers, Regular for body, SemiBold for buttons.
Product Photography: Use larger, richer product images. No small circular thumbnails. Half-width or full-width minimum. Quality over quantity.
Layout Variety: Mix up hero treatments, section structures, and product presentation formats across flows. Avoid repeating the same layout.
Cat Segmentation: All flow content is currently dog-focused. Cat owners need separate flows or pet-agnostic language.
VIP Program: Positioned as a proof of concept test to evaluate if a wider VIP program holds value. No site infrastructure required.
Discounts & Codes: All discount offers and coupon codes are proposed as best practice and require client approval before activation.
Welcome Series: Add a full treat lineup email showcasing every treat (Chicken Hearts, Chicken Breast, Beef Liver, Duck Liver, Minnows).
Lifecycle Email
Implementation Brief
Ship-ready copy, creative direction, and technical specs for 12 lifecycle flows - from welcome to VIP recognition.
Shepherd Boy Farms · Prepared by MH1 · March 4, 2026
The System
Segments, cadence, priority, and discount architecture
Executive Overview
12 lifecycle flows covering the complete customer journey - from first signup to VIP recognition.
Segment Definitions
10 segments defining how content differs across the customer lifecycle.
| # | Segment | Criteria | Est. Size | Primary Flows | Content Tone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Subscribers | Email list signup, 0 orders | ~1,500 | Welcome Series | Warm, invitational, educational |
| 2 | First-Time Buyers | Exactly 1 order | ~838 | Post-Purchase, New Cust Edu, Cross-Sell, Review | Supportive, onboarding |
| 3 | Repeat Buyers | 2–3 orders | ~202 | Replenishment, Subscription Nurture, Cross-Sell | Familiar, convenience-focused |
| 4 | Loyal / VIP | 4+ orders or $500+ LTV | ~82 | VIP Recognition | Exclusive, appreciative |
| 5 | At-Risk / Lapsed | 1+ orders, 90+ days inactive | ~510 | Winback / Re-engagement | Warm, escalating incentives |
| 6 | Dog Food Buyers | Ordered "Recipe" or "Dog" products | ~900+ | Dog-specific content variants | Dog-focused language & images |
| 7 | Cat Food Buyers | Ordered "Cat" products | ~50+ | Cat-specific content variants | Cat-focused language & images |
| 8 | Treat/Topper Only | Orders but never "Full Recipes" | ~300+ | Upsell-to-recipe messaging | Aspirational, upgrade path |
| 9 | Subscription Customers | Active Appstle subscription | 23 | Excluded from Sub Nurture, Replenishment, Winback | Appreciative, insider |
| 10 | DTC Sample Buyers | Ordered "Sample" product via DTC | TBD | Sample Follow-Up | Conversational, conversion-focused |
Cadence Timeline
Interactive Gantt view of all email sends across 12 flows. Hover any circle for email details.
Flow Priority & Conflict Resolution
When a customer qualifies for multiple flows, higher-priority flows take precedence.
| Rank | Flow | Rationale | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abandoned Cart | Revenue recovery - most time-sensitive | High |
| 2 | Post-Purchase Education | First impression after conversion | High |
| 3 | VIP Recognition | High-LTV relationship building | High |
| 4 | Welcome Series | Top-of-funnel nurture | Medium |
| 5 | Sample Follow-Up | Conversion from trial to full-size | Medium |
| 6 | Replenishment Reminder | Direct reorder revenue | Medium |
| 7 | Winback / Re-engagement | Lapsed customer recovery | Medium |
| 8 | Subscription Nurture | Upgrade path to recurring revenue | Medium |
| 9 | Review Request | Social proof collection | Low |
| 10 | Browse Abandonment | Low-intent recapture | Low |
| 11 | Cross-Sell Series | Expansion revenue | Low |
| 12 | New Customer Education | Supplementary education (parallel) | Low |
Discount Architecture
7 discount mechanisms with stacking rules, abuse prevention, and Shopify setup.
| Flow | Discount | Code | Expires | Stacking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | E1 & E5 | 10% OFF | WELCOME10 | 14 days | No (except free shipping) |
| Winback | E2 | 15% OFF | Unique auto-gen | 14 days | No |
| Winback | E3 | 20% OFF | Unique auto-gen | 7 days | No |
| Review Request | E2 | 10% OFF | Unique auto-gen | 30 days | No |
| Sample Follow-Up | E2 | 10% OFF | Unique auto-gen | 14 days | Yes (free shipping) |
| Sample Follow-Up | E3 | 15% OFF | Unique auto-gen | 7 days | No |
| Abandoned Cart | E3 | Free Shipping | Auto-applied or FREESHIP | 48 hours | Yes (WELCOME10) |
The Flows
38 emails across 12 lifecycle flows - full copy for approval
Creative Direction
Email template structure, typography, and color system
Master Email Template
Every email uses this identical four-block structure: Header → Hero → Products → Footer.
Layout Rules
- Left column (50%): All text - headline, body, CTA. No images.
- Right column (50%): Single product bag or lifestyle image on #F2F2F2 background with 10px border radius.
- Promo badge: Yellow #F9EC54 badge appears ONLY when email contains a discount. Top-right of image container.
- Dynamic products: Shopify default template, auto-populated. 2–3 per row desktop, 1 per row mobile.
- Footer: Social icons, unsubscribe, physical address. #F2F2F2 background, #999 text, 12px.
Color & Typography
Brand color application and type scale for all emails.
Brand Palette
Type Scale
| Element | Font | Weight | Size | Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | Open Sans | Bold (700) | 28px | ■ #2D3C88 Bay of Many #2D3C88 |
| Subheadline | Open Sans | Semibold (600) | 20px | ■ Mine Shaft |
| Body Copy | Open Sans | Regular (400) | 16px | ■ Mine Shaft |
| CTA Button | Open Sans | Semibold (600) | 16px | White on Blue |
| Promo Badge | Open Sans | Bold (700) | 14px | Mine Shaft on Yellow |
| Footer | Open Sans | Regular (400) | 12px | ■ Grey #999 |
Implementation
Technical specifications and measurement framework
Technical Specifications
Global settings and per-flow configuration for Shopify email automation.
| Flow | Trigger | Smart Sending | Allowed Back In | Key Suppressions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | Email list signup | ON | Never | Already in Abandoned Cart; has placed order |
| Abandoned Cart | Started Checkout | OFF | After 7 days | Already received AC in last 7 days |
| Post-Purchase | Placed Order (1st) | ON | Never | None |
| Browse Abandonment | Viewed Product | ON | After 14 days | In Abandoned Cart; received BA in 14 days |
| Winback | 60 days inactive | ON | After 90 days | Active subscription; ordered in 60 days |
| Review Request | Fulfilled Order | ON | Per order | Already reviewed; received review ask in 30 days |
| Replenishment | Est. consumption date | ON | Per purchase | Active subscription; already reordered |
| Subscription Nurture | 2nd purchase (same SKU) | ON | Never | Already a subscriber |
| Cross-Sell | +14d post-purchase | ON | Per order | None |
| VIP Recognition | LTV ≥ $500 or 4+ orders | ON | Never | None |
| Sample Follow-Up | Sample order delivered | ON | Never | Already purchased full-size |
| New Customer Edu | +5d post-purchase (1st) | ON | Never | None |
Measurement Framework
Key metrics to track across all lifecycle flows.
| Metric | Target | Frequency | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| WELCOME10 redemption rate | 10–20% | Weekly | > 25% (code being shared externally) |
| Abandoned Cart recovery rate | 5–8% | Weekly | < 3% (review timing and offer) |
| Post-Purchase review submission | 8–12% | Monthly | < 5% (adjust ask timing) |
| Winback conversion (Email 3) | 3–5% | Monthly | < 2% (product/price issue) |
| Subscribe & Save conversion | 5–10% of repeat buyers | Monthly | < 3% (review pitch copy) |
| Average discount per order | < 10% | Monthly | > 12% (discount dependency) |
| Discounted revenue share | < 12% | Monthly | > 15% (discount dependency) |
| Flow email unsubscribe rate | < 0.3% | Weekly | > 0.5% on any single email |
Version History
Content changes and feedback rounds for this brief.
- 5.3 Winback Last Chance — Savings amount now dynamic via Klaviyo liquid tag
{{ person.last_order_total | times: 0.2 | round: 0 | prepend: '$' }} - 10.1 VIP Welcome — Removed free shipping offer; CTA updated to "Shop Now — 10% Off"; product block badges updated
- 12.2 FAQ — "How much to feed" now says size and recipe dependent, directs to bag; puppy safety line updated to explicitly reference bag feeding guidelines
- 12.3 Join the Pack — Instagram description updated to "Behind the scenes at the freeze-dried facility in Indiana"
- 5.3 — "Will it actually customize based on the last order size?"
- 10.1 — "lets remove the free shipping on every order. maybe do an everyday discount of 10%? the button at the bottom says shop with free shipping but we removed that."
- 12.2 — "the how much should i feed needs to be dialed in better. I would still adjust this and say it is size and recipe dependant. The safe for puppies statement needs to read the feeding guidelines on each bag"
- 12.3 — "I would change it to behind the scenese at the freeze dried facility"