Challenge

The three founders hit the ground running from the moment the company was formed. Early on, Ritual Zero Proof found success and instant fame. Forbes published multiple write-ups on the product and Ritual Zero’s business. Martha Stewart sampled and reviewed the product lineup, and the trio hit the podcast circuit, building awareness for their fledgling brand.  

Although the company’s launch could not have come at a worse time, given widespread bar closures and tasting event cancellations, Ritual Zero Proof thrived. According to a Forbes article from 2020, the company enjoyed a whopping 241% revenue growth during their first year in business. The team successfully cornered a market that no one even knew existed.

A significant part of Ritual Zero Proof’s success can be attributed to the way the brand leveraged partnerships, especially during a time of great adversity. In an era where in-person sampling events —a staple component of any “liquor” brand’s physical presence—became almost non-existent, Ritual Zero forged new partnerships with the likes of V8, Peloton, and Recess Sparkling Water. It's why Ritual Zero Proof thrived where others have failed. And yet, something vital was missing from their eCommerce storefront. That’s why Sakey and Ritual sought out Rep.

Even with all of their publicity, Ritual Zero Proof had a problem converting shoppers into paying customers. They were rapidly losing sales between the product page view and the site’s shopping cart function. In other words, people were browsing, but they weren’t buying.

“My experience with Rep has been great. We are seeing very positive results across Rep’s major KPIs, and the implementation and ongoing optimization have required very little effort on my end. So I can keep focusing on the other aspects of my business, and feel comfortable knowing that the Rep team is doing everything they can to keep improving Rep’s results.”

– Brennan MacKinlay E-Commerce Manager, Ritual Zero Proof

Solution

Ritual Zero Proof contracted with Rep to solve the issue. Rep’s AI shopping assistant helped the team at Ritual Zero uncover the precise reason why shoppers weren’t purchasing.

During customer conversations, Rep’s AI sales assistant learned some interesting facts about Ritual Zero’s typical online customers. Visitors of the site were overwhelmingly concerned with two things:

• Are the liquor alternatives really alcohol-free?
• How do the products taste?

Without access to bar room events and tasting parties, shoppers had no baseline for comparison and were often skeptical with alcohol-free labels. Rep’s AI concierge was able to give them information quickly in-chat, versus searching the website, looking up information including ingredients and flavor notes, all while reinforcing that the products were truly alcohol-free.

Results

Ritual Zero Proof’s business continued to surge. The company enjoyed an 80% year-over-year increase. In the end, shoppers just wanted to trust RZP's claims. And Rep’s AI concierge played a large part in their continued growth because it helped answer questions quickly and conversationally.

In addition to more sales, the AI was asked many times by customers if they could get a discount. Sure, the team at RZP figured, if customers would just subscribe to their newsletter.

From there, Rep would collect emails and send them to Klaviyo. And shoppers would immediately get a discount which was already applied at checkout. This one change generated a 25% increase in conversion rate from email subscriptions.

By reinvesting in a positive customer experience and building trust with shoppers, Marcus and the team at Ritual Zero Proof made it easier to buy for potential customers. And sometimes, reducing a little friction goes a long way.