Moema Vianna
Product Marketing Manager
About the client
How ALDI Portugal Cut Acquisition Costs by 65% with WhatsApp Contests
Grocery retailer transforms Click-to-WhatsApp performance by adding contest mechanics, achieving higher conversions and lower costs.
The Challenge
Converting Clicks into Committed Subscribers
ALDI Portugal's Click-to-WhatsApp campaigns were generating steady traffic, but the quality of engagement left a lot to be desired. Users arrived in WhatsApp, but many dropped off before completing the subscription process. First-message conversion rates remained low, and the cost of acquiring each subscriber stayed higher than the team wanted.
The core issue wasn't reach—it was depth. CTWA brought people to the door, but without a compelling reason to stay, many simply left. The result was wasted spend on clicks that didn't convert and acquisition costs that made WhatsApp feel less efficient than it could be.
The Solution
Adding Contest Mechanics to Spark Engagement
ALDI Portugal partnered with 360Dialog to integrate the WhatsApp Contest module directly into their existing CTWA funnel. Rather than rebuilding the campaign from scratch, they added a lightweight incentive designed to sustain momentum from the first tap to subscription.
The approach centred on the "Desafio ALDI" contest, which invited users to enter for a chance to win prizes including €50 vouchers and home appliances. By positioning the contest as the next step after clicking the ad, ALDI turned what had been a static subscription prompt into an engaging, rewarding experience.
To enforce the thrill of entering the contest, CTAs highlighted the prizes, visuals reinforced the opportunity, and the flow from ad to entry to subscription was frictionless. 360Dialog managed the technical setup, automated participation notifications, and winner selection, ensuring seamless experience at every stage.
The result was a unified journey where each step built on the last: click led to conversation, conversation led to contest entry, and contest entry naturally transitioned into subscription.
The results
65% Lower Acquisition Costs and Stronger Conversions Throughout the Funnel
The contest-powered CTWA campaign outperformed the standard approach across every metric that mattered:
First-message conversion increased by 20%, showing that users were more willing to engage when there was an immediate, tangible reason to do so.
Cost per first message dropped by 46%, proving that better engagement translated directly into cost efficiency.
Subscription conversion climbed by 55%, demonstrating that the contest mechanic didn't just attract attention—it sustained commitment through the full journey.
Cost per subscriber fell by 65%, cutting acquisition costs by more than half and making WhatsApp one of ALDI Portugal's most efficient channels.
By adding a simple, well-executed incentive layer, ALDI Portugal transformed WhatsApp from a solid-performing channel into a cost-effective acquisition engine.
