How DiscountMugs Built a
$1.2M+ SMS Revenue Channel
From Zero in 90 Days.
A leading promotional products brand had strong traffic and a loyal customer base — but zero owned-channel SMS revenue. We built the entire program from the ground up and made it one of their top-3 revenue drivers.
client
DiscountMugs
industry
eCommerce · Promotional Products
service
Email & SMS Marketing
timeline
90 Days to First Milestone
the challenge
A Brand Sitting on a Goldmine — Not Mining It
DiscountMugs was generating strong eCommerce revenue through paid search, email, and organic traffic. But SMS — one of the highest-ROI owned channels in eCommerce — was effectively nonexistent. Leadership knew the opportunity was there. They didn't have the in-house expertise or bandwidth to build it properly.
They needed a program built fast, built right, and delivering measurable results before the next budget cycle — or the investment wouldn't get renewed.
"Before Axis, SMS was an afterthought. We knew we were leaving money on the table — we just didn't know how much or how to fix it."
— Marketing Leadership, DiscountMugsthe strategy
Build the Foundation First. Revenue Follows Infrastructure
We didn’t start by sending messages. We started by building the system — the right platform, the right opt-in mechanics, the right automation architecture — so that every send could be measured, optimized, and scaled.
Evaluated and selected the right SMS platform for DiscountMugs' tech stack and compliance requirements. Configured the full account, set up sending numbers, established compliance protocols, and integrated with their eCommerce platform and email provider.
Built multi-touchpoint opt-in mechanisms across the customer journey — checkout opt-in, website pop-up, post-purchase confirmation, email cross-promotion, and in-campaign list growth offers. Every opt-in touchpoint A/B tested from day one.
Built the core automation flows before launching any campaigns: welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase sequence, and win-back flow. These automations generate revenue 24/7 without manual sends.
Established a structured campaign calendar aligned to promotional cycles. Every send A/B tested on message, timing, offer, and CTA. Results fed back into strategy weekly — no send was wasted on learning we couldn't use.
SMS platform integrated with existing email provider and Shopify store. Full attribution tracking connected from opt-in source through to revenue event — so every dollar of SMS revenue was traceable back to its origin.
the execution
Month by Month - How the Program Grew
The first 90 days were about infrastructure and proof of concept. Months 4–12 were about scaling what worked and eliminating what didn’t. Every week included a performance review and a strategy adjustment.
Platform configured. Compliance framework established. Opt-in mechanisms live across checkout, pop-up, and email. Welcome automation deployed. First 500 subscribers acquired. First SMS revenue in week 3.
Abandoned cart automation live — immediately one of the top revenue generators. First promotional campaigns sent with A/B testing. List growth rate increasing weekly. Revenue attributable to SMS crossing first significant threshold.
90-day revenue milestone surpassed. SMS confirmed as top-3 revenue channel. Post-purchase sequence deployed. Win-back flow launched. A/B test learnings systematised into permanent send strategy. Budget renewal approved.
Full promotional calendar integrated. B2B vs B2C audiences separated with distinct message strategies. Seasonal campaigns built and optimised. Full-year SMS revenue crosses $1.2M — surpassing paid social as a revenue driver.
the results
Zero to Top-3 Revenue Channel in under a year
The numbers tell the story — but the more important outcome was structural. DiscountMugs now has a high-performing owned channel that compounds in value every month the list grows.
SMS Revenue Generated
Total SMS-attributed revenue across the first full program year, from a starting point of zero. Every dollar tracked and attributed back to specific sends and automations.
Revenue Channel Ranking
Within 90 days of launch, SMS became a top-3 revenue channel — ahead of channels that had been running for years. By year end it had surpassed paid social revenue.
Automated Revenue Running
Welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, and win-back automations run continuously — generating revenue without manual sends, around the clock, every day of the year.
"Before Axis, SMS was an afterthought. Now it's one of our highest-converting channels. The strategy, the execution, the results — all exceeded what we thought was possible in the first year."
— Marketing Leadership, DiscountMugsThe bigger picture
An Owned Channel That Can't Be Taken Away
Paid media performance fluctuates with CPCs and algorithm changes. SEO shifts with Google updates. But a well-built SMS list with strong subscriber relationships is an owned asset that compounds in value the longer it runs.
DiscountMugs now has a revenue channel that gets more valuable every month — not more expensive. The infrastructure built in year one continues to generate returns with no additional build cost.
Automations built in month 1 are still generating revenue today — with zero ongoing build cost.
Every new subscriber adds to a compounding asset. The ROI per subscriber improves as the automations get more refined.
Unlike paid or organic, SMS revenue doesn't disappear because a platform changed its rules. It's owned.
The SMS program actively grows the email list and vice versa — creating a flywheel between both owned channels.
ready to Build Yours?
Want a Revenue Channel Built From Zero Like This?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We’ll tell you exactly whether SMS is the right channel for your business — and what building it would look like.