Protest is a Dutch sports brand that has combined flair and functionality since 1993. Founded by a group of passionate snowboarders who believed style and performance should go hand in hand. Despite the lack of mountains in the Netherlands, they built a brand that conquered the international sports world. Today, Protest is an international player known for its strong seasonal identity: swimwear that stands out in summer and winter collections that stay true to their snowboarding roots.
The brand combines distinctive design with affordable quality. With a steady rhythm of fresh spring and autumn collections, a keen eye for detail, and a recognizable style, Protest has become a staple in the European sports and streetwear market. Design remains the driving force behind everything Protest does, from product development to content and now also email marketing.
Ask any winter or watersports enthusiast to name sports brands, and Protest will likely be top of mind. With sharp visuals, a strong tone of voice, and well-crafted content, the brand easily connects with its audience. Protest excels in creating atmosphere and inspiration through its webshop and social media channels. However, this level had not yet been reached in email marketing. The inbox fell behind. Protest’s powerful visual language lost some of its impact there, even though that channel offers prime opportunities for engagement and experience.
That’s when Yellowgrape stepped in. Protest was looking for a partner who could not only upgrade their email campaigns but also think strategically about how email could become an integral part of the overall brand story. We were brought in to bridge the gap: from aesthetics to engagement, from a standalone channel to an indispensable link in the customer journey. Our goal was clear: develop email campaigns that inspire visually, feel personal, and convert effectively. An upgrade from channel to core experience.
The first step was obvious: switch to an email platform with more capabilities. The existing system did not offer enough room for creativity, scalability, and automation. Together with Protest, we selected CanopyDeploy. This platform combines ease of use with powerful technical features and perfectly fits the brand’s international ambitions. Next, we designed a completely new responsive template. A template that adapts to the seasons, speaks the customer’s language, and visually matches the webshop’s style. Recognizable icons like snowflakes and waves return in headers and footers, ensuring brand consistency.
To grab attention in the crowded inbox, we introduced animated banners. These visual stimuli increase click-through rates and make the email instantly recognizable as Protest. One highlight of the new template is the product hero block. This allows recipients to view multiple color variants and angles of a product within a single email. A technical and graphic tour de force that drives maximum interaction without extra clicks.
To enable personalization at scale, we connected six different product feeds to the template. Thanks to smart SKU logic, email marketers can generate multilingual product blocks within seconds. Even without a full-fledged CDP, we built a recommendation engine in Clang based on purchase behavior, preferences, and popularity. In cases of limited customer data, relevant suggestions are shown using a randomizer for popular, always-available products.
The state-of-the-art template also includes a fully automated Instagram feed, allowing Protest to seamlessly extend its social experience into email. Countdown timers boost urgency around promotions, leading to higher conversion rates during sales and personalized discount campaigns.
With smart personalization, interactive features, and automated flows, Protest transformed email into a fully-fledged branding channel. What once remained quiet is now a powerful stage that inspires, activates, and structurally contributes to higher conversion and stronger customer loyalty.
Thanks to the new email foundation, Protest succeeded in positioning email as a full communication channel. The result is a perfectly streamlined customer journey where every touchpoint feels like an extension of the brand experience. Customers recognize the style, feel personally addressed, and are triggered by the visual dynamics and clever features.
Automated campaigns play a key role. From onboarding flows encouraging profile enrichment to reactivation campaigns that successfully engage dormant customers. The VIP campaign strengthens loyalty while product recommendations based on preferences add extra relevance. Every email contributes to brand consistency and the sense of care that characterizes Protest.
This collaboration shows that email is much more than just conversion. By combining branding, technology, and creativity, email becomes an extension of the brand experience. The channel actively contributes to inspiration, loyalty, and customer engagement. Protest resonates not only on the slopes or at the beach but also in the inbox. And you can feel the difference.
