Eco.Modern: Building Community Through Mobile-First Strategy with Shopify and Native App from Poq

22nd October, 2025

Executive Summary

Eco.Modern, a 15-year-old Australian essential oils and wellness company, partnered with poq in 2022 to launch a mobile app that transformed their direct-to-consumer strategy. By prioritizing community building over pure commerce, they created a wellness hub that serves as the cornerstone of their holistic marketing approach.

Company Background

• Founded: 2008 by Claire Mitchell (15 years ago)
• Leadership: Claire Mitchell (Founder), Natalie Peat (CEO – 10 years with company)
• Location: Gold Coast, Australia
• Focus: Essential oils and wellness products for everyday living
• Manufacturing: 100% Australian-made with local supply chain
• Business Model: Direct-to-consumer focused

The Challenge

As a smaller company competing against billion-dollar wellness brands, Eco.Modern needed a way to:

• Communicate directly with customers without relying on paid advertising
• Provide value beyond transactional relationships
• Differentiate from competitors in the essential oils market
• Build deeper customer loyalty and increase retention rates

The App Strategy

Vision Beyond Commerce

Rather than creating a mobile version of their website, Eco.Modern designed their app as a comprehensive wellness hub featuring:

• Daily diffuser blends and DIY recipes
• Breath work exercises
• Yoga flows
• Educational wellness content
• Exclusive product access for app users

Key Strategic Decisions

1. App-First Content Strategy: All marketing campaigns start with app-exclusive content, then cascade to other channels
2. VIP Treatment: App users receive first access to new products and exclusive offerings
3. Weekly Content Refresh: Homepage content updates weekly with new wellness exercises and educational material
4. Holistic Marketing Approach: Eliminated channel silos – the entire marketing team contributes to app content

Implementation Approach

Team Structure

• Collective Ownership: App management isn’t assigned to one person – the entire marketing team collaborates
• Holistic Attribution: Focus on overall business performance rather than individual channel metrics
• Customer-Guided Development: First year focused on real-time customer feedback to guide app evolution

Content Strategy

• Leverage app content across multiple channels (email, social media)
• Use app as testing ground for new concepts before broader rollout
• Maintain consistent weekly content calendar specifically for app users

Results & Impact

Business Outcomes

• Successfully positioned as technology leader in Australian essential oils market
• Higher customer retention rates through enhanced engagement
• Direct customer communication channel independent of paid advertising
• Strong customer adoption and positive feedback

Strategic Benefits

• Customer Intimacy: Direct relationship building without third-party platforms
• Agility Advantage: Nimble execution compared to larger competitors
• Brand Differentiation: First essential oils company in Australia to launch comprehensive wellness app
• Marketing Efficiency: Content created for app amplifies across all channels

Key Success Factors

1. Clear Purpose: App designed for community building, not just commerce
2. Leadership Commitment: “Fearless leadership” willing to take calculated risks
3. Team Alignment: Whole organization rallied behind app-first strategy
4. Customer-Centric Approach: App development guided by user feedback and needs
5. Local Values: Commitment to Australian manufacturing and local relationships

Lessons Learned

For Small-Medium Businesses

• Apps don’t require massive teams if strategy is clear and purpose-driven
• Starting with existing loyal customers provides valuable beta testing opportunity
• Investment in app technology can level playing field against larger competitors

For Marketing Teams

• Breaking down channel silos enables more effective omnichannel strategies
• App-first content strategy can improve efficiency across all marketing channels
• Treating app users as VIPs creates powerful loyalty and retention benefits

Looking Forward

Eco.Modern continues to innovate their app experience with plans for:

• Enhanced custom content features
• Expanded wellness hub capabilities
• Continued VIP treatment for app customers
• Further integration of AI and personalization technologies

Quote from Leadership

“It wasn’t about the essential oils. It was about connection. It was about giving connection to people wanting to be with natural products and caring about what we did, and connecting with us.” – Claire Mitchell, Founder

Natalie Peat on app differentiation: “We never wanted the app to just be a carbon copy of our website. I think that’s where a lot of brands potentially go wrong with App is they just think they’ll put their website on the app format and that customers will shop through there.”

On the app experience: “We wanted the app to be a really, like inspirational place to go. So every day, the customers can go on the app and find not only a DIY or a daily diffuser blend, but they’ll see breath work exercises or a new yoga flow.”

Partnership Since: 2022
Industry: Wellness & Essential Oils
App Focus: Community Building & Customer Engagement
Key Differentiator: App-first marketing strategy with holistic wellness content