Clever pop-up to capture competitors customers

Captivate.fm saw their competitor Sounder shutting down—and pounced. They sent this clever message inviting affiliates to help Sounder users migrate to Captivate, offering both incentives and seamless onboarding.

Marketing analysis

This is smart opportunistic marketing. When a competitor exits, their customer base is up for grabs. Captivate activated affiliates with a recurring 25% commission and equipped them with a ready-made pitch tied to urgency.

Why it works

• Uses competitor’s closure as a time-sensitive trigger
• Motivates affiliates with recurring revenue, not one-time payouts
• Removes friction for switching with a special free trial
• Provides clear, personal messaging that’s easy to forward

Examples

• Zoom offered discounts to GoToMeeting users during 2020.
• Shopify targeted Magento customers when Adobe made big updates.
• MailerLite welcomed TinyLetter users when that platform shut down.
• Figma ran campaigns for Sketch users switching over.