How Did Dropbox Increase Dormant User Conversion by 12.8%?
A new CDP architecture and Iterable migration transformed lifecycle marketing performance—proving that infrastructure changes can outperform creative optimization.
Quick Facts
Key Takeaways
Real-time data beats batch processing for lifecycle marketing—the 12.8% lift came primarily from reduced latency
Self-serve audience building removes engineering bottlenecks and enables faster campaign iteration
A/B testing infrastructure changes (not just creative) can reveal significant performance gaps
Dropbox is the original cloud file hosting provider and a leading global collaboration platform. With over 700 million registered users across 180 countries, the company generates $2.3B+ in annual revenue—over 90% from individual consumer subscriptions.
Re-engaging dormant users is mission-critical to Dropbox's growth. But legacy infrastructure was holding them back.
Legacy Tools Couldn't Support Modern Lifecycle Marketing
The Business Problem
Dropbox wanted to optimize lifecycle marketing around reactivating dormant users. But their existing tools couldn't support the personalization and timing required to win users back.
What Was Broken?
The result: slow campaigns, generic messaging, and an engineering team bottlenecked by marketing requests.
CDP-Powered Infrastructure + Iterable Migration
Dropbox was already working with GrowthBench on a CDP implementation. Extending that partnership to lifecycle marketing was a natural fit.
Data Foundation Rebuild
We rebuilt their CDP taxonomy to accommodate existing architecture while eliminating unnecessary complexity. The new structure reduced data latency and made user traits accessible to marketers without engineering support.
Self-Serve Audience Architecture
Using Segment Personas, we configured self-serve audience building. For the first time, Dropbox marketers could create segments based on real-time behavior—no SQL required.
Iterable Migration
We ported the reactivation campaign into a new CDP-powered Iterable workspace. This included building journeys with proper triggering and routing logic, mapped to the core audiences we'd defined.
A/B Test Validation
We ran side-by-side A/B tests: legacy infrastructure vs. the new CDP/Iterable implementation. Same campaign, different pipes—isolating the infrastructure impact.
12.8% More Dormant Users Converting to Paid
The improvement came from two factors: better data recency (real-time vs. daily batch) and more reliable infrastructure (API-powered integration vs. fragile legacy tools).
Additional Outcomes
The work continues. Dropbox now collaborates with GrowthBench to build additional campaigns testing new audience segments with higher-fidelity user traits and personalization techniques.
