Mailchimp Integration
Mailchimp is a powerful email marketing platform that helps you stay connected with your customers. By connecting Launchpad to Mailchimp, your customer data syncs automatically, making it easy to send newsletters, promotions, and booking reminders.
Why connect Mailchimp?
Integrating Mailchimp with Launchpad enables:
Automatic list building — customers are added to your email list
Segmented audiences — group customers by products, booking history, or location
Targeted campaigns — send relevant emails based on customer data
Booking reminders — automated emails before experiences
Post-visit follow-ups — request reviews and encourage rebooking
Seasonal promotions — reach past customers with special offers
Before you start
You'll need:
A Mailchimp account (free plans available)
An audience (email list) in Mailchimp
Owner or admin access in Launchpad
Customer data with email addresses
Connecting your Mailchimp account
Go to Settings from the main menu
Click Integrations
Find Mailchimp in the Marketing section
Click Connect to Mailchimp
Sign in to your Mailchimp account
Authorise Launchpad to access your account
Select the audience (list) to sync with
Click Complete Setup
A green "Connected" badge confirms the integration is active.
Choosing your audience
Mailchimp organises contacts into "audiences" (previously called lists). Select which audience receives your Launchpad customers:
In the Mailchimp integration settings, click Configure
View your Mailchimp audiences
Select the audience for customer sync
Click Save
We recommend using a dedicated audience for Launchpad customers.
Understanding what syncs
Customer data to Mailchimp
When customers book through Launchpad:
Email address — added to your selected audience
Name — first and last name
Tags — based on products booked or customer type
Custom fields — additional data you've configured
Sync timing
New customers sync within minutes of booking
Updates sync when customer information changes
Unsubscribes are respected (see below)
What doesn't sync
Mailchimp subscriber status back to Launchpad
Campaign engagement metrics
Email content or templates
Configuring sync options
Automatic tagging
Add tags to customers automatically:
Go to Mailchimp integration settings
Enable Automatic Tagging
Choose tag options:
- Product names (e.g., "Sunset Tour", "Kayak Hire") - Customer type (e.g., "Trade", "Direct") - Booking status (e.g., "Completed", "Upcoming")
Tags help you segment your audience for targeted campaigns.
Merge fields
Map Launchpad data to Mailchimp merge fields:
Launchpad | Mailchimp Field |
First Name | FNAME |
Last Name | LNAME |
Phone | PHONE |
Add custom merge fields for additional data like:
Location
First booking date
Total bookings
Double opt-in
Choose how customers are added:
Single opt-in — added immediately (default)
Double opt-in — receive confirmation email first
Double opt-in is required in some regions and builds higher quality lists.
Creating segments
Use synced data to create Mailchimp segments:
By product booked
Target customers who've experienced specific products:
In Mailchimp, go to Audience > Segments
Create new segment
Condition: Tag is "Sunset Tour"
Save and use for campaigns
By booking date
Reach customers based on when they visited:
Create segment with date conditions
Target recent visitors or those due for a return
By location
If you capture customer locations:
Segment by state or region
Send locally relevant content
Respecting subscriber preferences
Unsubscribes
When someone unsubscribes in Mailchimp:
They remain in Mailchimp as unsubscribed
Launchpad won't re-add them if they book again
Their unsubscribe preference is respected
Compliance
Ensure your email marketing complies with:
Australian Privacy Act
Spam Act 2003
GDPR (if contacting European customers)
Always:
Include unsubscribe links
Identify your business clearly
Only email those who've consented
Campaign ideas
Welcome series
Automatically welcome new customers:
Set up a welcome automation in Mailchimp
Trigger when new subscribers are added
Send a series introducing your business
Pre-visit reminders
Remind customers about upcoming bookings:
Use booking date tags
Schedule emails before their experience
Include what to bring, directions, etc.
Post-visit follow-up
Encourage reviews and rebooking:
Tag customers after their experience
Send thank you email
Request reviews
Offer returning visitor discount
Seasonal campaigns
Promote seasonal offerings:
Segment by past product interest
Create seasonal promotions
Re-engage dormant customers
Troubleshooting
Customers not appearing in Mailchimp
Check the integration is connected
Verify the correct audience is selected
Ensure customer has valid email address
Check Mailchimp's cleaned/unsubscribed lists
Duplicate contacts
Mailchimp de-duplicates by email address
Check for typos in email addresses
Merge duplicates in Mailchimp directly
Tags not applying
Review automatic tagging settings
Check tag names match between systems
Allow time for sync to complete
Sync errors
Check your Mailchimp account status
Verify API connection is active
Review Mailchimp's daily sending limits
Try disconnecting and reconnecting
Best practices
Clean your list regularly — remove bounced and inactive emails
Segment thoughtfully — relevant emails get better engagement
Test before sending — preview campaigns on multiple devices
Monitor metrics — track opens, clicks, and unsubscribes
Respect preferences — never add people without consent
Disconnecting Mailchimp
To remove the connection:
Go to Settings > Integrations
Find Mailchimp
Click Disconnect
Confirm the disconnection
Existing Mailchimp contacts remain but new customers won't sync.
Email marketing keeps you connected with customers long after they visit — nurture those relationships with relevant, timely messages.