How SaaStanak uses Beefree to build on-brand emails that tell a story

SaaStanak is more than just the largest SaaS community in Central and Eastern Europe—it's the driving force behind a wave of local meetups, half-day events on SaaS growth, and a flagship annual conference with over 400 attendees spanning founders, investors, and operators.

Their not-so-secret weapon for growth? A razor-sharp focus on brand consistency. From day one, Leonard Eldic, Founder of SaaStanak, knew that brand recognition wasn’t just a nice-to-have; it was a non-negotiable. 

Making emails stand out in a crowded inbox 

“Our branding is what makes people stop, pay attention, and recognize us wherever they go,” says Founder Leonard Eldic. For SaaStanak, who often has to blend their visuals with the logos and voices of multiple sponsors, maintaining brand consistency without the right tools became a delicate balancing act. “If you just dump it all together, the email kind of looks bad,” Leonard admits. 

But the challenge wasn’t just visual. SaaStanak also had to communicate with hundreds of attendees, sponsors, and curious newcomers—all already drowning in dry, promotional emails. SaaStanak refused to be more noise in the inbox.

“It was important for us to tell a story,” Leonard explains. “With visuals and cues that actually guide people to book a ticket or consider sponsoring.”

Unfortunately, when it came time to bring those emails to life, their existing email service provider held them back. “I didn’t know what was going to come out on the other end. Oftentimes, when newsletter tools have the capability to send and design, the design part almost feels like an afterthought. You can’t be fully creative in your design and are boxed into a certain structure.”

As the need for creative freedom and visual consistency became increasingly more apparent, Leonard began his search. “I just needed an email editor that did very simple stuff, which was far beyond what my newsletter tool provided.”

Taking email to the next level with Beefree  

A simple Google search led Leonard and the SaaStanak team to Beefree, which immediately exceeded expectations. 

“One of the first things we did was import our brand guidelines into Beefree,” Leonard recalls. That step made all the difference. Suddenly, every email looked and felt like SaaStanak. 

Better yet, they were able to seamlessly incorporate sponsor branding without compromising their own identity. 

With the design foundation in place, they could rethink their approach.

“Integrating Beefree actually helped us revamp our whole newsletter strategy,” Leonard shares. 

As event organizers, email is their #1 communication channel. In fact, almost 60% of their ticket sales come from email marketing. 

The problem is that from speaker announcements to last-minute schedule changes, there's a constant stream of information that needs to reach attendees fast and clearly. Unlike others in the industry who default to sending more emails, Leonard has a different vision:

“Instead of sending a lot of emails, Beefree has helped us figure out how to put all relevant information in one really engaging newsletter.”

The results? Well, according to Leonard, “The quality of our newsletters has improved because we are able to think more creatively. Our marketing became much more than we thought possible, and our newsletters look much better than our competitors’.”