Scaling A Seasonal Brand 171% YoY

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How We Scaled A Seasonal Summer Brand 171% YoY

Overview

In Q2 of 2024, our team at Brick embraced the challenge of scaling an outdoor games brand using only Google Ads. Through strategic planning, execution and continual optimization, we achieved a remarkable 171% year-over-year increase in Google sales while improving our on-platform ROAS. This case study examines the strategies employed, the results attained, and the challenges we overcame throughout the scaling process.

Seasonality

An analysis of the brand's search volume revealed a clear pattern of seasonality, with demand peaking during the spring and summer months (see the graph below). During these periods, it was evident that the brand had significant growth potential. However, demand declined throughout the fall and winter months. Our challenge was to effectively scale during the high-demand seasons while maintaining a strong ROAS target to ensure profitability.

Our Strategy 

Our approach was to scale aggressively during the warmer months, surpassing the previous year’s sales while preserving both our ROAS targets and the brand's profitability. The primary challenge we encountered was maintaining the high ROAS target. In an earlier effort, the client raised product prices to boost average order value; however, this strategy did not yield the expected increase in AOV. As a result, we recognized the need to refine our strategy moving forward. 

The pivotal moment in our strategy was the implementation of Performance Max product segmentation, combined with capturing high-intent searches through our prospecting Search campaign. Given the rising search volume illustrated above in the previous graph, this prospecting Search campaign became a crucial key to our success. Our approach involved analyzing historical search term data and sorting by cost and conversions. Based on the performance of high-converting search terms, we organized them into separate ad groups, each with specific ad copy relating to those search terms. This was the first step in unlocking scalable growth.

We experimented with Performance Max product segmentation to increase our AOV and further optimize ad spend. Relying on a single Performance Max campaign with multiple asset groups can hinder scalability, as the algorithm often favors one asset group while limiting spend on others. Our next step involved separating our higher AOV product into their own Performance Max campaign. This strategy proved pivotal in driving growth. By implementing this approach between April and May, we successfully scaled our ad spend by 92% while maintaining a 4X ROAS, with purchases up 122% compared to the same period of the previous year (shown below). 

The Results

The results of our strategy yielded a significant boost in sales. From February to June 2024, we experienced a remarkable 107% increase in sales compared to the same period in the previous year. Additionally, our year-to-date sales have risen by 171%, surpassing previous records. Moving forward, our objective with this brand is to sustain our ad spending and profitability during the off-season (winter months) with strategic product launches.