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1. What challenge was the client facing?
The charity, known for its annual event and eCommerce gift store, struggled to maintain brand visibility outside of its high-demand season (October to December). Their limited budget needed to balance year-round awareness with aggressive sales during their peak period.
2. Why was seasonality such a challenge for them?
The gifting focus of their eCommerce offering meant the majority of sales happened in Q4, making October through December critical. However, without consistent engagement during the rest of the year, their seasonal campaigns faced higher costs and lower conversion efficiency due to a lack of brand familiarity.
3. What approach did we take?
We designed a dual-phase strategy to balance cost-effective year-round awareness with high-impact seasonal campaigns:
- Phase 1: Year-Round Awareness
- Focused on building brand familiarity through organic content, email marketing, and low-cost paid campaigns targeting existing audiences.
- Created evergreen content around gifting occasions (e.g., birthdays, Mother’s Day) to drive off-season engagement.
- Phase 2: Seasonal Ramp-Up
- Implemented aggressive PPC campaigns starting in October, targeting high-intent searches (e.g., “charity gifts for Christmas”).
- Leveraged remarketing to re-engage audiences built during the awareness phase, ensuring efficient spend and higher ROI.
- Created urgency-driven messaging to capitalize on demand closer to the event.
4. How did the charity keep costs under control?
Remarketing was key to reducing CAC during the peak season. By building a warm audience through low-cost awareness campaigns earlier in the year, they avoided the higher costs associated with cold targeting during the competitive Q4 period.
5. What measurable results were achieved?
- Year-Round Engagement: A 60% increase in website traffic and a 30% boost in email subscribers outside the peak season.
- Seasonal Sales Growth: A 45% increase in Q4 sales compared to the previous year, with a 20% reduction in CAC.
- Improved ROI: Remarketing campaigns delivered a 4x return on ad spend (ROAS) during the October-December period.
- Enhanced Conversion Rates: Conversion rates improved by 25% in Q4 due to the familiarity built during the awareness phase.
6. Why did this strategy work?
The dual-phase approach ensured that the charity wasn’t starting from scratch during their peak season. By maintaining consistent engagement throughout the year, they entered Q4 with a warm, engaged audience ready to convert. Remarketing further amplified this, driving efficiency and results.
7. What’s the long-term impact of this approach?
The charity now has a repeatable framework for balancing awareness and demand generation. They’ve built a strong email list, evergreen content assets, and a loyal customer base that can be activated year after year.
8. What would you say to other seasonal eCommerce businesses?
Plan for the long game. Building brand familiarity and nurturing your audience year-round pays dividends during peak season. A balanced strategy is the secret to consistent growth and lower acquisition costs.
Want a strategy like this?
Let’s create a tailored digital plan to optimize your seasonal eCommerce success.
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