How The Feed Optimized Brand Search Efficiency with Polar Analytics’ Incrementality Testing
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About The Feed
The Feed is a leading online retailer specializing in sports nutrition, offering a wide range of energy bars, protein powders, hydration supplements, and more. The brand is dedicated to boosting athletic performance by providing personalized nutrition advice tailored to each customer’s specific goals. Committed to quality and customer satisfaction, The Feed regularly updates its product lineup to stay on top of the latest trends in sports nutrition.
Is Paying for Brand Search Visibility Worth It?
The Feed was spending $25,000 each month on Google brand search campaigns at branded keywords and needed to check if this tactic was driving incremental site traffic and conversions. Without clear data, they risked overspending on branded paid search ads that might not have been necessary. Matthew Johnson, Founder of The Feed, shared his insights prior to the test:
“I’m thrilled about these tests. I have a hunch that some strategies might not be as effective as presumed, and proving this could help us gain significant savings.”
Rigorous Testing Uncovers Surprising Truths
To uncover the truth of their Google brand search efforts, The Feed used Polar Analytics’ Causal Lift to set up a controlled experiment to directly measure the impact of branded paid search campaigns on traffic and customer acquisition costs. The U.S. audience was split into two groups:
- 50% of the U.S. was exposed to Google brand search ads, analyzing both brand and organic sessions.
- One not exposed to Google brand search ads, focusing solely on organic sessions.
Polar’s team monitored the performance of both groups over 2 weeks, focusing on changes in organic and branded sessions, which provided a clear picture of the true effect of branded keyword advertising.
Clear Evidence Leads to Refined Brand Search Strategies
One experiment provided undeniable insights:
- Organic Cannibalization: Strong cannibalization of organic traffic down by 14% in organic traffic with branded paid search ads on, clearly showing that these paid ads were substituting potential free organic clicks.
- High Cost of Sessions: The test showed only a slight increase of 2% in total traffic (organic + brand) at a highly inefficient cost per acquisition (CPA). The cost for each additional session was around $19, leading to a customer acquisition cost of $950, which is not justifiable given the minimal traffic lift.
Armed with these insights, The Feed optimized its budget allocation for branded search to refine the balance between spending and visibility.
What’s Next for The Feed
The substantial savings and the data from this experiment have prompted The Feed to adopt a broader shift towards more cost-effective and strategically incremental marketing approaches.
In collaboration with Polar Analytics, The Feed is set to continue incrementality testing with Causal Lift. Future steps include:
- Platform Efficiency Tests: Evaluate the impact of allocating advertising budgets exclusively to either Facebook or Google to compare incremental Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and optimize budget distribution between the two platforms.
- Exploring Connected TV (CTV) Advertising: Investigate the effectiveness of CTV advertising, focusing on platforms like Universal Ads and StackAdapt, to understand their potential to reach broader audiences.
- Testing New Channels: Assess the effectiveness of YouTube as an advertising channel, examining its potential for increased lift and engagement compared to more traditional advertising channels.
These initiatives are designed to sharpen The Feed’s marketing strategies, ensuring each strategy is cost-effective and maximizes its market impact. Through these efforts, The Feed is set to enhance profitability while maintaining its leadership in the competitive sports nutrition market.
What where your goals ?
What are your marketing challenges ?
Is Paying for Brand Search Visibility Worth It?
The Feed was spending $25,000 each month on Google brand search campaigns at branded keywords and needed to check if this tactic was driving incremental site traffic and conversions. Without clear data, they risked overspending on branded paid search ads that might not have been necessary. Matthew Johnson, Founder of The Feed, shared his insights prior to the test:
“I’m thrilled about these tests. I have a hunch that some strategies might not be as effective as presumed, and proving this could help us gain significant savings.”
How did you monitor growth before Polar Analytics ?
Rigorous Testing Uncovers Surprising Truths
To uncover the truth of their Google brand search efforts, The Feed used Polar Analytics’ Causal Lift to set up a controlled experiment to directly measure the impact of branded paid search campaigns on traffic and customer acquisition costs. The U.S. audience was split into two groups:
- 50% of the U.S. was exposed to Google brand search ads, analyzing both brand and organic sessions.
- One not exposed to Google brand search ads, focusing solely on organic sessions.
Polar’s team monitored the performance of both groups over 2 weeks, focusing on changes in organic and branded sessions, which provided a clear picture of the true effect of branded keyword advertising.
Clear Evidence Leads to Refined Brand Search Strategies
One experiment provided undeniable insights:
- Organic Cannibalization: Strong cannibalization of organic traffic down by 14% in organic traffic with branded paid search ads on, clearly showing that these paid ads were substituting potential free organic clicks.
- High Cost of Sessions: The test showed only a slight increase of 2% in total traffic (organic + brand) at a highly inefficient cost per acquisition (CPA). The cost for each additional session was around $19, leading to a customer acquisition cost of $950, which is not justifiable given the minimal traffic lift.
Armed with these insights, The Feed optimized its budget allocation for branded search to refine the balance between spending and visibility.
What were your needs ?
What’s Next for The Feed
The substantial savings and the data from this experiment have prompted The Feed to adopt a broader shift towards more cost-effective and strategically incremental marketing approaches.
In collaboration with Polar Analytics, The Feed is set to continue incrementality testing with Causal Lift. Future steps include:
- Platform Efficiency Tests: Evaluate the impact of allocating advertising budgets exclusively to either Facebook or Google to compare incremental Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and optimize budget distribution between the two platforms.
- Exploring Connected TV (CTV) Advertising: Investigate the effectiveness of CTV advertising, focusing on platforms like Universal Ads and StackAdapt, to understand their potential to reach broader audiences.
- Testing New Channels: Assess the effectiveness of YouTube as an advertising channel, examining its potential for increased lift and engagement compared to more traditional advertising channels.
These initiatives are designed to sharpen The Feed’s marketing strategies, ensuring each strategy is cost-effective and maximizes its market impact. Through these efforts, The Feed is set to enhance profitability while maintaining its leadership in the competitive sports nutrition market.
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