Alcohol infusion kit

PART 1 (January)

Project Overview:

• Duration: Over 2 years
• Primary KPIs:
  • ROAS of 400% or higher. (w/o Brand campaigns)
  • Steady growth in gross revenue.
• Primary Advertising Channel: Google Ads.
• Challenge: Establishing and scaling ad campaigns while adhering to strict Google Ads policies that restrict advertising for alcohol-related products.

Challenges

1. Policy Restrictions:
   • The product range falls under Google's restricted categories, limiting the ability to collect audiences, use remarketing, or leverage full campaign functionality such as dynamic remarketing.
   • Product descriptions require the use of restricted terms (e.g., “alcohol” and “distillation equipment”), as Hot-Rod.com.ua is an official distributor.
2. No Alternative Sites:
   • The inability to create a secondary website for workarounds meant campaigns had to comply strictly with policy.
3. Limited Data for Automation:
   • Performance Max campaigns were constrained due to the lack of customer data, either from website audiences or uploaded datasets.

Strategic and Tactical Actions

1. Focus on High-Impact Campaign Types:
   • Prioritized Search and Standard Shopping campaigns over automation-dependent campaigns like Performance Max.
2. Audience Segmentation:
   • Separated product categories by ROAS potential:
     • Equipment | Infusions.
     • Best-sellers vs. other products.
3. Bid Management:
   • Utilized manual bidding strategies with bid adjustments based on audience segments and performance metrics.
4. Seasonal Adjustments:
   • Adapted product focus to seasonal trends (e.g., glühwein spices during winter holidays).
5. Keyword and Audience Refinement:
   • Conducted continuous optimization of negative keyword lists to exclude irrelevant or non-converting traffic.
   • Regularly updated seasonal interest-based audiences.

Key Optimization Metrics

• Impression share and top-of-page impression share.
• Audience engagement: Events per user, session duration, bounce rate.
• Conversion rate and total conversions.
• Seasonal performance analysis: Revenue trends for specific products during high-demand periods.

Use Search Impr. Share to identify audiences with growth potential.
Use Impr. (Abs. Top) % and Impr. (Top) % to improve visibility and the quality of engagement with these audiences.

Tools and Resources

• Analytics: GA4 and Universal Analytics for insights on buyer behavior (purchase timing, regions, interests).
• Google Ads Keyword Planner: Identified and refined high-potential search terms.
• Website Analytics: Monitored geographic trends and conversion behaviors
• Visualisation: Looker studio

Results

• Consistent ROAS Performance: Maintained a ROAS of over 400% for the entire campaign duration, with peaks of up to 800% during seasonal periods.
• Revenue Growth: Achieved steady growth in gross revenue despite policy limitations.
• Cross-Channel Integration: Enhanced performance through email marketing campaigns, which complemented Google Ads efforts and maximized customer engagement during peak seasons.

Lessons Learned

1. Precision is Key: Careful segmentation of products and audiences allows for more predictable performance even in highly restricted categories.
2. Seasonality Matters: Leveraging seasonal trends can significantly boost campaign results.
3. Continuous Optimization: Frequent updates to audience lists, keyword targeting, and negative keywords are essential for success in restricted industries.