At Launch with Us, we recently had the opportunity to work with Salford Rum, a premium spirits brand looking to increase their sales. This blog post goes into the challenges we faced, our strategic approach, and the results we achieved.

The Challenge

Salford Rum faced three primary challenges:

1. Significant lack of daily DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) sales.
2. Challenges in combining DTC sales with a drop-related schedule.
3. Balancing DTC consumables with event focus (distillery tours and VIP experiences).

Their existing marketing efforts were yielding low-volume results, selling only 4 to 10 bottles a week. The purchase conversion value was typically driven by product drops, and their lifetime campaign ROAS was around 1.71. New customer performance was very weak, with customer acquisition costs typically around £20.

Additionally, Salford Rum faced the complex task of balancing their DTC consumable sales with their event-focused offerings, such as distillery tours and VIP experiences. This multifaceted approach required a nuanced marketing strategy that could cater to different customer segments and purchasing behaviors.

Our Approach

Our first step was to overhaul Salford Rum's top-of-funnel strategy. We replaced their existing cost-cap campaign with a TOF Creative Sandbox approach. This new method allowed for aggressive angle testing, offer-focused ads, and seasonal curation. The results were impressive, with the new campaign generating 20% more conversions in just two months compared to the entire previous year.

Top-of-Funnel Marketing

Our first step was to overhaul Salford Rum's top-of-funnel strategy. We replaced their existing cost-cap campaign with a TOF Creative Sandbox approach. This new method allowed for aggressive angle testing, offer-focused ads, and seasonal curation. The results were impressive, with the new campaign generating 20% more conversions in just two months compared to the entire previous year.

Enhancing Mid-Funnel Engagement

To complement our top-of-funnel efforts, we introduced a robust mid-funnel campaign. This strategy focused on retargeting engaged customers from our awareness campaigns. By addressing common customer concerns, providing detailed product information, and leveraging social proof, we achieved a ROAS of 3.69.

Maximizing Impact with Strategic Product Drops

Our team coordinated creative strategy, messaging, and timing for product drops to create maximum impact. The 'Rum and Black' release in July showcased the effectiveness of this approach. By running a preparation campaign using post IDs and organic media, followed by a targeted sales campaign, we achieved a website purchase ROAS of 19.14. With an ad spend of around £2,000, we generated approximately £21,000 in revenue in a single week.

Promoting Experiential Offerings

Recognizing the unique value of Salford Rum's distillery tours and VIP experiences, we created a targeted campaign focusing on the Greater Manchester area. We utilized instant experiences to boost click-through rates, highlighted the sociability aspect to encourage group bookings, and leveraged social proof through TripAdvisor reviews. This campaign was highly successful, generating around £21,000 in revenue from a £2,426 ad spend.

Measuring Success and Looking Forward

We saw significant improvements across key areas including total purchases, overall ROAS, new customer acquisition, average order value, and customer retention. Importantly, we also observed improvements in long-term revenue modeling, with a better Customer Acquisition Cost to Lifetime Value ratio.

Key Takeaways for E-commerce Success

This case study highlights several crucial factors for e-commerce success. A data-driven, test-and-learn approach to creative and messaging can unlock significant growth. Coordinating marketing efforts across the full funnel creates a more effective overall strategy. Leveraging product drops and events can create excitement and drive sales spikes when executed strategically.

Moreover, balancing efficiency (ROAS) with scale is crucial for sustainable growth. The success of our instant experiences campaign demonstrates the power of immersive ad formats in boosting engagement for event-based offerings. Finally, understanding and optimizing key financial metrics like New Customer ROAS and Lifetime Value is essential for long-term success for ecommerce brands