CASE STUDIES

Overview

In 2022, Total House, a well-established Wellington-based insulation installation company, was acquired by the Warmup Group, sparking a new phase of growth and innovation. The acquisition marked the beginning of the company’s expansion into the Auckland market and a complete digital transformation. The brief was clear: rebrand the business, build a modern website, and establish a scalable marketing system that would generate awareness and leads in both Wellington and Auckland.

Strategy & Execution

To lead this transformation, I took on the role of digital project manager and marketing strategist, coordinating a multi-disciplinary team and overseeing the end-to-end digital landscape. Here’s how we brought the vision to life.

Website & Branding

• Collaboration & Project Management: I worked closely with a web developer, copywriters, designers, and branding experts to ensure all aspects of the new brand were reflected across digital touchpoints.

• Website Brief & Build: I created a comprehensive website brief covering all technical specifications, design requirements, and content strategy. The site was designed to be modern, easy to navigate, SEO-optimized, and conversion-focused.

• Rebranding: We developed a refreshed brand identity that aligned with Warmup Group’s visual style while retaining the core values of Total House.

• SEO & Content: I implemented both on-page and off-page SEO strategies, ensuring strong keyword integration, location targeting, and high-performing content.

• Social Media: I set up and developed social media channels with a consistent tone and visual identity to support both organic growth and paid marketing efforts.

Digital Marketing Rollout

• With the website and branding in place, the next phase was launching a robust digital marketing strategy:

• Paid Advertising: I managed the setup and execution of Google Ads and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) campaigns to increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads.

• Funnel Design: Campaigns were designed to nurture users through the funnel, from awareness to conversion, with location-specific messaging and seasonal promotions.

• Tracking & Analytics: All campaigns were fully integrated with conversion tracking to measure performance and ROI accurately.

Results

• The transformation yielded exceptional results, particularly in the Auckland market, where the brand was newly introduced:

• Brand Growth: The digital presence elevated Total House into a modern, competitive player in the insulation sector across two major cities.

• Lead Generation: In Q2 and Q3 of 2023, 80% of Auckland jobs were directly attributed to Google or Meta advertising efforts.

• Return on Investment: The campaigns delivered an estimated ROI of over 600%, validating the effectiveness of the digital strategy.

• Operational Impact: The streamlined digital workflow allowed the business to scale efficiently, handling increased demand without sacrificing customer experience.

Objective

The primary goal for Q1 was to increase online conversions by 5% year-over-year (YoY) or quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), recognizing the strategic importance of early-year sign-ups for Spark’s Broadband plans. As a secondary KPI, we aimed to boost website traffic by 10% YoY/QoQ, ensuring broader awareness of our ongoing offers and regular plans.

Performance Max (Pmax) Campaign Strategy

To drive offline conversions for Fibre and Wireless, we leveraged the Performance Max (Pmax) campaign with several key enhancements:

Audience Optimization: We refreshed audience signals and incorporated first-party data to support upselling initiatives.
Creative Expansion: Additional creative assets were introduced to boost engagement and better represent our value propositions.
Budget Increase: To capitalize on rising demand and expand Share of Voice (SOV), we strategically increased the Pmax budget, enabling higher traffic and conversion volumes.
End-of-Quarter Boost: An additional $18,000 in budget was unlocked at the end of Q1 to maintain campaign momentum and ensure sufficient coverage to meet demand.

Search Campaign Optimization

Several actions were taken to improve the performance of our search campaigns:

Broad Match Keywords: We continued using broad match, which delivered strong results in combination with automated, conversion-focused bid strategies (excluding the Competitor campaign).
Opti-Score Utilization: Google’s Opti-Score was used as a key reference point. We regularly reviewed and applied relevant recommendations, resulting in a 24.85% increase in accruals.
Tailored TCPA Strategies: Conversion goals and Target CPA bidding were customized across campaigns based on business priorities and historical performance data.
Device-Specific Bidding: Pmax campaigns were further optimized using differentiated bidding strategies across devices to maximize Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).

Conclusion

By combining strategic budget management, data-driven targeting, creative enhancements, and precise campaign optimization, Spark was well-positioned to meet its Q1 performance goals. The proactive approach not only drove meaningful conversions but also set a strong foundation for continued growth throughout the year.

Background

The gaming industry in New Zealand is highly competitive, with a few dominant products—Xbox, Sony PlayStation, and Nintendo—available across several major retailers such as Mighty Ape, JB Hi-Fi, The Warehouse, and Noel Leeming. Spark, offering Xbox consoles exclusively, competes directly with these multi-brand retailers. With a limited product range and strict marketing constraints set by the Spark and Xbox teams, the challenge was to create a campaign that could deliver strong results in a saturated market.

Objectives and KPIs

For the November–December 2023 Xbox tactical campaign, Spark set clear primary and secondary KPI goals:

• Increase website traffic to the Xbox landing page by 10% YoY by 24 December 2023.

• Improve online conversion by 5% YoY, focusing on Broadband and Pay Monthly mobile plan sign-ups, as well as Accessory and Xbox purchases (on subscription).

• Increase in-store foot traffic by 5% YoY.

• Boost Xbox impression share by 10% to enhance exposure in a highly competitive environment.

Challenges

The campaign faced several limitations:

• Shopping ads couldn’t be used as products were only available to Spark customers.

• Dynamic features such as Final URL expansion were restricted.

• Strict brand guidelines from Spark and Xbox limited the use of additional assets.

• Limited resources prevented the development of more video creative sizes.

• A fixed budget and set campaign dates restricted flexibility.

Strategy

In 2022, Spark ran a standard search campaign for Xbox with a focus on driving accessory purchases and increasing impression share. Learning from this, the 2023 campaign pivoted to a Performance Max (Pmax) strategy, better aligned with the company’s broader business goals and capable of delivering higher reach and stronger performance across multiple channels.

Key steps included:

• Audience Targeting:
  Set audience signals using Search themes.
  Added four first-party data segments through Telium (CDP).
  Included in-market, affinity, and custom interest audience segments.
  Uploaded negative keywords via online form to refine targeting.

• Creative Optimisation:
  Refreshed creatives during Black Friday to drive higher engagement.
  Emphasised Spark’s value proposition through clear messaging such as “Save $81.80 over your IFP” and “From $40/month over 24 months.”

• Budget and Bidding:
  Increased the Pmax campaign budget to boost reach and share of voice (SOV).
  Focused on the ‘Purchase’ conversion goal to optimise towards multiple desired actions.
  
  

Results

The campaign delivered exceptional performance across all key areas. When comparing the 2023 Pmax campaign to the 2022 search-based campaign, the following year-over-year improvements were observed:

New Customer Sign-ups (mobile or broadband plans): +72.5 (∞ YoY increase)
Ad Impressions: +2,200% YoY
Website Traffic: +350% YoY
Accessory + Device Purchases: +83% YoY
In-Store Foot Traffic: +714 shop visits (∞ YoY increase)

These results not only surpassed the set KPIs but also contributed to a significant uplift in Spark’s overall revenue during the campaign period.

Conclusion

Despite facing multiple constraints—including limited inventory (Xbox only), strict asset guidelines, resource limitations, and a fixed budget—Spark successfully executed a data-driven, high-performing Pmax campaign. The strategic shift from a standard search approach to Performance Max allowed for better audience reach, higher conversion efficiency, and increased visibility in a highly contested market.

The Xbox campaign for November–December 2023 stands as a clear example of how thoughtful strategy, audience insight, and creative adaptability can overcome limitations and deliver results that exceed expectations.

Overview

Spark Business aimed to grow its SME customer base by enhancing its digital marketing capabilities and streamlining lead conversion. With a focus on Mobile and Broadband services, the team set out to improve customer acquisition, drive online engagement, and increase revenue through more efficient lead handling and smarter targeting.

Objectives

Increase Business Mobile Plan purchases by 10% in Q1 (July–Sept 2024) vs Q4 (April–June 2024).
Grow leads via the ‘Book a Call’ form and Lead Form extensions by 10% QoQ.
Increase website traffic by 15% QoQ to drive product consideration.

Challenges

 SMEs are highly price-sensitive, making it difficult to offer competitive Mobile and Broadband plans while maintaining healthy margins and a sustainable CPA. In addition, technical resource limitations made it challenging to build seamless online buying journeys across all products. While the Mobile Plans online journey was launched recently, the Wireless path is still in testing, and Broadband conversions currently rely on a lead form.

Strategy

Digital Infrastructure & Lead Flow
We integrated Google Ads with Salesforce, enabling automatic syncing of lead data from Google Form Extensions. Leads are assigned by postcode to local Spark Business Hubs, where consultants provide tailored follow-ups. This setup improved response times and lead quality.

Audience Automation

 The next step was to automate the push of Salesforce Lead and Customer audiences back to Google Ads. This will enable smarter targeting in Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns, enhancing reach and relevance while minimising wasted spend.

Conversion Optimization
With the Broadband online buy journey still in progress, we focused on maximising form submissions. Many SME customers prefer offline consults, so our strategy emphasised driving quality leads that Spark consultants could convert into higher-value sales, including IT services and bundled offers.

Results

Business Mobile Plan purchases exceeded the Q1 target, driven by improved online journeys and optimised ad campaigns.
Lead volume through the ‘Book a Call’ form and Lead Form extensions grew more than 10% QoQ.
Website traffic saw a 17% QoQ increase, boosting awareness and product consideration.

Conclusion

Through smart integration of tools, lead automation, and a focus on SME buying behaviours, Spark Business successfully surpassed its KPIs. These initiatives not only drove immediate results but also set the foundation for ongoing improvements in digital lead generation and conversion efficiency.