About the Client
CandyStore.com is a leading online retailer specializing in a wide variety of sweets, including nostalgic candies, bulk purchases for events, and gourmet treats. The company has built a reputation for delivering high-quality confectionery products with exceptional customer service. Whether it’s for weddings, corporate events, or simply satisfying a sweet tooth, CandyStore.com offers a vast selection to meet every need.
Our Approach
Running Google Ads for an online confectionery store like CandyStore.com presents several unique challenges. Seasonality and demand fluctuations play a significant role, with sales peaking during holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, requiring adaptive budget management and campaign adjustments to capitalize on these opportunities. The high level of competition in the candy market, with major brands and retailers boasting larger budgets, necessitates a strategic approach to targeting and bidding to stand out effectively. Additionally, the relatively low average order value (AOV) in the confectionery industry makes it essential to maintain precise cost control and ad spend efficiency to achieve profitability while scaling. Since candy is a highly visual product category, high-quality imagery and compelling creative assets are crucial to attracting potential customers and driving engagement. Lastly, impulse buying behavior is a significant factor in candy purchases, making it vital to leverage remarketing strategies and persuasive ad copy to capture these spontaneous purchasing decisions.
What We Did:
1. Performance Max Campaigns with Product Specific Feed-Only Asset Groups
We launched Performance Max (PMax) campaigns with separate asset groups for each candy category (e.g., chocolates, gummies, holiday-themed candies). Initially, we used feed-only asset groups to focus on Google Shopping and Dynamic Remarketing, which yielded the highest ROAS. This approach provided Google Ads’ bidding algorithm with the most accurate data. Once asset groups generated sufficient conversions, we expanded by adding headlines, descriptions, and images to reach other networks, such as Search, Display, YouTube, and Discovery. Finally, we introduced videos to further engage audiences and improve conversion rates.
2. Smart Bidding Strategies
We implemented automated bidding strategies such as Target ROAS and Maximize Conversion Value, allowing Google's AI to optimize bids in real-time. Seasonal bid adjustments were applied to align with peak demand periods.
3. Audience Segmentation & First-Party Data Utilization
Leveraging first-party data, we created highly targeted audience lists based on past purchases, cart abandonments, and engagement behavior. Customer Match was utilized to re-engage previous customers with special offers and seasonal promotions.
4. Negative Keyword Optimization
We continuously refined our negative keyword list to prevent irrelevant traffic and ensure the budget was allocated to high-intent searches.
5. Localized Campaigns for Bulk Orders
Recognizing the demand for bulk candy orders for events, we ran geo-targeted campaigns focusing on areas with high event venue density.
6. Mobile and Desktop Ad Segmentation
Ads were split into separate ad groups for mobile and desktop, optimizing headlines and descriptions to fit each platform's display capabilities.This ensured a professional appearance and clear communication across devices.
The Result
By applying these strategic approaches, CandyStore.com achieved significant improvements in their Google Ads performance. Our efforts led to increased campaign scalability without compromising ROAS, allowing the company to expand its reach while maintaining profitability. Precise targeting and remarketing strategies contributed to improved conversion rates, effectively capturing and converting potential customers. Additionally, our approach fostered higher customer retention and repeat purchases, strengthening long-term customer relationships. By optimizing ad spend allocation, we maximized profitability during peak seasons, ensuring that marketing efforts were both cost-effective and impactful.
of customers
see an increase in ROAS
trackable revenue
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Conversions generated