Fear of Cat Ads Working...

01 — Project background

As a seasoned digital marketer, John Ludlow encountered a challenging campaign that, despite optimal setup and targeting, failed to drive the desired clicks and conversions. The campaign involved meticulously crafted ads and creatives, precise attribution, and an optimized landing page. However, it struggled to achieve profitability, prompting John to experiment with a creative, unconventional approach.

02 — Objectives

John’s objective was to salvage the underperforming campaign by increasing engagement and clicks, hoping to uncover insights that could inform future strategies.

03 — Strategies and Actions

Facing an unresponsive audience, John decided to take a bold and creative risk:

1. Creative Experimentation: John found a humorous image of a fat cat sitting on a couch with a bag of chips and a remote control. He decided to use this eye-catching and relatable image in the ad, deviating from the usual professional and polished creatives.

2. Quick Deployment: Without extensive testing, John quickly integrated the image into the existing ad setup and launched the campaign to see if the unconventional approach would resonate with the audience.

Be careful, success in one area might just happen.

I am more of a dog guy now.

04 — Results

The results were unexpected and dramatic:

• Viral Engagement: The ad with the fat cat image went viral, garnering several million views within just two hours.

• High Click-Through Rate: The campaign achieved an exceptionally high click-through rate, demonstrating that the humorous and relatable image resonated with a wide audience.

• Unanticipated Cost: The rapid engagement resulted in burning through $6000 of John’s own money before he could turn off the ad.

05 — Lessons Learned

John’s experiment provided several key insights:

• Unexpected Appeal: The ad’s success demonstrated that unconventional and humorous content could capture audience attention more effectively than traditional, well-crafted ads.

• Engagement vs. Profitability: High engagement and click-through rates do not necessarily translate to profitability. While the ad performed exceptionally well in terms of views and clicks, it did not lead to the desired conversions or ROI.

• Creative Risks: Taking creative risks can lead to significant discoveries about audience preferences and behavior, even if the immediate financial outcomes are not favorable.