HEY DUDE’s Tripling YoY Revenue Success

In 2022, HEY DUDE set an ambitious goal for us to significantly increase online sales and almost double their YoY revenue in Italy and Germany through their webshop, which wasn’t an easy task. Although their summer shoe collection peaked in June and July, these months are typically slow for e-commerce. Additionally, many customers were first introduced to HEY DUDE’s products in retail stores, leading them to prefer in-store purchases over online.

While HEY DUDE was a well-recognized brand in Italy, they lacked sufficient brand awareness in Germany, the market we needed to scale. Compounding these difficulties, their website underwent a technical overhaul in early 2022, which initially disrupted the user experience. These factors posed significant challenges in achieving the desired yearly growth.

To address these challenges, we developed a holistic strategy centred around seasonality, generating anticipation for the summer sales as early as the beginning of 2022. 

Our strategy for Meta Ads was to focus campaigns around Brand Awareness and Engagement, promoting HEY DUDE’s shoes with eye-catching, creative content that highlighted their comfort and style. Imaginative visuals, such as shoes being carried by butterflies or supported by futuristic paper structures, intended to create buzz around the brand, especially in Germany, where the company had less recognition. These innovative visuals helped draw attention and engagement.

Google Ads initially concentrated on brand awareness activities during the off-season, including the launch of YouTube campaigns. As the peak season approached, we shifted budget toward conversion-focused campaigns. By leveraging Google’s Performance Max campaigns, which combined Search, Display, and Shopping placements, we maximised results and ensured optimised campaign performance.

• On Meta Ads, we expanded HEY DUDE’s social media presence through upper-funnel campaigns designed to build brand awareness, while bottom-funnel ads concentrated on driving sales. We primarily utilised Dynamic Ads with inspiring visuals for the upper funnel, complemented by a sales-oriented communication strategy that prominently showcased the products. We refined audience segmentation by product type and gender to ensure we targeted the right audience, and we also experimented with remarketing campaigns to re-engage potential customers.
• On Google Ads, we initially focused on Product and Search campaigns before transitioning to Performance Max. By testing various bidding strategies and optimising ad spend, we ensured that each click contributed to higher sales at lower costs. Throughout the campaign, we closely monitored performance and made real-time adjustments to enhance conversion rates.
• To address the technical challenges on HEY DUDE’s website, we collaborated closely with their development team, swiftly identifying and resolving UX and webshop bugs. This partnership ensured that the traffic generated from paid advertising experienced a smooth and streamlined purchasing process, minimising any potential friction in the customer journey.

The results of our campaigns not only met but exceeded expectations, showcasing the effectiveness of our strategic approach.

• Between April and July, the campaign tripled the company’s YoY revenue from the webshop, resulting in an impressive growth of 332%. 
• Additionally, we successfully reduced the CPO by 25%, enhancing overall campaign efficiency. 
• Our creative Meta Ads strategy contributed to a 1.58% increase in CTR, with average CTRs soaring above 3%. This comprehensive approach not only fostered substantial growth but also ensured greater overall profitability.