Our Challenge
Growing a natural deodorant brand in a competitive skincare market
We were approached by a UK-based natural deodorant brand in the early stages of its launch. As a newcomer in the natural skincare and personal care space, they were up against large competitors, with very limited margins and little room for error on paid media spend.
The brand had been offering free trials in an effort to drive volume and build a customer base, but this approach was not converting into long-term, profitable sales. With cost per acquisition (CPA) too high and customer lifetime value (LTV) uncertain, their current strategy was not sustainable.
Our Strategy
Shifting focus from free trials to full-price subscriptions
Our first step was to understand the customer acquisition cost vs. payback period. This meant looking closely at profit margins, subscription retention, and the cost of goods sold (COGS). Once we established that the free trial model would not support growth at scale, we worked with the founder to reposition the brand and rebuild the paid media strategy.
1. Proving the model was not scalable
We supported the initial free trial campaigns to generate performance data and prove that the required CPA for profitability was unachievable. The numbers were clear. Even at modest scale, the business would lose money with every customer unless retention was nearly perfect, and the payback period was much too long to support ongoing investment. This gave the client confidence to pivot away from the free trial offer.
2. Repositioning the value of a premium product
Initial creative was built around a typical “natural vs chemical deodorant” comparison, which suited a challenger brand voice but clashed with the brand’s premium price point. We helped shift the positioning to focus on product value, quality ingredients, and long-term benefits, which supported full price sales and better aligned with the brand’s ideal customer.
3. Restructuring Meta ads and building a creative testing framework
We rebuilt the Meta ad account to improve efficiency and targeting. Then, we launched a creative testing strategy that included different content formats and messaging angles to determine what worked best across the funnel. This allowed us to gradually lower CPA and increase conversion while building customer trust.
The Results
After moving away from the free trial model and focusing on full price conversions, the brand saw major performance improvements:
- 122% increase in sales volume
- 21% decrease in CPA
- Most new customers have remained subscribed past the four-month mark, indicating strong product satisfaction
- The founder gained a clear understanding of financial performance, cost of acquisition, and realistic scaling potential
These results came from aligning the ad strategy with the actual economics of the product and understanding what it truly takes to grow a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand in the health and beauty sector.
Conclusion
If you’re trying to scale a DTC brand in the natural beauty or personal care industry, understanding your COGS, CPA, and payback period is essential. Paid media success is not just about performance marketing, however it is about knowing when and how your investment will return value.
Once this brand stopped relying on free trials and started focusing on high quality creative, realistic pricing, and retention, growth followed naturally.
