Stella & Dot

Challenge

Recovering ROAS on Facebook After iOS 14

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When Apple launched their iOS 14 update, Stella & Dot was cruising on hyper-growth. With adQuadrant managing their Facebook ads, ROAS had reached well into the four-figures, an impressive feat in the crowded fashion and beauty space.

But after iOS 14 restricted data sharing for millions of mobile users, Stella & Dot lost critical targeting power. Like every other Facebook advertiser, their ROAS plummeted.

When Field and Brand Marketing Manager Cassidy MacLeod saw returns drop below their benchmark, she didn’t flinch. Her account managers had prepared her for the changes, and she trusted their tactical expertise to guide the ads back to profitability. While fellow e-commerce advertisers struggled with low conversions and obsolete strategies, Stella & Dot was poised to pivot.

“With iOS 14, everyone in our industry saw a dip. It wasn’t ideal, but adQuadrant brought us peace of mind. We’ve always seen a high return on our investment with them and they’ve been great at guiding us through these shifts.” – Cassidy MacLeod, Field & Brand Marketing Manager

Solution

Strategic Audience Exploration

Although iOS 14 interfered with targeting data for Facebook ads, adQuadrant found other approaches to help Stella & Dot get back in touch with profitable, high-converting audiences.

Leveraging First-Party Data

adQuadrant’s first move was to lean into Stella & Dot’s extensive first-party data. They began frequently updating customer contact info, which let them create successful retargeting campaigns that didn’t rely on the blocked pixel. Next, they created lookalike audiences based on
the existing customer data, reaching interested new customers with efficient spending.

Interest-Based Audiences

Another way adQuadrant found new customers was by creating interest-based audiences. Post-iOS 14, the old practice of targeting ads broadly and letting the Facebook algorithm optimize delivery was no longer effective. So, the adQuadrant team used manually-focused audiences to test and scale winning ad sets.

Adjusting Attribution Settings

Since the new tracking limitations made it harder to attribute delayed conversions, adQuadrant played with the ad settings and had Facebook focus on near-term click-through conversions. This helped the algorithm identify more sales correctly and re-learn what types of users were interested in the ads.

Rapidly Testing Creative

The team also worked closely with Cassidy to test extensive creative variations, making the most of Stella & Dot’s prolific photo shoots and user- generated content. This kept the ad experiences fresh and conversion rates high. Together, these strategies helped re-train Facebook’s algorithm to recognize Stella & Dot’s ideal audiences, renewed the efficiency of their ads, and set the company back on track for outstanding returns on their campaigns.

“adQuadrant has been super creative in finding ways to target new customer acquisition. They’ve helped us combat the things we can’t control in iOS 14 and maintain our impressive four-figure returns through all of these changes.” – Cassidy MacLeod – Field & Brand Marketing Manager, Stella & Dot.

Results

ROAS Skyrockets Back to 1061% in 10 Days

Less than two weeks after the nerve-wracking shake up to the algorithm, Stella & Dot re-optimized their Facebook Ads and reclaimed an extraordinary 1061% ROAS.

From a low that dipped below their 400% benchmark to a YTD that was 661% above it, they left behind the targeting problems caused by the iOS 14 update and established effective new approaches to reach the right audiences and make profitable sales.

Watching adQuadrant revive their results post-iOS 14 gave Cassidy the confidence to know that whatever comes next in the digital ads landscape, her brand will be in excellent hands.

“We consistently see our returns from Facebook Ads sitting way higher than industry average. The fashion and accessories space is crowded, and we’re thrilled with the revenue we’re generating with adQuadrant.” – Cassidy MacLeod – Field & Brand Marketing Manager, Stella & Dot.