Overview

As the in-house marketing lead for an outdoor recreation organization, I was asked to turn a modest summer ad budget into measurable, year-over-year growth with a limited regional audience. The goal was simple: increase revenue purely through smarter, data-driven marketing. By reframing paid media from a “set-and-forget” model to a living, data-driven program, we set out to increase bookings and bring first-time visitors into the fold.

Strategy

I employed a multi-channel strategy, with paid media remaining the performance engine supported by a multitude of traditional and earned media. Bi-weekly e-newsletters, refreshed event pages, organic social posts spotlighting user-generated content, social contests to spark engagement, and other traditional earned media amplified reach at no extra cost.

Within the paid channels, I rebuilt the account architectures around a test-and-learn cadence: prospecting and remarketing funnels were streamlined into just a few campaigns and creative was refreshed bi-weekly. Tight frequency caps prevented fatigue, while the budget was deliberately front-loaded in the highest-demand month, then throttled as booking availability decreased. Exclusion lists, geo expansions, and automated pause rules ensured every dollar worked harder.

Outcome

The result was a 22% lift in total online revenue year over year. Return on ad spend climbed to nearly 19× while cost-per-acquisition fell by 41% compared to the previous year. In short, an omnichannel strategy with testing, smart pacing, and data-driven optimizations turned a seasonal spike into sustained growth throughout the season.