How Ad Creative Dictates Targeting

An apparel client we work with was seeing cost efficient CPAs, w/ ~50% of their conversions being 18-24 y/o. (despite targeting an 18 - 65+ broad audience).

Unfortunately, 18-24 y/o had the lowest LTV within their customers base.

We thought we could just target the ad to users who were 25 years or older.

We were wrong.

Our acquisition costs skyrocketed. This ad just didn’t resonate with older audiences.

At the time, we didn’t realize how much the creative was driving the sales to 18-24 y/o.

This was the opening of the ad. When you take a closer look at the product offered, it kind of became obvious what the problem was.

We were promoting a crop top and shorts. Not really the outfit of an older age demo.

We decided to revise the creative strategy by showing more conservative outfits laid out flat.

This one simple change shifted which audiences we were attracting. Overnight, the 25+ age bracket ended up being 80%+ of all subsequent conversions.

By focusing on creative tailored to the audience we wanted, we started to attract a higher-value audience that was aged 25+ at much lower acquisition costs.

My biz partner wrote more about this test and other ways to reach new audiences with creative on our blog: https://disruptivedigital.agency/why-paid-social-creatives-impact-targeting-not-the-other-way-around/