We’re a full-service growth marketing agency focused on digital solutions for forward-thinking companies. Helping emerging brands thrive in the digital world.

MVR Digital

Optimizing and refining ad strategy for a skincare company that's challenging beauty norms

Topicals

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Increased conversion in NYC & LA from trucks

🤩 Results

Topicals hit the ground running in summer 2020, but soon after the launch buzz, sales slumped. Their previous ad managers were unable to grow the account: with a ROAS below 1x and a CPA over $50, they were spending more to gain customers than they earned. Time was ticking with the peak shopping season on the horizon. And while they aimed for a game-changing partnership with Sephora, they needed beefier revenue stats, a larger email subscriber count, and enhanced user engagement to seal the deal.

Problem

Enter MVR, just in time for the Black Friday rush.  Before we began ramping up, we first got the house in order – stabilized the account, sorted pixel-related structural glitches, and revamped ads to better resonate with customers. Our mantra is: Test, learn, iterate. Weekly sprints saw new asset and copy variations, with the best rising to the top for new iterations for the following week. We overhauled email designs to not just sell but to build a community. Lastly, harnessing data from NYC & LA – the cities with the highest DTC conversion rates – we rolled out an on-the-streets truck campaign, boosting brand awareness while gathering mobile device data for retargeting on digital channels.  

Solution

Within just a few weeks, our first-purchase acquisition cost dropped from $50+ to under $16, and remained around that metric for months before iOS-14 changes (based on 28-day click metrics). Our ad effectiveness was so good that we had to hit the brakes multiple times as the brand sold out of their hero product 4 times within our first 3 months together. Our email restructure and redesign resulted in a 35% repurchase rate increase. And most importantly, Sephora.com was eager to add the brand to its store. With our redirection of ads towards the Sephora site, Topicals was sold out within 48 hours, the first for any brand in Sephora's history. 

Results

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🔍 Approach

Sold Out Within 48 Hours

📣 Platforms utilized

Fearless creative. Integrated strategy. Untamed digital growth.

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Finding creative solutions to unique challenges for a company marketing a novel, adult product

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Vella Bioscience

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Vella Bio's pre-launch scenario was challenging. Several agencies had already turned them down, hesitant due to the product's niche (female sexual wellness) combined with its CBD ingredient. This combination made the marketing landscape difficult, with stringent platform restrictions on both adult and CBD-related content. However, with the product formulated by the very scientists behind a top male ED pill, the brand's potential was evident. We were not just swayed by the promising science, but deeply resonated with Vella's mission of advocating female agency in sexual wellness. With that, we took on the challenge to navigate the tricky waters of paid ads for them.

Our approach was multi-pronged. Recognizing the constraints of each advertising platform, we tailored strategies to operate within their guidelines, all while pushing Vella's agenda. This involved deploying multiple domain landing pages, crafted with precise language to skirt ad or site bans. In tandem, we rolled out custom pixel setups, ensuring we stayed operational even if one ad account was flagged. Beyond this, a rigorous lead generation effort was complemented by efficient email sequences, converting curious subscribers into committed customers.

Despite the odds, our tailored strategies have kept Vella prominently visible online for over two years. This digital prominence translated into tangible success, propelling Vella into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, with a whopping 90% sales via the DTC channel. Our meticulously designed landing pages achieved a stellar 380% surge in conversion rates, and our email campaigns amassed a 115K-strong subscriber base that actively engages with 60%+ open rates. On the accolade front, our joint efforts on Vella's website design were recognized with a Webby award. Beyond the digital realm, our hands-on truck campaign in NYC and LA amplified brand visibility, recording a substantial 90% uptick in brand recognition.

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From pre-launch struggles to award-winning products

Scaling a premium skincare brand for the modern man with an 8 figure acquisition just 17 months after inception

Blu Atlas

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Before inception, Blu Atlas came to MVR to evaluate whether the men’s skincare market was a viable vertical to target. We saw a high saturation in the market with many brands running at a loss with first-purchase acquisition, but, we saw an opportunity in the affordable luxury space, especially for a product with clean ingredients. How do we build a premium men’s skincare brand, profitably, for a demographic that historically does not purchase skincare products? 

We took an omni-digital approach to grow the business on all fronts, splitting efforts between their in-house team and MVR Digital. The Blu Atlas team focused on organic search and affiliate growth, while MVR focused on all paid acquisition channels. We used our iterative testing framework to measure different message and creative angles, while supporting organic growth through targeted long-tail non-brand search terms. In addition, once we achieved robust placements across various publications, we introduced a native strategy to further test relevant message angles and further sell on articles we’re already featured in. 

The MVR Digital team helped strategize, test, iterate, and grow the brand from $0 revenue to near 7 figure monthly revenue within 17 months, ultimately leading the brand to acquisition at an 8 figure valuation. In addition, we tested over 4100 ad variations, targeting unique audience niches to more effectively convert consumers.

Blu Atlas

🛠️ Our contributions

🤩 Results

🔍 Approach

📣 Platforms utilized

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