Betting on Brand: How Halving Conversion Budgets Drove 81% More Checkouts

By halving conversion budgets and leaning into upper-funnel brand investment, a North American telecom provider unlocked hidden media efficiency — and reignited growth.

Client: North American Telecommunications Provider

North American telecom provider brand campaign

The Challenge

A North American telecom provider was over-investing in SEM while under-funding brand. Last-touch attribution made search look efficient — but it was just capturing existing demand, not creating new growth.

The Insight

Legacy attribution pegged SEM's CPA at $26. Marketing Evolution revealed the true full-funnel CPA was $719 — 18× higher. Meanwhile, TV and radio were delivering CPAs of $195 and $151, largely uncredited.

Working with agency Mekanism, the team partnered with Marketing Evolution to measure true incremental impact across the full funnel. The data was clear: upper-funnel Familiarity campaigns drove 44% of media-driven conversions — despite receiving a fraction of the budget.

The Solution

In early 2025, the team halved Conversion budgets and increased Familiarity investment by 40%, shifting creative toward brand-led messaging in social and display.

Results

  • +81% checkouts

  • +48% site visits

  • +102% engaged sessions

  • +40% brand investment