Background

After a period of substantial growth, a national e-commerce brand in the home & garden space expanded beyond paid search and social, and began investing more heavily in upper-funnel channels. Audio became a key part of that shift, with podcasts standing out for their strong engagement and trusted voices.

Challenges

Historically, the team relied on surveys and promo codes to understand audio performance. Both approaches left major blind spots. Promo codes proved unreliable because the site already offered many on-site promotions, and surveys overstated the value of certain shows that weren't actually driving conversions.

With seasonal demand and episodic buying cycles, the team needed accurate attribution to understand which shows performed, where to scale, and how to avoid over-saturating listeners. They also wanted a way to validate when and where to stay active during the off-season.

Insights

• Pixel-backed data replaced unreliable surveys and promo codes, revealing which shows actually converted. Reallocating spend based on that insight drove a 96% improvement in overall efficiency.
• From building a vetted list of 4,500+ potential shows to tuning frequency and avoiding listener fatigue, the team moved from guesswork to precise, show-by-show optimization
• With clearer insight into what worked and when, the team moved beyond seasonal flighting and toward a consistent, always-on approach