Vega Auto Accessories Private Limited Post-Campaign Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Campaign Overview: Vega Auto Accessories Private Limited is one of the leading manufacturers of helmets and motorcycle accessories in India; however, they lacked effective presence in online e-commerce space. As set by the client and the team, primary objective of the AdWords Campaign was to drive traffic to its official website and increase customer awareness of its products and accessories; while the secondary goal was to reach new potential customers for Vega helmets to increase sales. The campaign lasted 20 days (21st March to 9th April) and costed $250.39. The team created 4 campaigns, 24 adgroups, 326 keywords, 39 negative keywords and a special 10% promo code, used in the GDN Remarketing and Sales Campaign, to achieve the aforementioned goals. Key results: Important pre-defined statistics of AdWords campaign were met and the results were significantly higher than the team’s expectations. The campaign reported 64469 impressions, 1938 clicks and 3.01% CTR at an average CPC of $0.13 (See Table 1). According to the Auction Insights Report, the campaign outranked major e-commerce giants such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Junglee in India, gaining second best impression share (36.22%).

Goal Achieved

Impressions 13000-15000 64469

Clicks 520-600 1938

CTR 4% 3.01%

CPC $0.11-$0.19 $0.13

Table 1: Campaign goals and results Conclusion: AdWords campaign owes its success to efficient campaign structure, relevant keyword building and consistent monitoring and modification of the strategy. Despite significant changes in the account structure and budget, the campaign showcased clarity on the objectives to be achieved. Through constant experimentation within the tightly knit ad groups, the campaign was able to deliver the objectives set for the client. Future Online Marketing Recommendations: The Campaign was able to carve a niche for Vega Auto in the online market and displayed great potential for online conversions. With a better website and effective use of Adwords, the online arena will not only showcase Vega’s product portfolio but also serve as a sustainable marketplace for it. With successful emergence of new categories such as Women’s helmets, Vega should use Adwords to identify and impact these new categories and increase ROI despite the fierce competition. 1

INDUSTRY COMPONENT - Campaign Overview: Adwords Campaign aimed to achieve two goals for Vega. While the primary goal was to drive traffic to its official website and increase customer awareness of its products and accessories; the secondary goal was to reach new potential customers for Vega helmets to increase sales. Due to low internet penetration in the country, highly unorganized industry and fierce competition from ecommerce giants, the team set conservative performance indicators (See Table 2). However, soon the result metrics of the campaign exceeded the assumed KPIs by a significant margin. The campaign observed a 360.49% increase in impressions and 245.07% increase in number of assumed clicks. Auctions Insights Report stated that the campaign outranked major e-commerce giants in India such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Junglee, gaining second best impression share (36.22%). Assumption Impressions Clicks CTR CPC

13000-15000 520-600 4% $0.11-$0.19

Week 1 (7 days) 11279 379 3.36% $0.11

Week 2 (7 days) 35236 979 2.78% $0.13

Week 3 (6 days) 17954 580 3.23% $0.15

TOTAL 64469 1938 3.01% $0.13

% increase 360.49% 246.07% -

Table 2: Key Performance Indicators The team created 4 campaigns, 24 adgroups, 326 keywords, 39 negative keywords and a special 10% promo code, used in the GDN Remarketing and Sales Campaign, to achieve the set goals. However, due to substantial delay in promo code creation from the developer’s end, the deal went live in the sales campaign for few days and the experimental GDN remarketing campaign could run only for a day. Due to this and proliferation of the adgroups in Search, the budget allocation was changed significantly as per the weekly performance of adgroups. Campaign

Network

Brand Awareness New Customers Sales Remarketing

Search Search Search Display

Date From - To st 21 March - 8th April 22nd March - 8th April 23rd March - 8th April 8th April - 9th April

AdGroups Plan Execution 4 6 2 5 5 12 2 1

Budget Plan Execution $75 $99.54 $50 $91.74 $87.5 $59.01 $37.5 $0.1

Table 3: AdWords Account Structure and Budget Over the course of 20 days, the campaign CTR was continuously monitored and optimized through pruning of keywords and match types on the basis of the Search Terms Report, Google Analytics and Google Trends. Quality of ad copies and a minimum quality score 2

for keywords was set to ensure visibility of ads above the fold to increase impressions. Employing Landing page optimization and SEO, Dynamic Keyword Insertion, Ad extensions and scheduling assisted the campaign performance. Due to strong competition the CPC for keywords was high; however, the campaign was able to deliver successful metrics without exceeding the average CPC range. Due to the Pan-India reach of the business, the campaign was run nationally. Evolution of Campaign Strategy: The campaign went through major changes during the 20 day run time. The following table accounts the important milestones that it observed. It can be divided in three phases for the almost three weeks the campaign ran for.

Phase Week 1

Milestones     

Week 2

   

Campaign initiated with 13 adgroups and used DKI extensively in Sales and New Customers campaigns Brand Awareness campaign showed best results with high CTR as we placed highly relevant ad copies Promo code development was delayed and we were unable to run the GDN Remarketing campaign Addition of ad extensions and scheduling based on data gathered Shift in budget allocation towards Brand Awareness and New Customers campaigns as they were performing better Analysis of Search Terms Reports and Google Analytics data to modify the match types to use modifiers more frequently Focus on mobile friendly ad copies as CTR on mobile devices was 5.42% and constituted 34.33% of the impression share Use of modifiers in the Sales campaign resulted increase in number of impressions and clicks, as most of the search queries were long tail Proliferation of adgroups by identifying new categories to improve CTR

Impact   







Impressions: 11279 Clicks: 379 CTR: 3.36%

Impressions: 212.40% increase Clicks: 158.31% increase CTR: 2.78%

3

  Week 3

   

and beat the competition Rule automation to pause keywords on Quality Score of less than 5 To sustain the performance boost in all campaigns, we increased the budget for the week from $75 to $124.02 Landing Page Optimization completed from the developers’ end to improve the Quality Score ‘10% off on Verve Helmets’ Promo Code went live through a separate adgroup in the Sales campaign All campaigns were paused to let the remaining budget be only for GDN Remarketing campaign The Promo Code was released to a list as part of the GDN Remarketing campaign on the last day (82 impressions, 1 click, 1.22% CTR, $0.1 Avg. CPC)







Impressions: 59.18% increase Clicks: 53.03% increase CTR: 3.32%

Key results: Important pre-defined statistics of AdWords campaign were met and the results were significantly higher than the team’s expectations. The campaign reported 64469 impressions, 1938 clicks and 3.01% CTR at an average CPC of $0.13. Thus, after spending $250.39 there was an increase in number of impressions and clicks by 360.49% and 246.07% respectively as well as all the campaign goals were also met. Campaigns - The important characteristics of Vega Auto’s various campaigns are enumerated below. 1. Brand Awareness - Brand Awareness, one of the most important campaigns, drove traffic to Vega Auto’s official website as well as increased customer awareness of its products and accessories. It generated the maximum number of impressions and clicks and maintained an average position of 2.9. However, it also utilized highest chunk of the total budget (39.8%). 2. New Customers – This campaign reached potential customers for Vega helmets, especially those searching for competitors’ products. Use of Dynamic Keyword Insertion assisted the campaign to generate the highest CTR of 4.14% and maintained an average position of 3.0, while having the minimum number of adgroups and utilizing 36.69% of total budget. 3. Sales – Sales Campaign drove traffic to Vega Auto’s website across various categories in order to ensure future payoffs in form of sales. It was

4

the most cost effective campaign as it generated a high number of impressions and clicks and a good CTR at the lowest average CPC. It utilized 23.5% of the total budget and garnered 27.51% impression share despite heavy competition from e-commerce giants. Adgroups - Overall AdWords campaign consisted of 24 adgroups. All the adgroups generated impressions, 22 adgroups received more than 1 click and19 adgroups reported a CTR higher than 2%. Adgroup Enfield Helmets Women’s Helmets Vega Auto

Campaign New Customers Sales Brand Awareness

CTR 8.01% 7.90% 5.94%

Impressions 811 823 11605

Clicks 65 65 689

Avg. CPC $0.20 $0.10 $0.12

Table 4: Most successful AdGroups Keywords - 326 keywords and 39 negative keywords were used to run Vega Auto’s AdWords campaign. Keywords with high search volume had [exact match type] for increased relevance of ad copy, which helped us reduce our CPC and maintain our CTR. Keywords with relatively lower search volume had “phrase” and broad match types in order to assess the search behavior with help of Search Terms Report and were later transferred into new ad groups. The highlight of our keyword strategy involved use of modifiers, as most of the search queries were long tail. Keywords [girl helmets] “royal enfield helmets online” +enfield +helmets [vega helmets]

Campaign

CTR

Clicks

Impressions

Sales New Customers

14.00% 12.00%

7 6

50 50

Avg. CPC $0.09 $0.08

New Customers Brand Awareness

11.94% 8.59%

40 214

355 2491

$0.25 $0.09

Table 5: Keywords with highest CTR (minimum 50 impressions) Ad copies - Ad extensions, Ad rotation, Ad Scheduling, Dynamic Keyword Insertion, Site links and Estimated Top Page Bid were utilized to create the most effective ad copies. Apart from the KPIs mentioned above, Google Analytics data revealed an increase in the direct traffic to the website (16% better than competition) and reduction in bounce rate from 33% to 28% during the course of the campaign, furthermore solidifying the brand and customer awareness objective.

5

Conclusion: The overall strategy defined by the team was to experiment in order to achieve best results without burning a lot of credit. Due to high bids posed by the competition, our strategy evolved from competing by improving Quality Score to identifying and experimenting with new and uncharted keyword categories. As we found better performing keywords with higher CTR, we allocated separate adgroups to them to optimize the clicks. We were able to capture the long tail keywords by the extensive use of modifiers that added to our CTR. Through collaboration and quick decision-making; our team improvised the strategy to manage the setbacks faced due to delay from the developers’ end. Mobile friendly extensions and site links proved to be essential in optimizing the experience of our mobile users which reflected in the high CTR. With the promo code going live and a short stint at the Remarketing campaign, the team recognized potential in the GDN campaign. The campaign showcased encouraging metrics for e-commerce conversion potential for Vega Auto in the online helmet industry. Future Recommendations: With a heightened understanding of the online helmet industry and search behavior, we would recommend Vega Auto to continue with Google Adwords. The following recommendations can help Vega dominate the market in the online sphere 1. Website and SEO: It is extremely important for Vega to revamp its website on the latest platform in order to make it user friendly, credible and secure for online transactions. Landing Page Optimizations and SEO is extremely important for a good user experience on the website in order to propel new and repeat visits.

2. Adwords Search and Display: Vega can benefit from identifying and targeting new helmet categories and keywords to withstand the competition. Use of modifiers and DKI along with keyword pruning in adgroups is needed to achieve granularity. Site extensions and ad scheduling should be specifically used to benefit from the Google Analytics data. With better campaign results, reduction in CPC is possible despite the high first page bids. Remarketing campaign has huge potential and should be frequently used to recapture niche audiences.

3. Digital Ecosystem Synergy: Vega is using the social media to a good extent to engage its audience, however, there is need for integrated activity across all channels and platforms that can further boost the online traffic and sales. Regular monitoring of Google Trends and GA data is essential for Vega to maintain its hold in the online space. 6

LEARNING COMPONENT - Learning objectives and outcomes: The team viewed Google Online Marketing Challenge as a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and experience about Google AdWords and Google Analytics. Our aim was to produce beneficial marketing results and acquire valuable insight/s for Vega Auto through a rigorous understanding of goal setting, account structure, budget management, keyword selection, campaign optimization and various Google AdWords tools. Thus, by closely aligning the goals of the campaign to that of the client and constantly thinking from consumer’s point of view, we were able to successfully manage the financial resources and fulfill the pre-defined goals. Firstly, utilizing Keyword Planner Tool, Search Volume Estimator and Uber Suggest we drew up a list of most effective and comprehensive keywords for all the campaigns. Keywords with high search volume had [exact match type] for increased relevance of ad copy, which helped us reduce our CPC and maintain our CTR. Keywords with relatively lower search volume had “phrase” and broad match types in order to assess the search behavior with help of Search Terms Report and optimize our strategy based on daily performance. Secondly, based on Website Traffic Report from Google Analytics all the ads were scheduled between 09:00 and 00:00 hours and rotated to ‘optimize for clicks’ to ensure maximum visibility. Thirdly, to prevent underperforming keywords from having an adverse effect on the overall performance we applied a Frequency Cap on quality score of keywords (< 5). All the underperforming keywords were paused, while the good ones were put in separate adgroups as well as allocated a greater share of money to further increase their effectiveness. Fourthly, all ads had mobile, site links and local extensions enabled for better relevancy. Lastly, we took an important decision to implement our experimental Remarketing Display Campaign in the last week. Its budget for the first two weeks was equally allocated to the three Search Network Campaigns. Thus, GOMC was one of the best ways to experience the fundamentals of running digital campaigns and structuring websites to enhance visitor navigation and usability. Google AdWords proved to be one of the most effective ways to increase traffic and awareness of Vega Auto’s website. Group dynamics: Our GOMC Team comprised of six members, each with a different skill set in order to make the most of this opportunity. The team decided that Brand Awareness, New Customers and Sales campaigns would be handled by two members each; while the experimental Remarketing Display Campaign was managed by the whole team. Though we worked on different campaigns, regular face-to-face meetings ensured sharing of each 7

campaign’s details and progress to keep everyone informed about the overall progress of Google AdWords. Healthy discussions regarding changes in budget allocation, addition or deletion of adgroups and modification of ad copies to align to consumers’ searches prevailed these meetings. Various opinions were brought to the table while solving important problems related to the campaign; however the most logical solution was implemented. Thus, we learnt a lot about Google AdWords, managing and monitoring AdWords campaigns, taking calculated risks, being flexible with strategies, optimizing websites for easy navigation and handling each other’s schedules for best possible results. GOMC not only added to our digital marketing skills, but also honed our analytical and strategy-building skills. Client dynamics: Vega Auto Accessories Private Limited was an apt client for Google Online Marketing Challenge because the company lacked online presence, the website was updated regularly and the marketing team showed interest in utilizing Google AdWords to maximize their brand awareness on digital platforms. The team had several consultations in person and via phone and email with the client to align our hard work to their goals as well as keep them updated about the overall performance of the AdWords campaign. Vega Auto had complete trust in our ability and strategies. This trust allowed us to make necessary content and URL changes in the website through IKF (company’s website developer) to enhance its navigation and usability as well as attain a special 10% discount coupon code for our experimental Remarketing Display Campaign. Thus, an exceedingly accommodating and encouraging response from our client allowed us to put together a successful Google AdWords Campaign for them. Future recommendations: Google AdWords proved to be a powerful tool in maximizing Vega Auto’s online presence. Hence, the team highly recommends that the company should continue using the same. Furthermore, regular website development and maintenance is necessary to improve the website experience as well as enhance the effectiveness of AdWords campaign. While running future AdWords campaign the team recommends setting easily measurable goals; aligning AdWords account structure to the website; addition and deletion of keywords in relation to the performance of the campaign; avoid duplication of keywords; create more targeted adgroups to better track frequent performance of A/B Testing in order avail an array of effective options; and generate more appealing and effective ad copies by inclusion of offers, discount codes, site links, ad extensions and a distinct call-toaction. Thus, we believe that an efficient website, a logical account structure and teamwork are necessary mandates for a successful Google AdWords campaign. 8