AC Milan: Scoring big with Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns
Faced the challenge of maximising online merchandise sales during the competitive Christmas shopping season. Seeking to leverage the power of automation, they embarked on an A/B test to compare the effectiveness of Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns against their traditional image ads, ultimately aiming to score big with their digital marketing efforts.
Stats
48% increase in purchases
48%
34% decrease in the cost per purchase
34%
49% increase in return on ad spend
49%
The Challenge
Faced the challenge of maximising online merchandise sales during the competitive Christmas shopping season. Seeking to leverage the power of automation, they embarked on an A/B test to compare the effectiveness of Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns against their traditional image ads, ultimately aiming to score big with their digital marketing efforts.
During the peak Christmas shopping season, AC Milan conducted an A/B test to evaluate Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns against their traditional image ads, targeting Italian website visitors. By automating ad generation, optimisation, and targeting, the Advantage+ campaigns resulted in a remarkable 48% increase in purchases, a 34% decrease in cost per purchase, and a 49% increase in return on ad spend, demonstrating the significant benefits of leveraging Meta’s automated features for driving ecommerce sales in the sports merchandise sector.
The Solution
AC Milan, a legendary football club with a global fanbase, wanted to maximise online retail sales during the crucial Christmas shopping season.
The solution
We implemented an A/B test to compare the performance of their standard image ads (Cell A) with Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns (Cell B).
- Cell A: Used traditional image ads, targeting website visitors from the previous 60 days in Italy, aged 18+, excluding recent purchasers.
- Cell B: Employed Advantage+ Shopping campaigns, utilising automated features to dynamically generate, optimise, and target ads featuring star players like Olivier Giroud, Rafael Leão, and Sandro Tonali, showcasing festive AC Milan merchandise.
The campaign ran for a month before Christmas, focusing on driving sales through the club’s official online store.
The Impact
The Advantage+ Shopping campaigns (Cell B) significantly outperformed the traditional image ads (Cell A), delivering:
- 48% increase in purchases: The automated campaigns drove a substantial surge in online sales.
- 34% decrease in cost per purchase: AC Milan achieved greater efficiency in their advertising spend.
- 49% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS): The campaigns delivered a significantly higher return on investment.
Key takeaways
AC Milan’s successful implementation of Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns demonstrates the power of automation in driving e-commerce results. By embracing new technologies and conducting rigorous testing, AC Milan was able to significantly boost sales during a critical period, proving the value of innovative digital marketing strategies in the world of professional sports. This case study highlights the benefits of leveraging automated solutions to achieve significant improvements in campaign performance and ROI.
Client Testimonial
Despite the World Cup break and the holiday season being one of the most competitive and crucial times for ecommerce, our paid media campaign increased website traffic and conversions. As a result of the personalised targeting approach, we were able to reach the right audience at the right time, leading to a significant return on investment.
Luca Colombo, Head of Digital Strategy, AC Milan