Real Results for Reel Paper:
343% Growth through Podcast Advertising
The Challenge
Similar to numerous Direct to Consumer (DTC) brands, Reel Paper was feeling the pains of iOS 14’s impact on their digital advertising. With declining digital performance and an increased interest in sustainable paper products, Reel sought out podcast advertising as their ticket to scalable and effective new customer acquisition.
Like many DTC brands, Reel had first dabbled in running podcast ads in-house. Reel had faced the struggles of how to choose the right shows, measure performance, and scale while keeping their team lean.
Believing in the medium, Reel sought out ADOPTER Media to help them break into the space. Leaning on our data, expertise, and pre-existing relationships, we created for them a robust channel meeting and exceeding their expectations and goals–now ranking as their #1 new customer acquisition channel (in less than 2 months). Here’s how we did it 👇
“Reel Paper have been a fantastic partner and embody the ethos of a company we aim to work with here at Crooked. Reel are passionate about finding solutions to problems and that messaging resonates with our team and our listeners. We are thrilled to work with Reel and hope to continue a longstanding partnership together.”
Giancarlo Bizzarro, Vice President of Sales at Crooked Media
Solution: Trust Data, Not Guts
Prior to joining ADOPTER, Reel Paper had a very lean team managing their podcast advertising. That meant finding good shows was sort of like shootin’ in the dark and hoping you hit. This made it hard for their podcast efforts to compete with their existing digital channels.
By leveraging our data of over 100,000 ads placed for other DTC brands, we were able to quickly place Reel on shows that have engaged audiences that convert. Knowing Reel’s customer was often female, and the main purchaser of in-home supplies, it made sense to pursue partnerships with networks and shows that emphasized sustainable choices and had an America-wide audience.
In particular, partnering with Crooked Media was a perfect fit for Reel. Crooked’s audience of eco-conscious, thoughtful buyers were quick to board the bamboo & recycled paper train. Getting optimal placements on Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, and What a Day meant Reel would get millions of the right ears on their product!
Outperforming Digital Channels
Reel quickly saw the impact of optimized podcast ad buying when their post-purchase attribution survey ranked podcasts #1 in less than two months of running ads. Beating out Meta (FaceBook), Google, and their influencer channels.
In the first 6 months of running Reel’s campaigns, they’ve seen a 343% increase in monthly podcast-attributed revenue and a 276% decrease in CPA. Podcasts continue to fuel Reel’s growth and played an important role in their national launch in Target.
Shows like Pod Save America and What a Day played an integral part in announcing the arrival of Reel in Target stores across America.
Keep Your Ears on Target
In 2022, Reel Paper was set to launch in Target across the U.S. With declining performance in other channels and podcasts' dominance in their online sales, they leaned into using podcasts to support their retail launch.
After proving out which shows were performers, we facilitated a $50,000 buy across top performing shows with U.S. wide audiences to support their initial launch into Target.
“Once we were able to prove how effective podcasts were for our DTC business, we were eager to use the channel to support our national Target expansion.”
Jeff Borsuk, VP of Growth and Performance Marketing at Reel Paper
Keep Your Ears on Target
Due to the educational bend to podcasts, Reel was a perfect fit for the medium. Hosts are able to articulate well the impact of choosing sustainable paper products for their homes and how they integrate them into their lives. 60-second ad reads became 60-second celebrations for making our planet cleaner with the help of Reel! And that power of storytelling is helping Reel tell their own story of success as a business.
"ADOPTER has been our ideal partner to scale within the podcast and digital audio space. Their expertise has allowed us to quickly identify high-performing shows that are a great fit for our brand and their personal touch has allowed us to foster strong and strategic relationships with these shows."