How a small beauty retailer outranked the big players on Google Shopping

Coconut Lane generated 113% revenue growth, 86% more conversation and 27% impression share by using Google Shopping to showcase its range of matching, Instagrammable products. 

Best friends Jess Lancaster and Charlotte Stagg had dreamt of establishing a joint business venture since they met at school. In 2015 the pair established Coconut Lane, an online store for chic lifestyle and fashion accessories targeting girls of the 21st century. 

The entrepreneurs were adamant to kick-start their business from their own savings, and grow the business without investment. The site stocks tech accessories, lifestyle pieces, beauty and more, centred around pop culture and social media. All about matching, Instagrammable products, Coconut Lane aims to inspire and motivate women, and they have created an online community which spreads positivity and kindness.  

Coconut Lane joined Bidnamic in 2019 to improve visibility on Google Shopping whilst maintaining a profitable return on advertising spend (ROAS). 

Growing visibility on unbranded searches

Before choosing Bidnamic, Coconut Lane had very little data, and like a lot of retailers, they weren’t spending enough on Google Shopping to gain visibility for their products. Whilst their social media game was strong and their brand awareness sky-high thanks to influencer marketing, their performance on Google Shopping needed a 21st century update.

Coconut Lane needed a solution that would ensure they were appearing in the top search position for the most profitable clicks and not just the searches for their own brand. With 6,000 products, bid changes and observation had long gone beyond what humans can manage. 

Following continued growth, Lancaster and Stagg created additional lines (Coconut Lane The Label and Cocogym) and established sister brand Cocopup. The number of SKUs had grown, and so had their popularity, but could their Google Shopping performance reflect that?

Strategy 

Bidnamic’s high frequency platform automated Coconut Lane’s bid management on Google Shopping, cutting back the marketing manager’s time spent on the platform. The technology runs 24/7, continuously analysing bids and actioning a new CPC where necessary. 

The automation considers 108 base variables for the campaign, as well as the purchase intent of each individual shopper using historical and real-time product data. 

For retailers utilising influencer marketing, it’s all the more important: when your audience hop from social media to Google to search their idol's latest accessories, your ad will be waiting for that purchase-ready traffic. Coconut Lane used a Targeted Search Term feature, enabling its brand to single out highly performing search terms and bid more aggressively to win their clicks.

To ensure follow through for the entire customer journey, Coconut Lane utilised a dedicated account manager, scheduling weekly calls to feedback performance, advise strategy, and help the brand optimise its use of Google’s advertising toolkit.

Results

Coconut Lane continues to see growth on Google Shopping, with revenue growing 113%, and conversion rate reaching 24%, both YoY. Visibility on the platform has also grown, achieving 27% impression share. Bidnamic’s automation enabled Coconut Lane to cut costs on unprofitable traffic, and redirect them to purchase ready clicks.

Following continued success, Coconut Lane chose Bidnamic to manage Shopping ads for sister brand, Cocopup: clicks through Google Shopping grew 12% MoM, whilst revenue and conversions both grew 10% MoM.

Coconut Lane elected to use Bidnamic’s CSS on top of standard bid management. YoY data shows conversion rate increased by 31% and ROAS was boosted 27%, all the while cutting CPA by 22%. 


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