Case Study

HVAC Distributor Reaches Niche Audience With Location-Based Targeting From Simpli.fi

Advertiser Overview
• One of the largest HVAC distribution companies in the country specializing in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration equipment, parts, and supplies
• Sought to increase brand awareness for a specific product line
• Deployed a programmatic strategy focused on location-based targeting to drive contractors to their distribution center
• Manages media budgets in partnership with hundreds of HVAC brands sold in their storeResults
• 254 Total Actions (online applicants and in-person visits)
• $19.14 Cost Per Action
• .11% CTR

DISCOVERING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMMATIC

While traditional advertising channels struggle to offer marketers enough reach and attribution capabilities, advertisers continue to shift budgets to digital, which now makes up two thirds of total ad spend in the U.S. (Statista, 2023). In order to take advantage of the benefits of digital advertising, a large HVAC distribution company, recently partnered with Simpli.fi and shifted some of their traditional media budget to programmatic. The advertiser wanted to precisely reach their ideal target audience, build brand awareness for a specific product line, and maximize foot traffic into their brick-and-mortar locations with a 21-day campaign.

Together, Simpli.fi and the distribution company developed a comprehensive programmatic strategy to increase awareness and target HVAC contractors using a mix of Simpli.fi’s targeting solutions. Overall, the company wanted to achieve a CTR of .10% and a low Cost Per Action (CPA) across both online visits to a specified landing page and in-person visits.

REACHING AUDIENCE BASED ON LOCATION

First, the distributor wanted to target only their niche audience of HVAC contractors. The advertiser utilized Simpli.fi’s Geo-Fencing technology to precisely reach users who visited relevant locations. Leveraging their knowledge of the local competition, the HVAC distribution company supplied a list of 39 storefronts that sold similar products and catered to contractors. The team then drew target zones around these locations to capture visitors and serve them display ads for up to 30 days.

In order to track physical visits, the team drew Conversion Zones around the company’s distribution center where users could shop for the specific HVAC brand the distributor was promoting or learn more about their products from the staff. Therefore, when a user visited a center after being served an ad, they counted as an offline conversion.

REACHING AUDIENCES BASED ON ONLINE BEHAVIOR

The distribution company was also focused on increasing brand awareness for a specific brand’s products since the brand is trying to gain traction in new markets. The advertiser deployed Simpli.fi’s Keyword Search Retargeting to reach users who indicated interest in HVAC products or brands based on their online searches. Simpli.fi implemented 432 keywords including new AC, HVAC, ventilation, air conditioning, and more to serve display ads to those actively looking for more information on HVAC products online.

The advertiser also deployed Site Retargeting to serve ads to users who had already expressed interest in the advertised HVAC brand’s products by visiting their campaign specific landing page.

In order to measure performance, the distributor placed a pixel on their website to track online actions, which included a clickthrough to the specific brand’s product page after being served an ad.

SIMPLI.FI INCREASES FOOT TRAFFIC AND ONLINE VISITS

By the end of the 21-day flight, the campaign achieved a CTR of 0.11%, above the client’s goal of 0.10%. In addition, the campaign generated 254 total conversions across both in-person and online actions. Together, the visits to both the website and the distribution center led to a low Cost Per Action (CPA) of $19.14. The HVAC distribution company plans to continue working with Simpli.fi to drive down the cost of reaching local contractors and increasing brand awareness on behalf of other represented brands.

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