Custom Tech Triggers Explosive Revenue Surge
Featured Services: Data Strategy, Paid SearchIn an industry where every click counts, Estée Lauder found itself hemorrhaging revenue in a highly competitive paid search landscape.
300%
increase in revenue
41%
Lower costs in leads
Summary of case study
The answer was Promo Investigator (PI)—an AI-driven automation tool designed to preemptively detect and respond to competitor promotions. Instead of passively adjusting bids, PI worked in real-time, analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs) to identify live promotions from competitors. Once a promotion was detected, PI immediately informed the accounts team and triggered automated adjustments to ad copy, keyword bidding, and budget allocation. This ensured Estée Lauder’s ad spend was never wasted on high-competition, low-conversion periods.
By moving from reactive to predictive bidding, Estée Lauder’s search strategy shifted from one of survival to one of dominance. Promo Investigator wasn’t just optimizing search investments; it was actively outmaneuvering the competition. After the tool successfully proved its effectiveness, it was expanded across multiple brands, refining its predictive intelligence and maximizing its automation logic.
Execution: Deploying Promo Investigator required a multi-phase approach to seamlessly integrate its technology and scale its impact. The first phase involved engineering and integrating the AI-driven tool, ensuring it could accurately track search activity and monitor competitor promotions in real time. Once the system was operational, a pilot phase was executed across two Estée Lauder brands, validating its ability to identify competitor promotions and dynamically adjust bidding strategies.
Following the pilot's success, Promo Investigator was scaled to five additional brands, continuously refining its automation and predictive capabilities to enhance accuracy. Finally, the approach was expanded even further, with eight brands now benefiting from the tool’s real-time competitive intelligence and strategic adjustments.
Results: The impact of Promo Investigator was unparalleled, proving the power of real-time automation in paid search optimization. During the pilot phase, the tool delivered a 47% increase in ROAS, a 36% rise in total revenue, and a 7% reduction in costs. As it scaled across five brands, it sustained a 12% increase in ROAS, a 6% boost in revenue, and a 5% decrease in costs.
The ongoing expansion to eight brands is further solidifying Estée Lauder’s competitive edge in paid search, ensuring continued success in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
Solution
The answer was Promo Investigator (PI)—an AI-driven automation tool designed to preemptively detect and respond to competitor promotions. Instead of passively adjusting bids, PI worked in real-time, analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs) to identify live promotions from competitors. Once a promotion was detected, PI immediately informed the accounts team and triggered automated adjustments to ad copy, keyword bidding, and budget allocation. This ensured Estée Lauder’s ad spend was never wasted on high-competition, low-conversion periods.
By moving from reactive to predictive bidding, Estée Lauder’s search strategy shifted from one of survival to one of dominance. Promo Investigator wasn’t just optimizing search investments; it was actively outmaneuvering the competition. After the tool successfully proved its effectiveness, it was expanded across multiple brands, refining its predictive intelligence and maximizing its automation logic.
Execution: Deploying Promo Investigator required a multi-phase approach to seamlessly integrate its technology and scale its impact. The first phase involved engineering and integrating the AI-driven tool, ensuring it could accurately track search activity and monitor competitor promotions in real time. Once the system was operational, a pilot phase was executed across two Estée Lauder brands, validating its ability to identify competitor promotions and dynamically adjust bidding strategies.
Following the pilot's success, Promo Investigator was scaled to five additional brands, continuously refining its automation and predictive capabilities to enhance accuracy. Finally, the approach was expanded even further, with eight brands now benefiting from the tool’s real-time competitive intelligence and strategic adjustments.
Results: The impact of Promo Investigator was unparalleled, proving the power of real-time automation in paid search optimization. During the pilot phase, the tool delivered a 47% increase in ROAS, a 36% rise in total revenue, and a 7% reduction in costs. As it scaled across five brands, it sustained a 12% increase in ROAS, a 6% boost in revenue, and a 5% decrease in costs.
The ongoing expansion to eight brands is further solidifying Estée Lauder’s competitive edge in paid search, ensuring continued success in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
"Promo Investigator is an incredible example of using technology as a powerful enabler to adapt to an ever-evolving retail landscape. It has helped us outsmart the competition, avoid media wastage, and connect with consumers when we can make the biggest impact."
Melina Kacherou-Carage, Consumer Experience & Media Director, Estée Lauder Companies UK&I
