High-performing paid media is rarely the result of one breakout ad or a bigger budget. More often, it comes down to how quickly a team can recognize what is working, adjust what is not, and keep the strategy moving with customer behavior.
That was the case with Gelato Pique.
At a glance: Across Meta and Google, Gelato Pique generated more than $173,000 in revenue on just over $10,000 in ad spend.
No single tactic drove performance. It came from a mix of Dynamic Product Ads, retargeting, evergreen collection campaigns, and a timely end-of-season promotion, supported by continuous monitoring and deliberate budget shifts.
We sat down with Natalie Martin, SLTC Senior Digital Marketing Manager, to unpack the results she drove, why the winning campaign mix changed from month to month, and what brands should examine before assuming that more spend is the answer.
Q: A 15.97x ROAS does not happen by accident. What decisions shaped the performance?
Natalie: The biggest factor was that we were not relying on one campaign or one ad to carry the account.
Our strongest performers included Dynamic Product Ads, retargeting campaigns, and evergreen collection campaigns. We also had an end-of-season sale running, which historically performs well for the brand.
The DPA campaign alone generated more than $33,000 in revenue at a 22x ROAS, while retargeting generated another $21,000 at more than a 19x ROAS.
What made the difference was reviewing performance continuously and shifting budget toward what was working. We were not launching campaigns and hoping for the best.
Across Meta and Google, the account generated more than $173,000 in revenue on just over $10,000 in ad spend. Meta contributed nearly $89,000 at a 17.7x ROAS, while Google generated another $84,000 in tracked revenue at nearly a 16x ROAS.
There was no single secret. The result came from monitoring performance, making adjustments, and putting budget behind the strongest opportunities across both platforms.
Q: Many brands use a 2x to 4x ROAS as a working benchmark. What does it take to perform well above that range?
Natalie: It comes down to ongoing optimization.
We consistently reviewed performance, tested new creative, and shifted budget toward the campaigns driving results. As performance shifted from month to month, we adapted instead of taking a set-it-and-forget-it approach.
What worked in February was not exactly what worked in March. February was led by DPAs, retargeting, and evergreen campaigns. In March, Reel ads became some of the strongest performers.
The strategy stayed consistent, but the creative and execution evolved based on what customers were responding to. That is how we maintained strong performance even as the winning mix changed.
Q: In April, spend was down 42% year over year, but revenue did not decline at the same rate. What did that tell you?
Natalie: It showed that strong performance is not only about how much you spend. It is about where you spend it and how the campaigns are managed.
A lot of people assume that spending more automatically produces better results, but that is not always true.
In a later April account view, Meta generated more than $64,000 in revenue at a 14.5x ROAS, while Google generated more than $52,000 at a 13.2x ROAS. The campaigns remained efficient because we paid attention to what was working and adjusted accordingly.
Q: What do you tell a client whose first instinct is to cut the budget after a dip in revenue?
Natalie: Every month will look a little different. Seasonality, promotions, and consumer behavior all play a role, so we need to understand what is driving the change before reacting to it.
In April, spend was down significantly year over year, but revenue did not decline at the same rate. The efficiency of the campaigns actually improved.
If we had panicked and made drastic changes immediately, we might have hurt performance more than helped it. Sometimes the right answer is to make a change. Sometimes it is to stay the course. The key is understanding the data before reacting.
Q: If a brand has never seen a ROAS above 5x, what would you examine first?
Natalie: First, I would look at the creative. A lot of brands run the same ads for months and then wonder why performance is not improving. Creative fatigue is real, and customer behavior changes.
Second, I would examine campaign structure and budget allocation. Is the budget supporting what is actually driving results, or is it being spread too thin?
Finally, I would look at what happens after someone clicks. Even a strong ad cannot overcome a poor landing-page experience.
Most of the time, there is not one major problem. It is a collection of smaller issues that add up and limit performance.
The bigger lesson: keep the strategy steady and the execution responsive
Gelato Pique's results reinforce a principle that applies well beyond one account: performance marketing should be actively managed, not simply activated.
The strongest campaign type changed across the reporting period:
- February was driven by DPAs, retargeting, evergreen campaigns, and promotional creative.
- March saw Reel ads emerge as some of the strongest performers.
- April leaned on retargeting, Advantage+, and DPA campaigns.
The strategic objective did not need to change every month. The execution did.
That meant refreshing creative before fatigue set in, following revenue rather than vanity metrics alone, and treating reporting as a decision-making tool—not a document created after the fact.
As Natalie put it: “Good reporting should drive decisions, not just document performance.”
Ready to get more from your paid media investment?
More budget cannot solve weak creative, poor campaign structure, or a disconnected customer journey. The right next step is understanding which part of the system is limiting performance, and building a plan around it.
Book a 2026 Growth Planning Call to explore how SLTC can help your team turn paid media data into smarter growth decisions. Not ready to chat yet? Check out our performance marketing case studies to envision what’s possible.
Results note: Performance reflects this specific account, campaign mix, attribution setup, and reporting period. Individual results vary.
