Sports Apparel Brand Drives 73% Improvement of ROAS on Google

A niche sports apparel brand specializing in licensed bowling jerseys and accessories operates as both a manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer. The brand offers officially licensed products tied to major entertainment franchises, alongside custom apparel for leagues and tournaments. Its strong position within a passionate category is reinforced by partnerships with major youth competitions and a highly seasonal demand cycle.

The Challenge

The account inherited a fragmented Google Ads structure with more than a dozen campaigns running simultaneously. Many campaigns contained disapproved ads, paused asset groups, and policy issues that limited delivery.

Despite generating strong traffic and exceeding the stated efficiency target, performance remained below its true potential. Conversion rates lagged due to poor segmentation, with premium licensed products grouped alongside general catalog items. This diluted signals and prevented effective optimization toward high-intent audiences.

The result was an account that appeared efficient on the surface but lacked the structural foundation needed to scale performance further.

Why Quartile

Quartile focused on resolving signal fragmentation and restoring clarity to the account. By aligning campaign structure with distinct customer behaviors and product value tiers, the team enabled Google’s automation to optimize more effectively.

The approach prioritized clean inputs, reduced noise, and precise segmentation—ensuring that machine learning models could operate with higher confidence and efficiency.

The Solution

Quartile rebuilt the account architecture to improve signal quality and consolidate performance.

First, all legacy campaigns with policy violations, disapproved ads, or weak performance were paused. This eliminated inefficiencies and reduced unnecessary spend across more than a dozen campaigns.

Next, spend was consolidated into a simplified structure built around three core campaigns using Performance Max with target Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) bidding. This increased data density and improved optimization efficiency.

A dedicated campaign was launched specifically for licensed products. By isolating these high-value items, Quartile enabled the algorithm to optimize toward a distinct audience with stronger purchase intent and higher willingness to pay.

Finally, a branded Search campaign was maintained to capture high-intent demand. Budgets were intentionally tightened to prioritize efficiency, shifting the account’s focus from spend volume to return-driven growth.

Results & Impact

The restructured account delivered significant efficiency gains while maintaining revenue growth during a critical seasonal window.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) improved by 73%, while total ad spend decreased by 40%. Despite the reduction in spend, total revenue increased by 3%, demonstrating stronger performance from a more efficient investment.

Cost per click declined by 30%, reflecting improved targeting and reduced wasted spend.

Performance Max campaigns drove the majority of gains. The general campaign more than doubled its efficiency, while the newly segmented licensed product campaign generated strong incremental revenue with high efficiency.

Overall, the account significantly exceeded its efficiency target, delivering more than four times the required return while improving structural scalability.

Ongoing Value & Future State

With a clean and scalable structure in place, the account is positioned to expand further into high-performing segments while maintaining efficiency.

Future efforts will focus on refining audience signals, expanding segmentation within licensed products, and leveraging seasonal demand cycles to maximize performance during peak periods.