How a Diversified Brand Scaled Ads 158% to Defend Holiday Sales

This multi-category consumer goods company manages a large and highly diversified catalog spanning home goods, outdoor living, toys, seasonal products, and more. With thousands of SKUs across multiple verticals, performance depends on disciplined budget allocation and the ability to adapt quickly to shifting demand across categories and seasons.

The Challenge

The brand entered peak season facing external pressure it could not control.

During November and December, total sales declined year over year despite increased advertising investment. The root cause was not campaign performance—it was a broader slowdown in organic demand across Walmart, confirmed by platform-level signals.

At the same time, the account structure limited control.

Spend was loosely grouped across broad categories, reducing visibility into performance at the department level. This made it difficult to prioritize high-performing segments or respond quickly as conditions changed.

Execution complexity added further strain. A significant budget increase was approved within a short window, requiring rapid deployment during the most critical period of the year. Meanwhile, platform limitations—such as lack of budget caps—meant pacing had to be managed manually.

The challenge was clear: maintain visibility, protect revenue, and deploy budget efficiently in a declining demand environment.

Why Quartile

This was not a typical growth problem—it was a control problem under pressure.

In a diversified catalog, performance depends on how precisely budget is allocated across categories. Without that control, increased spend risks amplifying inefficiency rather than driving results.

Quartile introduced structure and responsiveness.

By shifting to category-level budget ownership and implementing real-time performance monitoring, Quartile created a system where spend could be actively managed—not just optimized passively. This enabled rapid decision-making, allowing budget to move toward the strongest opportunities as conditions evolved.

In a compressed peak window, that level of control was critical.

The Solution

Quartile rebuilt the account around category-level visibility and control.

Campaigns were reorganized by product category, replacing broad groupings with a structured framework that aligned budgets to specific departments. This allowed performance to be tracked and managed at a more granular level.

New Sponsored Brands and automated campaigns were launched within each category, ensuring full-funnel coverage and consistent visibility across the catalog.

Because Walmart does not support automated budget controls, execution relied on active management. Budgets were monitored and adjusted daily, with spend reallocated in real time based on performance. High-performing categories received additional investment, while underperforming areas were scaled back to protect efficiency.

Close collaboration and frequent reporting ensured alignment throughout the peak period. This allowed the team to respond quickly to changing conditions, including shifts in demand, deal disruptions, and inventory constraints.

The result was a system designed not just to scale—but to adapt.

Results & Impact

Despite a challenging market environment, the strategy delivered strong performance:

• 158% increase in ad-attributed sales during November–December  

• 275% growth in impressions, maintaining visibility despite declining organic traffic  

• Significant expansion in paid contribution, offsetting broader demand decline  

• Controlled efficiency during aggressive scaling, even as ROAS adjusted to support growth  

While total sales declined due to external market conditions, advertising played a critical role in stabilizing performance and preventing a deeper drop in revenue.  

These results demonstrate a key principle: when demand declines, growth strategies shift from expansion to protection. By controlling allocation and maintaining visibility, Quartile enabled the brand to defend its position during a critical period.

Ongoing Value & Future State

With a structured framework now in place, the brand is better equipped to navigate future seasonal shifts and market fluctuations.

Quartile continues to refine category-level strategies, improve budget allocation, and expand full-funnel capabilities. This foundation enables both defensive and growth-oriented strategies, depending on market conditions.

The account is now built to adapt—ensuring consistent performance in both strong and challenging environments.