Bruster’s Media Case Study

Efficiencies Driven Through Unified Media & Data Intelligence 

Consolidating their corporate and franchise-level marketing to one primary agency, with one data view, gave Bruster’s better insights and saved them money on agency fees. 

  • 60%

    Lower annual social retainer

At a Glance

Client
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Engagement
Media, Data Intelligence
Focus
Unifying fragmented vendor support & siloed data

Overview

The result was a more efficient, transparent, and performance-driven operating model for both corporate and franchise-level marketing. 

Multiple agencies, disconnected data streams, and limited visibility into performance across its BOSS system was impacting Bruster’s bottom line. 

Rather than recommending a costly third-party CDP, we unified the brand’s data internally, consolidated marketing responsibilities under one agency, and created a scalable structure for localized franchisee investment.  

The result was a more efficient, transparent, and performance-driven operating model for both corporate and franchise-level marketing. 

The Proof

Unifying key data into the BOSS ecosystem improved corporate visibility and franchisee transparency.

Consolidating services under a single retainer reduced Bruster’s media management fees by 8% and lowered the annual social retainer by 60%. Additional cost savings were driven by avoiding the planned CDP investment, removing redundant data providers.

  • 8%

    Lower media management fees

  • 60%

    Lower annual social retainer

  • 2

    Redundant data vendors removed

The Goal

Unify fragmented marketing operations, unlock first-party data without buying a CDP, and create a scalable way for franchisees to invest locally. 

The Challenge

Split agency ownership was driving up retainer costs and resulting in inconsistent brand execution, siloed customer data, limited POS and revenue visibility, redundant vendors, and a manual process for coordinating local franchisee media buys. 

The Solution

We supported Bruster’s Real Ice Cream with a consolidated marketing and data strategy designed to simplify a fragmented franchise environment.

Front of a Bruster's Ice Cream store with the Bruster's sign and there is two cherries between the U and the S

Brunner built a centralized data warehouse that combined POS transactions, credit card sales, performance data, and audience data, standardized tracking, and enriched customer profiles. With better insight into performance, we could see where they needed help. When we unified paid media, social, community management, PR, SEO, and web development under one plan and one agency, Bruster’s was able to eliminate higher vendor costs and reallocate marketing budget. 

A person holding a three scoop ice cream cone outside of a Bruster's Ice Cream store

We also migrated franchisees to Sprout Social for better transparency and easier daily management, and introduced a ‘White Glove Service’ model for those seeking additional local support and spend.

THDR Case Study

Search Data Shaped DIY Content 

Reading homeowner search behavior as one system turned timing into a content strategy. 

  • 35

    Product priorities identified from search behavior

At a Glance

Client
The Home Depot Rental
Engagement
Content Strategy, SEO, SEM
Focus
Align content timing and priorities with DIY homeowner search behavior

Overview

Knowing what homeowners wanted wasn’t enough — we needed to know when they wanted it.  

The Home Depot Rental needed a sharper read on DIY homeowner behavior so its content could meet people at the right moment, with the right message.  

Knowing what homeowners wanted wasn’t enough — we needed to know when they wanted it.  

We connected content marketing, SEO, and SEM to read search behavior as one system instead of three disconnected data sets. 

The Proof

We identified 35 product priorities based on search behavior and opportunity, and 24 DIY projects based on trends and homeowner search behavior, then turned those into content that could support the brand throughout the year.

  • 24

    DIY projects identified

  • 1

    User-centric content strategy

The Goal

The Home Depot Rental wanted a content strategy grounded in real homeowner search behavior rather than assumptions. 

  • Timing

    Understand when DIY homeowners plan vs. when they start projects

  • Trends

    Spot trending DIY projects and the moments search interest peaks

A person looking on a mobile phone

The Challenge

The challenge was timing. The Home Depot Rental needed to know not just what DIY audiences cared about, but when they cared about it. Without that, content could miss the planning window, the project window, or both. The team also needed a way to turn search trends into something usable across content, PR, influencer, and web efforts. 

The Solution

Our content marketing, SEO, and SEM teams worked together to read homeowner search behavior from the same system. We reviewed impression volume for the brand’s tools and equipment using SEM data to define product priorities.

A person typing on a laptop

Then we layered in Pinterest Trends, Google Trends, and SEO keywords to identify trending DIY projects, spot search spikes, and find the right moments for campaign flighting. That connected view gave The Home Depot Rental a content strategy grounded in proof, not guesswork. 

A person looking on a mobile phone

We created one content strategy that fed integrated marketing efforts across PR, influencer, and website work, plus one annual content production calendar to map cross-channel topics and efforts across the year.

METUS SEM Case Study

Machine Learning Scaled HVAC Leads 

Broad match had to earn its place in the media plan before it earned a national rollout. 

  • 2x

    Increase in click-to-lead conversion rate

At a Glance

Client
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Engagement
Paid Search (SEM)
Focus
Improve non-brand lead generation efficiency

Overview

We treated it like a question worth proving, not a claim worth believing. 

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US needed a smarter way to grow residential lead generation without wasting spend.  

Google had just updated broad match, but a promise of more reach wasn’t reason enough to trust it.  

We treated it like a question worth proving, not a claim worth believing. 

The Proof

We validated the approach across four regions before national rollout, making the result explainable and repeatable rather than accidental. The tests also clarified channel behavior: broad match scaled for non-brand search, while exact and phrase match stayed more efficient for brand search. 

  • 29%

    More efficient lead generation

  • 4

    Regions tested before national rollout

The Goal

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US wanted a more efficient path to lead generation that could support sales goals and its contractor network. 

  • Discovery

    Find new customers earlier in their research stage

  • Efficiency

    Make non-brand lead generation more efficient

The Challenge

The team needed to support sales goals and contractor demand with better lead efficiency. Google’s broad match promised more reach and relevance, but it had to prove it could outperform legacy campaigns in the real world, not just in theory. 

The Solution

We built a regional testing plan for non-brand search keywords using Google’s improved broad match. After strong results in two regions, we ran a second test in two more regions to confirm the pattern and test scalability.

A person typing on a laptop

Once the tests reached statistical significance, broad match rolled out nationally across non-brand campaigns. We also separated the brand search finding clearly: exact and phrase match remained the more efficient choices there. 

METUS SEO Case Study

SEO Lift For MITSUBISHI Electric Trane

Technical fixes and content strategy worked as one system to move search performance. 

  • +29%

    YoY lift in organic search traffic

At a Glance

Client
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Engagement
SEO
Focus
Increase organic visibility for high-value, transaction-focused keywords

Overview

We treated technical SEO and content SEO as one connected system, because that’s how search actually works.

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) already had solid organic visibility. But the site’s own code was holding it back. JavaScript barriers kept search engines from fully reading key product pages, capping how far that visibility could grow.

The Proof

Removing technical barriers and strengthening content signals moved the needle across the board. Over time, that showed up in the numbers: 

  • +51%

    Increase in non-branded search visits from high-value terms

  • +29%

    YoY lift in top 10 keyword rankings

  • +24%

    YoY lift in top 3 keyword rankings

That’s what happens when technical access and content signals work from the same plan. 

The Goal

METUS wanted to win more share of voice for high-value, transaction-focused searches, while also reaching prospects earlier in their journey. 

  • Visibility

    Increase organic visibility for high-value, transaction-focused keywords

  • Reach

    Expand to connect with prospects earlier in their consideration

The Challenge

Our content marketing, SEO, and SEM teams worked together to read homeowner search behavior from the same system. We reviewed impression volume for the brand’s tools and equipment using SEM data to define product priorities.

Person typing on a keyboard with a search field overlayed

Search engines also had trouble discovering and parsing some product-page content because of JavaScript roadblocks, which limited how fully the site could show up in search. We needed technical access and stronger content signals working together — not as separate fixes.

The Solution

We built a connected system across technical SEO, internal linking, and content: 

  1. Technical SEO

    Worked with METUS developers to remove JavaScript barriers so crawlers could find and read product-page content on mitsubishicomfort.com. 

  2. Internal Linking

    Strengthened the site’s internal linking so Google could better discover, index, and understand the full page set. 

  3. Content & Metadata

    Refined metadata, webpage elements, and site copy with the METUS marketing team to improve priority pages for valuable search terms across informational and product-focused content. 

One connected system, built for search visibility, and the numbers that followed weren’t luck. They were structure. 

Brother AdSkate Case Study

Brother’s Creative, Decoded by AI

Our AdSkate AI found the signals behind performance.

  • +49%

    CTR improvements

  • -67%

    CPC reduction

At a Glance

Client
Brother
Engagement
Campaign Creative Analysis
Intelligence
AdSkate
Duration
1 Year
Creative Analyzed
15 Ads, 118 unique identified attributes

Overview

Brother wanted more than a creative audit. It wanted truth it could act on.

We put AdSkate to work on the campaign’s ads and pulled apart the visual and messaging choices shaping performance, from image tone and background context to product focus and calls to action.

The result was a clearer read on which creative signals helped Brother earn attention and which ones diluted it. That kind of clarity turns creative from opinion into proof. 

The Goal

Brother wanted data-driven insight into which creative attributes moved campaign performance, so it could understand what drove stronger engagement and purchase outcomes.

The Challenge

The campaign needed a clean read on performance across multiple creative variables. Brother had 15 ads in static and video formats, 118 identified attributes, and a year’s worth of activity to make sense of. The question was simple. Which visual and messaging choices actually mattered? 

The Solution

We used AdSkate to examine Brother’s ads and campaign data as one connected system. It identified patterns across objects and products, visual tone, messaging themes, environments, and imagery style.

That let us see which combinations built momentum and which ones fell flat. Home and office settings, vibrant tones, and specific printer use-case messaging all emerged as stronger signals. 

A person using a copier

The Proof

Brother’s ads showed stronger performance when they featured workspace environments, vibrant color tones, and clear product use-case messaging. Product-only visuals and broad messaging underperformed. The pattern was consistent enough to explain, not just celebrate. 

A person using a copier

Prime Video AdSkate Case Study

The Proof Behind Prime Video's Rings Of Power's Reach

Our AdSkate AI connected visual and audio cues to optimize the campaign and drive up engagement.  

  • +83%

    Engagement lift from leading audio line

  • 4.91M

    Total player views

  • +68%

    Engagement lift from select visual elements

At a Glance

Client
Prime Video
Engagement
Display Campaign Creative Analysis
Intelligence
AdSkate
Duration
2 Months
Creative Analyzed
41 creative assets, 61 identified attributes

Overview

AI analysis of the creative lead to explainable performance, not guesswork. 

For Prime Video’s Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power campaign, we put AdSkate to work getting a cleaner read on which elements enhanced Display creative performance.  

Analyzing the creative from the 41 assets over two months, AdSkate connected those findings back to campaign data, clarifying how specific visual and audio choices shaped user response.

The Goal

Learn from the live campaign which combinations of attributes boosted performance for the Display creative for Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power and leverage these signals to increase viewer engagement with future ads. 

upward flames

The Challenge

With so much going on in the video creative, from visuals to audio variations, the team needed to understand which creative attributes were actually fueling interest across a large set of display assets. Without that read, performance would be tied to assumption instead of signal. 

The Solution

AdSkate analyzed the campaign 41 creatives, identifying 61 unique attributes, and considered performance data for the first two months. We then mapped creative attributes to engagement outcomes. The analysis connected visual cues and leading audio to measurable response, giving the team a clearer view of what to keep building around.

forest in the fog

The Proof

The campaign generated 4.91M total player views ― a success ― but what made it the most interesting? 

  • Visual elements like fire, ring, ocean, and trees led to a 68% increase in engagement. 
  • The leading audio line, “Sauron needs not armies, but rings. Fight with me.”, led to an 83% boost in engagement. 
circular flame

ESA One view

ESA Display & OTT Cuts Costs, Grows Conversions

OTT and retargeted Display worked as one system within the more cost-effective OneView platform to drive savings and engagement.

  • +317%

    Increase in impressions

At a Glance

Client
Edgar Snyder & Associates
Engagement
Display & OTT
Platform
Roku OneView
Focus
Cost-effective conversions

Overview

Edgar Snyder & Associates needed media that could do more than chase reach.  

Programmatic display wasn’t carrying its weight. It cost too much and converted less effectively than the rest of the mix. 

By shifting display buying from DV360 to Roku’s OneView, we decreased CPMs so budget could go farther. Then we used OTT to create the first touch and retargeted exposed users on their other devices. That connected system tied creative and media together with cleaner data and better sequencing. 

The Proof

The shift to OneView and its lower costs drove a 317% increase in impressions, with CPM dropping from $5.25 in DV360 to $1.70 in OneView.  

  • +317%

    Increase in impressions

  • +120

    Increase in conversions across live chat sessions and calls

  • -39%

    Cost per conversion

The Goal

ESA wanted to raise awareness and drive more conversions — specifically live chat sessions and phone calls — while making programmatic display more cost effective.

The Challenge

Programmatic display was expensive and underperforming compared with other media in the mix. ESA needed a smarter way to create more conversion opportunities without paying more for each one.

The Solution

We moved display buying from Google Stack (DV360) to Roku’s OneView, which relied more on first-party data and less on third-party cookies. We ran OTT ads through OneView, then retargeted people who had seen the ad with Display on their other devices.

A person holding a remote pointing at a tv with a dashboard displaying

The new structure leaned on better qualified first-party data and multiple touchpoints, which made the buy more targeted and more efficient. The outcome: more impressions, more conversions, and lower cost per conversion. 

Dairyland Website Case Study

Composable CMS Powers Dairyland Relaunch

Dairyland needed a full website revamp to match a tough non-standard auto insurance market. We designed them a faster site, rooted in strategy and built for growth. 

  • 35%

    YoY conversion growth

At a Glance

Client
Dairyland Insurance
Engagement
UX & Web Design, Web Development, Content Strategy, SEO
Project
Website Redesign
Focus
Improve speed, ease of use, and content education

Overview

In a category where every second matters, the old site needed more than a visual refresh. It needed a new system. 

Dairyland came to us with a clear need: rebuild the website around speed, content, and a better user experience.  

We started with the truth in the market, connected strategy, content, UX, and technical architecture into one plan, and gave Dairyland a stronger foundation for growth. 

The Proof

The redesigned site launched on time and on budget, driving a 35% growth in YoY conversions. That momentum led to additional projects with their parent company, Sentry, in B2B insurance. Clear architecture. Measurable lift. Repeatable value. 

  • On Time

    Launch timing

  • On Budget

    Budget Status

The Goal

Dairyland wanted a complete website revamp that would improve speed, content delivery, user experience, and brand presentation in a competitive insurance category. 

The Challenge

The new website had to perform in the high-pressure, non-standard auto-insurance space, where speed and content delivery matter. Dairyland also needed the work to cover content, technical architecture, UX, and branding at once, without losing momentum or control.

A close up of two people driving in a car. One driver and one passenger

The Solution

We started with strategy, completing competitive, content, SEO, and UX audits, then worked with Dairyland’s marketing and IT teams to design a composable architecture and built the site using Contentful CMS, a static site generator, and the Uniform content editor. We shaped the content model around SEO, tuned the experience around usability, and built a flexible system that could support the new site and future work.

Two screengrabs of Dairyland's website about Insurance Quotes
Two screengrabs of Dairyland's website about Dairyland
Two screengrabs of Dairyland's website about Insurance Claims
Two screengrabs of Dairyland's website about Off-Road Vehicle Insurance

Penske SEM Case Study

Penske Proves Human Touch Still Wins

Manual strategy beat automation on cost, ROAS, and quality. 

  • 37%

    Increase in ROAs

At a Glance

Client
Penske
Engagement
Paid Search (SEM)
Approach
Human-led bidding strategy
Business Units
Truck Rental, Leasing, Logistics, Use Trucks

Overview

Penske’s ever-changing market conditions required the human touch, not auto-pilot tactics like automated bidding.  

With fluctuating availability, market swings, seasonal demand, and shifting promotion cycles, Penske needed a more responsive search architecture — one that could react to what was happening in the market and still protect efficiency. 

We built a human-led bidding system that treated conversions with different business value instead of flattening them into one automated model. The result wasn’t luck. It was a clearer system built around truth, value, and speed to learning. 

The Proof

Our human-lead bidding approach created efficiencies despite complexities the automation couldn’t manage and drove more conversions for the target audience. 

  • 30%

    Savings in average CPC vs. automated bidding

  • 2x

    More conversions in high-valued audiences

A Penske truck driving down a road

The Goal

Penske needed SEM that could adapt quickly to changing market conditions while supporting the right mix of conversions across its business units.

  • Adaptability

    SEM that could move fast enough to respond to seasonal events, housing trends, and promotion cycles without losing efficiency. 

  • Conversion Value

    Treat each conversion type differently across the funnel rather than as a single, uniform automated signal. 

The Challenge

Penske’s truck rental, leasing, logistics, and used truck businesses all moved with different demand signals. Seasonal events, housing trends, and promotions changed traffic and conversion patterns fast, which made rigid automation a poor fit. 

The Solution

We built a human-driven bidding strategy for Penske’s search campaigns. Instead of letting automation group conversions together, we created multiple layers of conversion value and optimized each one differently across the funnel.

That kept the work tied to business reality, not autopilot logic, which resulted in lower CPCs, stronger ROAS, and more conversions from high-value audiences. It proved one-size fits all automation isn’t always the way to go ― and human experience can drive more efficient, targeted outcomes.

WesBanco SEO Case Study

WesBanco’s SEO Strategy: From Invisible to Undeniable

WesBanco wasn’t showing up for the searches that mattered. Connected SEO and content work changed that. 

  • 5,000%

    YoY increase in organic mortgage applications

At a Glance

Client
WesBanco
Engagement
SEO & Content
Duration
3 years
Focus
Mortgage products & application starts

Overview

Potential customers searching for banking and mortgage keywords were not discovering WesBanco as the leader in the space that they are.

WesBanco had the products. They had the expertise. What they didn’t have was visibility. And in search, invisibility is indistinguishable from absence. 

The website had almost no content targeting the keywords their customers were actually using. One mortgage page. No landing page architecture. No path for search engines to follow. 

Three years of disciplined SEO and content work built that path. And the results compounded from there. 

The Proof

Three years in. The organic visibility WesBanco deserved finally matched the market position they’d already earned. 

  • 2x+

    YoY increase in organic traffic to mortgage web pages

  • 50

    Position improvement in targeted keywords within six months

  • 36

    Terms onto page 1 within six months

The Goal

WesBanco was invisible for the keywords their customers were searching. The goal was to fix that, and turn organic search into a real driver of mortgage product awareness and application starts.

  • Visibility

    Rank for high-value non-branded banking and mortgage keywords in major search engines 

  • Conversions

    Drive measurable growth in mortgage product awareness and application starts

The Challenge

In search, WesBanco wasn’t ranking for non-branded keywords. That meant potential customers were finding competitors first and never discovering WesBanco at all. The website compounded the problem. Almost no content existed beyond a single mortgage page. 

We needed more content that spoke to WesBanco's unique product offerings, built to rank, and designed to move a potential customer toward an application.

The Solution

Our SEO and content teams built the work in stages.

A person typing on a laptop with a search bar overlaying the image.

  1. Year 1

    In year one, we created SEO-optimized content pages around core products and expanded one mortgage page into 10 targeted landing pages to widen keyword reach and audience coverage.

  2. Year 2

    In year two, we added long-form pages to support SEO and link back to key product pages, while revising blog content for stronger performance.

  3. Year 3

    In year three, we refined site optimizations around specific audiences and needs, building new content and improving user experience to strengthen internal linking and external awareness. 

We knew we had great mortgage products. Brunner made sure the right customers could actually find them.

WesBanco

CMO