From Dead Fish to 10x ROAS: How We Transformed a B2B Client's Performance in Just 3 Months
Sometimes the biggest wins come from mastering the fundamentals.
When we first audited this B2B client, we thought we'd seen it all. But even after years of helping businesses optimize their digital marketing, we were genuinely surprised by what we found—or more accurately, what we didn't find.
The client came to us frustrated. They were spending money on ads, they were getting clicks, and they even had decent search intent targeting. But their return on ad spend (ROAS) was stuck at a dismal 0.6x. For every dollar they invested, they were only getting 60 cents back. It was, as we like to say, a "dead fish" situation.
What we discovered during our analysis perfectly illustrates why getting the fundamentals right is so critical in digital marketing. This client's story isn't about fancy growth hacks or cutting-edge tactics—it's about the blocking and tackling that every business needs to master first.
The Problem: Right Message, Wrong Audience
When we dove into their campaigns, we found something fascinating. The client was actually doing a lot of things right from a technical standpoint. Their search targeting showed good intent, their creative wasn't terrible, and they understood their value proposition.
But there was one massive problem: they were a B2B company talking to B2C audiences.
Imagine trying to sell enterprise software to someone shopping for running shoes. That's essentially what was happening. They had the right message, but they were delivering it to people who would never, ever buy their product.
The targeting wasn't tailored to B2B decision-makers. They weren't reaching people in the right industries or at companies of the right size. Instead of talking to CTOs and procurement managers, they were talking to consumers who had no authority or need to make B2B purchases.
The Missing Foundation: Retargeting
The second major issue we discovered was even more fundamental: they had zero retargeting campaigns running.
This might sound basic, but you'd be amazed how often we see this. Companies will spend thousands of dollars getting people to visit their website for the first time, then completely abandon those prospects forever. It's like inviting someone to your store, having a great conversation, then never following up when they leave without buying.
In B2B sales cycles, which are typically longer and involve multiple decision-makers, retargeting isn't just helpful—it's essential. You need to stay top-of-mind while prospects are evaluating options, building consensus, and navigating their internal approval processes.
The Solution: Back to Basics
Rather than completely overhauling their campaigns (which would have made the client nervous), we proposed a split test. We'd run our approach alongside their existing campaigns to prove our theory.
Our strategy focused on three fundamental areas:
1. Audience Segmentation and Targeting
We rebuilt their targeting from the ground up, focusing on:
People working in the right industries
Companies of the appropriate size for their solution
Job titles and roles that would actually influence purchasing decisions
2. Message-Audience Alignment
Once we knew we were reaching the right people, we tailored the messaging to speak directly to B2B pain points and use cases. Instead of generic value propositions, we focused on business outcomes that would resonate with decision-makers.
3. Retargeting Implementation
We set up dedicated retargeting campaigns with sufficient budget to reach prospects multiple times throughout their decision-making process. The goal was simple: whenever they were ready to make a purchase decision, we wanted to be the first company they thought of.
The Results: From 0.6x to 10x ROAS
The transformation was dramatic and happened faster than we expected.
Within the first few weeks of our split test, our campaigns were clearly outperforming the original approach. As we gradually shifted more budget to our strategy, the results became even more impressive:
Week 1-2: Moved from 0.6x ROAS to 2.5x ROAS
Week 4-6: Achieved 10x-11x ROAS consistently
Peak performance: Hit 27x ROAS (though we had to scale back due to volume limitations)
Sustained results: Now maintaining 7-10x ROAS depending on the week
That's not a typo. We took a campaign that was losing money on every dollar spent and turned it into one that generates $7-10 for every dollar invested.
The Scalability Challenge
Interestingly, our biggest challenge became managing success rather than fixing failure. When we hit 27x ROAS, we realized we were being too aggressive and running into scalability issues. There simply wasn't enough qualified traffic to sustain that level of efficiency at higher volumes.
Finding the sweet spot between performance and scale is a good problem to have, but it's still a problem that requires ongoing optimization.
Why the Fundamentals Matter More Than Tactics
This case study reinforces something we see over and over again: most businesses don't need revolutionary new strategies—they need to execute the basics exceptionally well.
The marketing landscape is full of shiny new tactics, advanced attribution models, and complex automation tools. But if you're not getting the fundamentals right, none of that matters.
Think of it like CPR. When someone isn't breathing, you don't start with advanced medical procedures—you check the pulse, check the breathing, and address the most critical issues first.
In digital marketing, those critical issues are usually:
Are you reaching the right audience?
Are you saying the right things to that audience?
Are you staying in front of prospects throughout their buying journey?
The Ongoing Journey
While the initial results have been fantastic, we're not done. This client still has significant opportunities for growth through:
Advanced creative testing and optimization
Further audience segmentation and personalization
Expansion into additional channels and formats
Deeper integration with their sales process
But the foundation is now solid. They're profitable, they're growing, and they have the infrastructure to scale sustainably.
Your Marketing CPR Checklist
If you're reading this and wondering whether your campaigns might have similar issues, here's a quick diagnostic checklist:
Audience Targeting:
Are you reaching people who actually have the authority to buy your product?
Does your targeting align with your ideal customer profile?
Are you accidentally targeting consumers when you sell to businesses (or vice versa)?
Message-Market Fit:
Does your messaging speak directly to your target audience's specific pain points?
Are you using language and terminology that resonates with decision-makers?
Do your value propositions focus on business outcomes rather than features?
Retargeting and Nurturing:
Do you have active retargeting campaigns for website visitors?
Are you staying in front of prospects throughout their typical buying cycle?
Do you have different messages for different stages of the customer journey?
If you answered "no" or "I'm not sure" to any of these questions, you might have some quick wins available.
The Power of Getting Back to Basics
This client's transformation from 0.6x to 10x ROAS happened because we focused on fundamentals, not because we discovered some secret growth hack or used an AI-powered optimization tool.
The lesson here isn't that advanced tactics don't matter—they do, and they'll be crucial for this client's continued growth. The lesson is that advanced tactics are worthless if your foundation is broken.
Whether you're just starting out or you've been running campaigns for years, it's worth taking a step back and asking: are we really nailing the basics?
Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from getting the simple things right.
Watch the FULL EPISODE for additional insights on how often to update the creative in your digital advertising campaigns.
Watch the Full Episode on YouTube
Listen to the Full Episode on Spotify
Want personalized guidance?
Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your specific digital advertising goals:
https://link.eic.agency/widget/bookings/eic_initial_discovery_start
This article is based on insights from the Click and Mortar podcast hosted by Mike Patterson and Dustin Trout, digital marketing experts focused on helping businesses maximize their advertising ROI.
