Axel Accessories
Restructuring paid media, adding SEO, and aligning board-level strategy unlocked +32% revenue growth, +87% from paid media, and 15+% organic contribution to eCommerce sales.
The Case
Axel Accessories is one of Greece’s most established fashion brands, with over 25 years of presence, stores across Greece and Cyprus, and a nationwide wholesale network of loyal customers. Its direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel focuses on handbags, purses, and accessories for fashion-savvy women 30+, offering affordable yet stylish fashion.
The Challenge
By late 2024, Axel’s eCommerce growth had hit a wall:
- Heavy reliance on discounts eroded margins, and with underperforming paid media, profits were squeezed thin.
- Overdependence on branded PPC (80%+ of PPC revenue) left the business exposed to platform changes and rising ad costs, while inflating spend without incremental revenue growth.
- Unsuccessful attempts at reaching younger audiences meant the brand’s growth relied mainly on its legacy customer base.
- Lack of alignment between board and marketing caused erratic decisions; overspending in low periods, then cutting spend at peaks when results should have been strongest.
The challenge was clear: Axel needed a sustainable performance marketing strategy that delivered growth beyond discounts and built profitability into the DNA of decision-making.
Our Approach
With the state of ecommerce in mind, we redesigned Axel’s digital growth strategy with a focus on profitability and long-term scaling:
- Commercial-first analysis: Even before campaign access, we worked with the finance team to evaluate product categories by margin, then re-prioritized campaigns to push higher-margin lines.
- Paid media overhaul: Rebuilt PPC to strengthen mid- and upper-funnel activity, launching Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns, and reducing reliance on branded search. Integrated third-party CSS (Producthero) to cut CPCs.
- Discount discipline: Guided Axel’s board to reduce overreliance on flash sales, investing instead in evergreen funnel activity that built brand equity and stable demand.
- Creative diversification: Tested a mix of DPAs, static formats, animated videos, and raw lifestyle imagery to deliver resonant messaging across funnel stages.
- Board-level reporting: Introduced MER & FOCM as north-star metrics, bridging the communication gap between board and marketing. This built confidence, budget flexibility, and appetite for sustained investment.
- SEO integration: Added a new organic growth lever, ensuring Axel wasn’t solely dependent on paid channels.
The Details
Channels Used: Google Ads (Search, PMax, Shopping), Meta Ads, SEO, CRO & Reporting
Unique Tactics & Insights:
- Mid- & upper-funnel PPC restructuring: Instead of over-relying on branded search, we designed campaigns to reach new audiences actively searching for relevant categories, not just the brand name. This opened incremental demand while stabilizing acquisition costs.
- CSS integration (Producthero): Running Shopping ads through a third-party CSS reduced CPCs by 10–15%. Savings were reinvested into scaling non-brand Shopping activity.
- Creative & funnel mapping: Each stage of the funnel was matched with distinct creative – animated videos for awareness, lifestyle images for consideration, and high-intent DPAs at conversion. The mix nurtured users systematically instead of relying on one-off sales campaigns.
- CRO-informed campaigns: On-site analysis revealed drop-offs in cart & checkout. Tactical CRO fixes not only improved conversion rates but also fed back into campaign design, ensuring clicks were more efficiently converted.
- SEO expansion: Technical improvements (site speed, structured data) and targeted content built a new organic channel, which within months contributed ~20% of total eCom revenue.
- Board-level forecasting: Built quarterly forecasts and demand-based planning models. This shifted conversations from reactive cuts to proactive investment planning.
Results & What Made it Work
Within seven months, Axel moved from discount-reliant and margin-thin revenue to a business model where marketing investment delivered consistent, measurable returns.
Total eCommerce
- +32% revenue YoY
- +55% transactions YoY
- MER improved +15% YoY
- +18% sitewide conversion rate
Paid Media
- +87% revenue YoY
- +136% transactions YoY
- CPA down -36% YoY
- ROAS improved +33% YoY
- +40% conversion rate uplift from paid traffic
SEO
- +33% revenue YoY
- +51% transactions YoY
- +139% traffic YoY
- +127% engaged sessions YoY
Profitability
- +21% YoY improvement in First-Order Contribution Margin (FOCM)
In short: Axel unlocked growth without sacrificing margin, shifted from reactive discounting to proactive planning, and added SEO as a channel now contributing ~15% of monthly revenue.
These results not only stabilized the business but also set the stage for further domestic scaling and a renewed commitment to increasing media investment in 2025 – the first year since the pandemic where Axel is confidently raising its marketing spend year-on-year.
What made it work
- Commercial-first mindset: Category margin analysis ensured every campaign push was linked to profitability.
- Beyond branded search: Restructuring PPC unlocked incremental demand and reduced reliance on branded revenue.
- Multi-channel growth: Adding SEO created a new organic growth driver, now contributing ~20% of eCom sales monthly.
- Board alignment: MER & FOCM reporting turned marketing from a cost center into a strategic growth lever.
Provided Services
The Results
Owner, Axel Accessories
Business Director, Axel Accessories
