Heavy Equipment Rentals: Smarter signals, better leads – how full funnel revived Melbourne
Overview
The client's Melbourne branch faced a critical marketing shortfall in mid-2025. Relying solely on Search Engine Marketing (SEM), the region struggled with stagnant lead volume and an unacceptably high cost per lead (CPL).
Cost Per Lead Reduction
-73%
Through full-funnel strategy
Form Submissions Increase
+64%
Higher quality lead generation
Reach Increase
2,000%
Expanded audience engagement
The challenge
The client's Melbourne branch faced a critical marketing shortfall in mid-2025. Relying solely on Search Engine Marketing (SEM), the region struggled with stagnant lead volume and an unacceptably high cost per lead (CPL). Despite Melbourne's commercial importance, performance lagged behind national averages, suggesting underinvestment in awareness and consideration channels. Without a broader funnel strategy, the client risked missing high-intent buyers and falling behind competitors already investing in full-funnel activation.
The analysis
Using audience signal analysis and historical search data, ADMATIC identified a clear opportunity: Melbourne showed strong ongoing demand for the client's rental and purchase products, but digital saturation was limited to paid search. Platforms like Meta and Google's Performance Max (PMax) were not yet being used to build upper-funnel awareness or capture early interest. As a result, the client was only engaging audiences already close to conversion, while competitors expanded their reach and brand presence.
The insight
Melbourne's digital landscape offered a unique advantage: smaller but highly consistent audience pools. These stable behavioural patterns enabled platforms to exit the learning phase faster when supported with structured data and creative diversity. By deploying multiple ad signals across Meta and Google PMax, the client could improve algorithmic learning, identify relevant users sooner, and reduce acquisition costs. The insight was clear: a localised full-funnel strategy could deliver outsized results in a traditionally underperforming market.
The strategy
In September 2025, ADMATIC launched a test campaign in Melbourne designed to activate the full customer journey. The approach included ramped-up SEM, new Meta Ads creative, and a Performance Max pilot. Each channel was selected for its strength in a specific funnel stage: Meta for awareness and retargeting, PMax for reach and automation, and SEM for high-intent conversions. Creative assets were adapted for the local market, and platform structures were refined to optimise performance across all stages of the buyer journey.
The outcome
The localised full-funnel strategy delivered clear and measurable success. Over the September to November period, the client's Melbourne branch generated more than 1 million ad impressions, 21,600 clicks, and 574 leads, a substantial increase compared to the SEM-only phase. Most impressively, the cost per lead fell to $63.57, representing a 73% improvement. Form submission leads rose by 64%, and the total reach surged by over 2,000%. Meta achieved the lowest cost-per-click at $0.99, while it also delivered strong lead volume, proving its value as both an awareness and conversion driver.