From cost to conversion: transforming paid media performance through creative strategy and funnel structure
    Health & Fitness

    From cost to conversion: transforming paid media performance through creative strategy and funnel structure

    Overview

    ADMATIC rebuilt Virgin Active's paid media strategy from the ground up, focusing on creative-audience alignment and funnel structure. The result: leads increased 66% whilst cost per lead dropped 64% annually.

    Meta Leads Increase

    +156%

    33% lower CPL

    PMAX & Google Leads Increase

    +77.4%

    40% lower CPL

    Annual Performance Leads up

    +66%

    -64% lower CPL

    The challenge

    A familiar but critical issue was being faced: media channels were delivering volume, but not quality. Cost per lead (CPL) was rising, especially on Meta's in-platform lead generation (Lead Gen) formats, and leads were failing to convert into sales. The brand needed to increase lead quality without sacrificing efficiency; a tough task in an increasingly competitive category. Without change, conversion shortfalls risked compounding across high-growth quarters, especially around EOFY and promotional periods.

    The data showed high volumes were masking deeper performance gaps. ADMATIC needed to rebuild the funnel with stronger alignment between audience needs, creative, and commercial outcomes.

    The analysis

    ADMATIC performed a channel-by-channel and club-by-club audit, cross-referencing platform-level performance with lead quality signals. Meta's platform-native lead forms delivered quantity, but not intent. Conversely, Google Search and PMAX campaigns, which sent traffic to the site, had higher CPLs but significantly better sales conversion rates.

    At a creative level, there was a clear, recurring signal: "Recovery"-themed assets (showcasing pools, spas, and relaxation spaces) consistently delivered the strongest engagement and lead performance across Meta and PMAX.

    On the structural side, decentralised campaigns by location (rather than a national buy) allowed for greater media efficiency and made it easier to align creative to club amenities, especially in premium CBD clubs.

    The insight

    Lead quality isn't just about format, it's about mindset. Audiences responded more strongly to creatives that focused on recovery and wellbeing, rather than high-intensity fitness or general offers. This was especially true when the content was geo-aligned to clubs with relevant facilities.

    At the same time, we saw that club-level customisation was a major unlock for performance. This structural shift allowed ADMATIC to dynamically allocate budget based on performance and opportunity, not just media availability.

    Meta's high-volume Lead Gen formats were no longer fit for purpose. The winning strategy would come from creative-persona alignment, on-site conversion, and localised campaigns, tied together by unified measurement.

    The strategy

    We rebuilt a paid media engine from the ground up across Meta, Google, and PMAX. The approach was anchored in three moves:

    A. Funnel-aligned creative deployment

    • We retired generic creative and focused on Recovery themes that delivered tangible user engagement.
    • New messages such as "Unwind", "Healing", and "Hustle" were introduced, delivering comparable performance.
    • Assets were deployed based on club offering (e.g. pools, saunas) to align visual storytelling with the club experience.

    B. Structural reorganisation of Meta and PMAX

    • Meta activity was restructured by the club, prioritising on-site forms over in-platform lead gen.
    • Budgets shifted Lead Gen split, accepting a higher CPL in exchange for higher-quality conversions.
    • Google PMAX campaigns were also rebuilt by location, allowing greater control of bidding and asset pairing.

    C. Investment optimisation

    • Google Search saw bid strategy changes: from clicks to conversions with target CPLs.
    • Brand Search campaigns focused on top-of-funnel consistency, while generic search investment was moved into PMAX, where CPLs were lower and creative control was higher.

    The full strategy reflected ADMATIC's "Interrogate, Invest, Improve" approach, combining insight-led analysis, agile execution, and rapid optimisation.

    The outcome

    The results were immediate and sustained across multiple months.

    Meta: +156% more leads with a 33% drop in CPL

    PMAX & Google: +77.4% more leads at 40% lower CPL

    Annual performance: Leads up 66% with CPL down 64%, showing the long-term impact of funnel realignment

    ADMATIC's paid media program was no longer just generating volume; it was driving value. With creative and campaign structure tailored to audience behaviour, the media strategy evolved into a more predictive, performance-led engine.