A Practical META & Google Media Buying Case Study
(What Actually Worked, What Didn't, and What Brands Should Stop Doing Early)
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This case study is not a flex
It's a field report from running paid ads in one of the hardest DTC categories: hair loss
The brand didn't magically escape these realities. Instead, it learned from them the hard way
This case study is written to save other brands money
People don't buy because an ad looks cool
They buy when trust finally outweighs doubt
No "warming up" for the sake of it
Anything else was background noise
Budgets were limited and inconsistent due to cash-flow constraints
No room for wasteful testing
Quick kill decisions
Data over feelings
If your budget is small, your margin for error is microscopic
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
They stack all audiences together and expect results
Retargeting is a magnifying glass, not a band-aid
(Reference Screenshot: Age & Gender Distribution - Initial Period)
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~69% of spend went to men
Strong activity from ages:
Clicked more
Hesitated initially
Clicks are easy. Conviction is hard
Hair loss buyers don't impulse-buy. They hesitate, research, and doubt
(Reference Screenshot: Platform Placement - Initial Period)
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(Reference Screenshot: Platform Placement - Later Period)
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Facebook became the conversion engine
Lesson: Pretty metrics don't pay invoices
(Reference Screenshot: August Campaign Overview)
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August was not "bad." It was honest
Instead, August was treated as diagnostics, not judgment
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Some ads looked amazing
They sold nothing
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In skeptical categories, clarity scales - creativity supports
High CTR
Strong engagement
Good comments
ATC dropped
IC dropped
Purchases stalled
These were false positives
If CPP and ROAS were bad, the ad was lying - politely
(Reference Screenshot: October Campaign Overview)
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Improved
Dropped
Optimized
Scaling didn't come from adding more
It came from cutting faster
(Reference Screenshot: Age & Gender Distribution - Later Period)
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Began converting better
45-65+ showed stronger intent
Hair loss anxiety increases with age
Once creatives reflected that reality, conversions followed
| Date | Pivot |
|---|---|
05/09/25 | 🎯 BOF statics prioritized |
29/09/25 | 👥 Age & gender refined |
03/10/25 | 💰 Facebook budget increased |
24/10/25 | ⚔️ Strict kill rules enforced |
10/11/25 | 🎨 Original in-house creatives |
05/12/25 | 🔄 Creative fatigue reset |
Every pivot was data-led, not emotional
Problem:
Limited scaling ability
Solution:
Micro-testing, strict kill rules, zero ego
Problem:
No heavy CRO overhaul possible
Solution:
Better traffic qualification + promise alignment before the click
Problem:
Borrowed formats flattened out
Solution:
In-house original content and differentiated messaging
Problem:
False confidence
Solution:
CPP & ROAS became the only decision metrics
All solved through discipline, not hacks
Just compounding clarity.
Learn this from the Hair Growth Brand:
Copy competitors blindly
Chase CTR screenshots
Test without kill rules
Expect ads to fix weak foundations
Respect buyer psychology
Prioritize BOF clarity
Let data offend your opinions
Growth is not loud
It's consistent
