Uncovering Hidden Attribution: Post-Purchase Surveys Prove 8x ROAS

Peak Design is a globally recognized brand that designs innovative, high-quality travel and photography gear. Renowned for its commitment to sustainability and superior craftsmanship, Peak Design serves travelers, adventurers, and photographers looking for functional and stylish products. The company consistently explores advanced marketing strategies to amplify its brand reach and optimize campaign performance.

Challenge

Peak Design’s YouTube ads appeared unprofitable, generating less than 1x ROAS based on traditional measurement tools. Standard attribution models showed only minimal monthly revenue attributed to the platform, causing concern over its value as a top-of-funnel channel. However, Peak Design suspected YouTube was playing an unmeasured role in influencing customer purchases and needed a way to validate its impact on their marketing funnel.

Solution

Peak Design worked with Fairing to implement a post-purchase survey to capture customer insights directly. After completing a purchase, customers were asked to indicate which marketing channel influenced their decision to buy. This survey allowed us to uncover the broader impact of YouTube ads, providing data that traditional attribution models failed to capture.

Key aspects of the solution included:

• Using qualitative customer feedback to complement quantitative tracking tools.
• Identifying the touchpoints where YouTube played a pivotal role in the customer journey.
• Aligning this data with broader campaign goals to better measure the effectiveness of YouTube as a top-of-funnel channel.

QRY acts like a direct extension of our team and they truly take the time to understand our business and where they can drive the best results. They’re quick to adjust and adopt new channels and overall help us to set a high bar with our media. - Andrew Stoner, Director of Web Experience

Results

The post-purchase survey uncovered significant revenue, revealing that YouTube ads were far more effective than initially measured:

• YouTube campaigns delivered an impressive 8x ROAS, far surpassing the initial <1x estimate.
• Newly identified customer journeys showed YouTube's role in generating substantial untracked revenue.
• This insight enabled Peak Design to confidently reinvest in YouTube, optimizing it as a key channel for driving awareness and conversions in future campaigns.

By combining direct customer feedback with strategic analysis, Peak Design successfully proved the value of YouTube in their marketing strategy, transforming it from a questionable expense to a high-performing channel.

Reinvesting in YouTube based on these insights has had a significant positive impact on our marketing strategy. First, it confirmed that YouTube ads were driving far more value than we had initially realized. With this clarity, we have confidence in our budget for YouTube as an effective channel for reaching new customers and generating awareness. - Andrew Stoner, Director of Web Experience