Salt-Water Sandals is a seasonal footwear brand offering durable, sustainably crafted sandals for women and children. With a focus on heirloom-quality design, SWS runs a seasonal showstopper from March to August, with the UK as its main stage and the EU as its rising encore.

When we teamed up in April 2022, brand awareness outside the UK was minimal. Our mission: elevate SWS’s profile in new territories while maintaining strong returns at home.

Services provided: Meta Ads management and Google Ads management.

To balance low-hanging‑fruit revenue in the UK with expansion ambitions in Europe, we adopted a dynamic, seasonally weighted budget split (60% UK, 40% EU). We increased investment during peak months (May–July) and tempered spend in quieter periods (March, April, August).

Key tactics included:

• Sustainability‑centred messaging: emphasising the longevity of Salt-Water sandals in both ad copy and creatives.

• Product‑launch creatives: spotlighting each season’s fresh colourways to sustain audience interest.

• “Klarna available” call‑out: boosting conversions by highlighting flexible payment at checkout.

• Innovative ad formats: testing grid‑style and UGC ads to humanise the brand and enhance social proof.

Consolidated EU campaigns: moving from country‑by‑country setups (high CPMs, low conversion rates) to a unified European ad group, which dramatically improved ROAS.

While many agencies recycle the same carousel‑and‑static‑image blend, Webtopia spiced things up:

• Grid ads & UGC experiments: Inspired by other brand wins, we tested grid ads that wove real‑user photos into slick layouts, bridging authenticity and polish.

• Dynamic creative refreshes: Each season, we rolled out new ad concepts. Think short videos of little ones paddling in paddling pools, showing off sand-resistant soles.

Seasonal countdown widgets: A cheeky “Only X days ’til summer sandal season” widget in ads added urgency (and a dash of FOMO).

Our analytic footwork uncovered game‑changing patterns:

• Consolidation pays off: Stacking all EU markets in one campaign cut average CPM by 22% and lifted conversion rates by 35%.

• Seasonal weighting wins: Shifting 70% of ad spend into high‑interest months delivered a 25% lift in ROAS versus a flat‑spend model.

Flexible pay drives sales: Highlighting “Klarna available” increased checkout conversions by 18%, particularly among first‑time buyers.

We weren’t just walking the walk; we sprinted. By the end of Summer 2023, Webtopia’s approach delivered:

• 45% year‑on‑year spend increase on Meta Ads, without stepping on the brakes.

• 38% uplift in ROAS on Meta, outperforming industry benchmarks for sustainable footwear.

• Renewed 3‑year partnership, with the client commending our “fab team” and locking in plans for SS24.

💌 Client love notes:

“We were so pleased with last year’s results and can’t wait to march into SS24 with your fab team.”
“We very much look forward to another season working with you all!”

By blending eco‑angle messaging with seasonal savvy and platform finesse, Webtopia transformed Salt-Water Sandals into a sustainable‑sandals sensation across the UK and EU. Our full‑funnel approach, creative experimentation and data‑driven optimisations ensured SWS didn’t just keep pace, they set the pace for eco‑friendly footwear marketing.