ZOA Energy increases new-to-brand purchase rate by 45.6% with "Big Dwayne Energy" campaign

Goals

In the highly competitive energy drink category, ZOA Energy emerged with a unique challenge. Despite having established a presence on Amazon and achieving strong returns through Sponsored Products, the brand faced stagnation in their new-to-brand purchase rate, which had plateaued at 5.28%. As a newer entrant competing against well-established brands with substantial marketing budgets, ZOA Energy needed to significantly expand beyond their existing customer base.

The brand recognized the necessity to pivot from their efficiency-focused approach to a strategy that could build broader brand awareness while maintaining their return on investment. This presented a complex challenge: how to create compelling, attention-grabbing content that could stand out among larger brands while working within modest budget constraints. The goal was not just to increase visibility but to meaningfully connect with new audiences and convert them into loyal customers.

Approach

The brand partnered with Flywheel, an Amazon Ads Partner that combines tailored expertise with cutting-edge software solutions to drive incremental sales and share for their clients. Flywheel developed an innovative multi-channel strategy centered around the "Big Dwayne Energy" campaign. This creative approach cleverly leveraged ZOA Energy's co-founder, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, in a way that resonated with everyday consumers. The campaign featured a unique concept showing ordinary people transforming into versions of Johnson after consuming ZOA Energy, effectively bridging the gap between celebrity endorsement and relatable consumer experiences.

The execution included a comprehensive 30-second hero spot and two 15-second variations, with one specifically created to reach working parents. Flywheel orchestrated a sophisticated deployment across multiple Amazon Ads solutions, utilizing Prime Video ads, Amazon DSP, and Amazon Streaming TV ads in a carefully coordinated approach.

To maximize efficiency, they implemented strategic content placement that avoided reaching audiences already familiar with the brand, ensuring advertising spend was directed toward new customer acquisition. The team leveraged Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) to gather deeper insights about campaign performance and audience behavior, enabling real-time optimization and strategic refinements throughout the campaign.

Results

The "Big Dwayne Energy" campaign delivered transformative results that exceeded expectations across all key metrics. By April 2024, the campaign had reached an impressive 233 million viewers, representing a 73.9%¹ increase from pre-campaign numbers. More significantly, ZOA Energy's new-to-brand purchase rate surged by 45.6%,² indicating successful penetration into new customer segments.

The campaign's impact extended beyond Amazon, with ZOA Energy's own website experiencing a 32.9%³ increase in visits and achieving 48.1%⁴ of total sales. The sophisticated multi-channel approach proved particularly effective, with campaigns combining sponsored ads and Amazon DSP showing a remarkable 29x⁵ increase in purchases. Even more impressive, when all three ad types—Amazon DSP, sponsored ads, and video ads—were used together, the campaign achieved an 11x⁶ increase in sales.

This comprehensive success across multiple channels validated Flywheel's strategic approach to building brand awareness while maintaining efficiency, ultimately earning them the 2024 Creative Effectiveness Award at the Amazon Ads Partner Awards.

Sources

^1-6 Flywheel, US, 2023-2024.