Case study
Award winner Tinuiti helps illy achieve #1 Best Seller status and a 34.9% revenue lift
Learn how Seasonal Sales Strategy (AMER) Award winner Tinuiti's strategic full-funnel approach helped illy overcome challenges to achieve category leadership during Q4 2024, resulting in significant new-to-brand growth and revenue increases.
key insights
42.8%
Growth in new-to-brand (NTB) orders
34.9%
Revenue increase achieved through full-funnel strategy
28%
Higher click-through rate (CTR) on ads with #1 Best Seller badge
The Amazon Ads Partner Awards celebrate ingenuity and innovation in digital advertising. The Seasonal Sales Strategy (AMER) category recognizes partners who demonstrate how they used Amazon Ads solutions to gain insights to maximize key shopping moments and build lasting value for the audience. Tinuiti is the winner in this award for their campaign that helped illy achieve the #1 Best Seller position in the ground coffee category during Q4 and drive 34.9% YOY revenue growth.
Goals
illy, an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, sought to strengthen their position in the crowded U.S. coffee category. With 3% category share and declining brand consideration in early 2024, illy partnered with Amazon Ads Advanced partner Tinuiti to enhance their position during the crucial Q4 period. The partnership focused on acquiring first-time buyers, improving brand consideration, and increasing engagement during a highly competitive season marked by coffee category tentpoles like International Coffee Day and traditional holiday shopping periods. The campaign was designed to reach coffee consumers in the United States, engaging both existing coffee buyers and potential new customers in a category dominated by large brands.
Approach
Tinuiti began Q2 with testing that increased brand consideration by 21%. Building on this, they launched a three-phase campaign structure spanning pre-event, peak, and post-event periods. The approach leveraged Amazon's full-funnel advertising solutions, combining upper-funnel awareness with response-driving tactics. Streaming TV ads and Prime Video advertisements were deployed to build broad awareness and reach new audiences. Amazon DSP enabled relevant audience engagement and expansion beyond traditional boundaries. Sponsored ads were utilized for driving conversions and capturing high-intent shoppers. This full-funnel mix built awareness while capturing high-intent shoppers.
To ensure campaign effectiveness, Tinuiti employed Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) for comprehensive insights and measurement. This insight-driven approach allowed for real-time optimization and strategic adjustments throughout the campaign period.
Javier Mendoza, Director of Digital Commerce Operations, illyWe're incredibly grateful for our partnership with Tinuiti which made this campaign such a success.
Results
Comparing Q4 2024 to Q3 2024, new-to-brand orders experienced 42.8% growth, while overall revenue increased by 34.9%.1 For the first time, illy achieved a significant milestone by securing the #1 Best Seller position in the ground coffee category during Q4.2 The campaign's effectiveness was further demonstrated by a 28% increase in click-through rates on advertisements featuring the #1 Best Seller badge.3 This accomplishment not only validated the campaign's immediate success but also contributed to long-term brand equity growth.
The strategic approach established a repeatable framework for future seasonal campaigns. The quarter-over-quarter growth rates demonstrated the effectiveness of the full-funnel strategy in achieving both immediate sales objectives and long-term brand building goals.
Sources
1-3 illy, U.S., 2024-2025.