The Challenge
As VENUE prepared to scale, several growth constraints emerged:
- Limited in-house resources, restricting speed of testing and optimization
- Inefficient UA structure, making it difficult to scale with confidence
- Over-reliance on a small number of channels, primarily Meta
- Limited campaign optimization depth, holding back performance at higher budgets
The risk was clear: without a more robust UA and creative framework, scaling would quickly lead to diminishing returns.
The Approach
When yellowHEAD took over UA management for VENUE, the focus was on building a scalable foundation first then accelerating growth.
1. Rebuilding the UA Setup for Performance
- Refined account and campaign structure to enable consistent optimization
- Shifted from CPI-driven thinking to performance-based models (tCPA & tROAS) to align spend with revenue
- Reallocated budgets dynamically based on ROI impact, not channel bias
2. Smarter Channel Expansion
- Reduced dependency on Facebook by shifting budget toward Google, unlocking stronger efficiency
- Introduced AppLovin as new scalable channel
- Diversified the geo mix to support global growth while preserving returns
3. Creative Strategy Built for Engagement & Scale
- Introduced before-and-after design transformations, tapping into visual satisfaction and progress psychology
- Developed UGC-style creatives featuring real players and real designs, increasing authenticity and trust
- Focused creative testing on engagement and CTR uplift, not just volume
The Results
The new strategy quickly translated into measurable performance gains:
- D7 ROAS: +72%
- D30 ROAS: +82%
- Budget scaled 4× in 6 months while maintaining efficiency
- AppLovin scaled to 55% of total spend, becoming a major growth driver
- Geo diversification achieved without sacrificing ROAS
By strengthening both the UA infrastructure and creative execution, VENUE was able to scale confidently even with a lean internal team.
Key Takeaways
- Scalability starts with structure: Fixing fundamentals unlocked growth before increasing spend
- Creative drives efficiency: Visually satisfying, authentic UGC content played a key role in ROAS improvement
- Channel diversification reduces risk: Expanding beyond a single platform enabled faster, healthier scaling
- Performance-based models enable smarter decisions: tCPA and tROAS aligned UA with real business outcomes
