Perpetual Traffic Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: One Budget Shift. 21.9% More Revenue. Here’s Exactly What They Did
Hosts: Ralph Burns (Tier 11)
Date: March 13, 2026
Main Theme:
A breakdown of a transformative multi-channel marketing case study in which a simple shift in ad budget—less than 3%—drove over 21% revenue growth, with detailed strategies and actionable insights for scaling profitably without waste.

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights a dramatic growth story from Tier 11’s client portfolio, illustrating the profound impact of strategic budget reallocations across paid and organic channels. Ralph Burns details exactly how a 2.7% increase in ad spend led to a 21.9% rise in revenue. The hosts emphasize the increasing necessity of unified cross-channel strategies, accurate data integration, and correct attribution for driving scalable results without simply ramping up spend.

Key Discussion Points & Case Study Breakdown

Why Results Mattered

• Astounding ROI from Modest Budget Shift
  • The case stands out for its simplicity and outsized results.
  • “We really didn’t feel the need to expound on it because the shifts were so simple. And this is really where digital marketing is heading today.” — Lauren Epicullo (03:13)
  • Main theme: “It is not about spending more … it’s about getting more results with less.” — Ralph Burns (03:36)

Understanding the Client & Context ([06:03])

• Client: SpotOn GPS Dog Fence (wireless dog fence, Shopify, Amazon, Chewy)
  • Prior to Tier 11’s involvement, the client missed 5 revenue forecasts in a row (June–October 2025).
  • Cost per unit (NCAC/CPU) was at an all-time high: nearly $200/acquisition.
  • Spending was heavily concentrated at the bottom of the funnel and not on new customer acquisition.

Diagnosing Attribution Problems

• Previous reporting (Triple Whale) obfuscated true acquisition costs and new vs. returning customer data.
• Transitioned to Tier 11’s data suite (powered by Wicked Reports and edge tag server) to achieve more granular, actionable insights tying back to CRM and actual business metrics.

What Was Changed: The Budget Shift ([06:03], [09:47], [11:32])

• Move budget away from oversaturated, bottom-of-funnel channels:
  • Cut Amazon ad spend by 91%
  • Cut Google brand search spend by 95%
• Reallocate to top-of-funnel platforms:
  • Launched native ads on Taboola
  • Expanded into Connected TV, Programmatic, Meta Ads, and YouTube
  • Focus on acquiring new customers and increasing upper funnel awareness

“Oftentimes we find this to be the case with brands. They overspend on Amazon — people are going to go there naturally. No reason to advertise.” — Ralph Burns (09:47)

Real Metrics Over Vanity ([11:32])

• Tracked true business KPIs:
  • NMER (Media Efficiency Ratio for New Customers): For every $1 in, $7.75 out
  • Blended CPU (Cross-channel cost per unit)
• No siloed measurement — “All of them work together. This is the key to success in today’s digital marketing.” — Ralph Burns (11:32)

Measurable Results ([06:03], [16:52], [18:20])

• 2.7% ad spend increase → 21.9% revenue increase (to $1.1M spend)
  • New customer revenue up 26%
  • New customers up 25%
  • NMER up 23% to 7.75
  • Blended new customer CAC dropped 34% ($192→$128)
  • Organic sales +24%, Email +13%, Amazon Sales +33%
  • Amazon ad spend down 91%, Google brand spend down 95%
• “Inverse correlation: We created more demand, but got a lower acquisition cost.” — Ralph Burns (13:30)
• Four consecutive months hitting sales forecasts after five straight misses

Controlled Experimentation and Timeline ([14:52], [18:20])

• Budget reductions were gradual, not abrupt: Four consecutive monthly Amazon spend cuts, keeping steady sales volume.
• “We were trying to gear more sales over to their main site on Shopify … so they can actually own the customer rather than sharecrop over at Amazon.” — Co-host (15:15)
• Native ads drove net-new site visits at low cost per visit; top-of-funnel flows fed bottom-of-funnel efficiency.
• “This is the new way to market: spending more doesn’t necessarily equate to scale.” — Ralph Burns (13:42)

The ‘Halo Effect’ Across Channels ([15:55], [21:45])

• Incrementality tests proved that pulling back on last-click channels didn’t hurt direct sales; organic and email improved instead.
• "Organic search increased by 24% — zero ad spend. Email revenue: up 13%, zero ad spend. Amazon revenue: up 33% while we spent so much less." — Co-host (15:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The goal of digital marketing is not to spend more, to make more. It's actually to spend the least amount you can and get the maximum results."
  — Lauren Epicullo ([03:51])
• "All of them work together. This is the key to success in today’s digital marketing."
  — Ralph Burns ([11:32])
• “We did this through lots of incrementality tests, through what we would call controlled experiments. We cut their Amazon budget by 91%. … Their units on Amazon stayed basically the same.”
  — Co-host ([14:52])
• “We really didn’t expect these results to happen so quickly, quite honestly. It sort of surprised us in a lot of ways.”
  — Lauren Epicullo ([21:10])
• “When they do work really well together, it’s scary how great results can be.”
  — Lauren Epicullo ([21:49])

Timestamps – Key Segments

• 03:13 — Why this simple strategy reflects the future of digital marketing
• 06:03 — Case study results summary and initial stats
• 09:47 — Why Amazon and Google brand spend was wasted
• 11:32 — Explaining real metrics tracked (blended CPU, NMER) vs. vanity
• 14:52 — Controlled experiment: stepwise Amazon ad spend reduction, organic and email gains
• 15:55 — Halo effect: Non-paid channels grow as a result of the shift
• 18:20 — Native ad campaign explained (Taboola), timeline of forecast reversals
• 21:10 — Reflection on results and future potential

Actionable Takeaways

• Audit your channel mix—are you over-indexed at the bottom of the funnel?
• Invest in cross-channel attribution and real business metrics, not just in-platform ROAS.
• Shifting budget from overspent channels (Amazon, Google Brand) to top-of-funnel platforms can:
  • Drive incremental growth
  • Lower blended acquisition costs
  • Raise organic, email, and owned site sales
• Controlled, data-driven reductions to paid channels may reveal hidden efficiency in your mix.

Summary in the Speakers’ Own Words

• “The goal is to make more, not spend more. And this example shows you can often do just that.” — Ralph Burns ([03:36])
• “All the channels—paid and non-paid—when they work really well together, the results can be scary good.” — Lauren Epicullo ([21:46])

For more resources and deep dives, visit perpetualtraffic.com.