Cogs Toys & Games Achieves 76% Growth with Optima Digital
Here's what our client had to say!
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Cogs Toys & Games, Ireland’s #1 Rated Toy Store, partnered with Optima Digital to scale their ecommerce growth while improving efficiency across Meta and Google Ads. Despite strong initial performance, they faced challenges around data accuracy, campaign segmentation, and profitability.
Over a 6-month period (Oct 2024 – Mar 2025), we implemented a data-driven, product-prioritized strategy that increased conversion value by 76%, improved blended RoAS by 12%, reduced CPA by 9%, and optimized operations for long-term growth.
We have also completely run Cogs Toys & Games Email Marketing & Retention programme for over since the beginning of 2024 and increased Email attributable revenue by 311% and also increased Returning Customer Rate by 72%.
Project Background
Cogs Toys & Games is a leading Irish retailer specializing in educational, engaging, and high-quality toys and games for children of all ages. Their mission is to offer thoughtfully curated collections that inspire creativity and learning, supported by exceptional customer service and reliable delivery.
By late 2024, Cogs had an established presence and solid sales performance—but they were ready to take things further. The team had the objective of scaling their eCommerce revenue in a healthier and more sustainable way. While volume was strong, there was untapped potential in refining their performance marketing strategy to maximize profitability, improve budget efficiency, and lay the groundwork for long-term growth.
Challenges
Despite having active campaigns, Cogs faced several underlying issues that were limiting their ability to scale profitably:
- Lack of Strategic Cohesion Across Channels
The existing campaigns were running independently without any coordinated cross-channel strategy. This caused audience overlap, inconsistent messaging, and inefficient budget distribution across Meta and Google Ads. - No Segmentation by Product Profitability
With a broad catalogue, Cogs was promoting many product collections equally without factoring in the contributing margin per item. This meant that some campaigns were prioritizing volume over value, resulting in wasted spend on lower-margin items. - Data Integrity Issues
Conversion tracking was compromised due to double tracking in GA4 and Google Ads. This skewed the actual performance data, inflated reported conversions, and made it difficult to make confident decisions. - Underutilized Creative Potential
The ad creative used across Meta and Google was outdated, generic, and lacked product relevance—resulting in low engagement and weaker CTRs. - Rising Operational Costs
YOY, the business was experiencing an increase in cost of goods (COGS) by 23% and transaction fees by 31%. This placed more pressure on marketing to drive efficient, high-margin sales in order to maintain profitability.
Our Solution
To address these challenges, we implemented a cohesive full-funnel performance strategy designed to improve ROAS, reduce CPA, and boost the contributing margin without sacrificing order volume.
1. Data Accuracy First
We began by auditing and correcting the conversion tracking setup, removing duplicate events and aligning campaign goals around real purchases. This ensured that performance decisions were based on clean, actionable data.
2. Product Margin Deep Dive
We analyzed the entire product catalog to understand which items generated the highest contribution margins, not just the highest sales. Based on this, we identified high-performing, high-margin products and restructured our ad campaigns to push these items more aggressively.
3. Google Ads Restructure
We overhauled Google Ads by:
- Creating more intent-driven Performance Max (PMax) campaigns with tailored creatives and optimized product groupings.
- Revamping the branded campaigns to maximize coverage and efficiency.
- Implementing smarter bidding strategies (tROAS and Max Conv Value) depending on each collection’s margin and conversion potential.
- Improving CTRs by +27% and lowering CPC by -9% thanks to better creative and campaign segmentation.
4. Meta Ads Revamp
We built a full creative refresh—launching evergreen campaigns (e.g. Bestsellers, New Arrivals, Gift Guides) supported by product-specific carousels and dynamic ads. These campaigns were designed for scalability, with clearly segmented prospecting and retargeting strategies.
We maintained strict control over frequency and performance—ensuring that only top-performing creatives were scaled. Despite the increase in Meta budget YoY, CPA remained stable, and CR improved.
5. Email Marketing Re-structure
Recognising the importance of customer retention and maximising email marketing potential, we completely overhauled Cogs Toys & Games’ email strategy. This included implementing more sophisticated email automations, with a focus on VIP and post-purchase segmentation. By tailoring the messaging to specific customer segments, we were able to significantly boost engagement and revenue from email campaigns.
6. Strategic Seasonal Scaling
For key periods (Black Friday, December), we forecasted expected demand, planned campaign scale-ups in advance, and balanced short-term boosts with long-term efficiency. This allowed us to maintain high volume while protecting profitability.
7. Preparation for Market Expansion
While not central to the Oct–Mar analysis, we also began preparing for a UK market entry in March 2025. We replicated our best-performing Irish strategies and creative formats to test new territory—laying the foundation for future growth.
Our Results
Paid Advertising
Results (Oct 2024 – Mar 2025)
- Total Ad Spend: (+57% YoY)
- Tracked Conversion Value: (+76% YoY)
- Blended ROAS: 45.55x (+12% YoY)
- Blended CPA: (-9% YoY)
- Click-to-Purchase Rate: 11.19% (+25% YoY)
- AOV: (+2% YoY)
All of this was achieved despite a 23% increase in COGS and 31% rise in transaction fees, showcasing how performance gains were driven not just by scale—but by smart, sustainable decision-making.
Email Marketing
The results of our partnership with Cogs Toys & Games were outstanding:
- Email Attributable Revenue increased by 311% year-on-year, demonstrating the power of targeted email marketing and effective segmentation.
- Returning Customer Rate rose by 72%, highlighting the success of our retention strategies in fostering customer loyalty.
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) decreased by 18%, making their marketing efforts more cost-effective and improving overall profitability.
- Average Order Value (AOV) saw a 21% increase, ensuring that each transaction contributed more to their bottom line.
Some of Our Performance Creatives
Individual Campaign(s)
Irish eCom Agency of the Year 2024
Our awards aren’t just about us—they’re a reflection of the results we deliver for client which is something we’re extremely proud of.
Why Partner With Optima?
We understand that running a business is tough, and finding the right marketing partner can feel like a challenge. Here’s why businesses choose to work with us:
- We're an Award-Winning agency 🏆
- You’ll see a clear ROI
- No long-term contracts or commitments
- We work with leading 7 & 8-figure brands
- We've a proven track record
