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case study

BFCM Success: 435% growth from October-November

Industry
Arts & Crafts / Home Goods
Company size
10-20
Location
Vancouver, Canada
Year founded
2000
Services

About The Brand

Buddha Board is a mindful drawing device that helps users improve focus, reduce stress, enhance creativity, and regulate emotions. With its calming, screen-free appeal and strong gifting potential, Buddha Board has become a household favorite, with demand peaking during Q4.

A white desk with a black and white picture on it.

Summary of Results

280%
Increase in
conversion rate
$250K
YoY increase in BFCM
Shopify Revenue
206%
Increase in conversions
on Meta
91%
Increase in TOF ROAS,
maintaining a 2.15 ROAS
333%
Increase in
YoY revenue
330%
Revenue generated on
YouTube at a 4.0 ROAS

The Kickoff

Songfinch approached us for support with their rebranding efforts. As part of the process, we conducted extensive contrast testing to determine the most effective creative styles for their brand. After analyzing customer reactions, it became clear that reaction videos featuring customers capturing their loved ones' reactions to their custom songs were the most impactful. To further enhance the authenticity of the videos, we added captions that provided context and relatability.

Our initial focus was on Tier 1 countries (CAN, US, IRE, UK, NZ, AUS). The testing and refinement process continued until we found the winning creative formula, which we then rolled out globally. To reach even more customers, we added new variables such as music and general interest stackers and created performance-focused landing pages that allowed us to tap into new audiences.

One of the major factors that contributed to our success was the feedback loop we established with customers. This loop encouraged them to capture genuine reactions and submit their video content, which allowed us to test and scale our approach quickly. As a result, we were able to achieve enormous success in just the first three weeks of our global rollout.

The Challenge

Buddha Board had no major hesitations about leaning into BFCM initiatives on Amazon this year — previous performance had already shown that Buddha Board excels during Q4. The main challenge heading into the 2025 BFCM period was a positive one: sales were tracking well ahead of projections, and it was unclear whether inventory levels would keep pace. The team had to carefully balance growth with supply to ensure we could scale effectively without risking stockouts during peak demand.

The Strategy

Unlike many brands that scramble to restructure their campaigns ahead of Q4, Buddha Board’s BFCM success was the result of thoughtful, year-long planning and consistent optimization. Instead of overhauling campaigns, the team took a strategic approach — refining budgets and bids to ensure consistent visibility, while relying on well-optimized structures built throughout the year.

We structured the account using all major Amazon ad types — Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display — to ensure maximum coverage across relevant placements. A key focus was building a wide range of campaigns around seasonal search trends that aligned with Buddha Board’s use case and appeal. From there, we optimized based on performance data to maintain strong efficiency even as Q4 search volumes surged.

Heading into November, the brand was already averaging 181% YoY sales growth in the months prior. That momentum was no accident, we had successfully gained organic rank for top-performing keywords, which allowed us to capitalize on the seasonal spike in traffic through both Organic and Attributed placements. The groundwork ensured Buddha Board was set up to convert when it mattered most.

The strategy

TikTok was the perfect platform for Songfinch to showcase its emotional custom songwriting service. The unique and genuine reaction videos resonated with the TikTok community, leading to a significant increase in revenue and conversions.

In the first 30 days, Songfinch's revenue grew from $0 to $250,000 on the platform and they gained 3,500 conversions in the first three months.

The success on TikTok allowed us to quickly test and optimize for different audiences and matrixes.

One of the goals was to increase the top-of-funnel revenue while maintaining the efficiency of the account. We split-tested ad copy, used high-intent keywords and segmented top-of-funnel search campaigns to maximize click-through rates. We also expanded our reach to English-speaking countries outside the US, including  Australia, the UK, and Canada, before eventually expanding across Europe.

We pioneered new performance-based audience targeting strategies that brought in a mix of top and bottom-of-funnel traffic that was both cheaper and higher intent than the average. This was complemented by comprehensive YouTube retargeting that showcased tailored advertisements based on users' positions in the funnel.

As a result of these efforts, Songfinch saw a 333% YoY increase in in-platform revenue, generating $6.9 million at a 4.82 return on ad spend.

An older woman holding her hands to her face.A woman sitting in the back seat of a car.A man and a woman sitting on a couch in a living room.

The Results

→ Maintained T-ROAS targets throughout BFCM despite record-high spend
→ Momentum carried into December — pacing for additional record-breaking weeks
+198%
YoY sales growth on Amazon for November
+80%
Increase over previous single-day sales record on Black Friday

The Takeaways

Buddha Board’s BFCM success was the payoff of long-term, strategic groundwork. By building a high-performing account throughout the year, focusing on efficiency, and capturing organic rank ahead of the holidays, the brand was well positioned to take advantage of Q4’s surge in traffic. As a product with strong year-round demand, Buddha Board showed that a well executed strategy can elevate performance even further during peak shopping periods.

We thought we were hitting our biggest peaks, but every single month has been the best month ever! We've been able to hit $3M in a single month, which was a big goal for us.

Ashley Gonzalez
VP of Growth