Skip to content
Bolkas

Case study

PowerLocus

Consumer electronics · Performance launch

Engagement result

18.75x

Campaign ROAS

$1.49 CPA

Woman wearing PowerLocus over-ear headphones

Building acquisition from a standing start.

PowerLocus launched during the pandemic with no brand awareness and immediate pressure to prove profitability. There was no room for awareness-first experimentation. The system had to work fast, stay efficient, and scale only once unit economics were validated.

Focus
Paid social, Google Ads
Published

By Apostolos Bolkas

The results

Campaign performance and expansion.

Campaign returns informed the approach to expansion into Romania. The figures below describe advertising performance; business profitability also depends on product and operating costs.

  • Romania

    Market expansion

    Launched on back of Greek performance

  • Zero-awareness

    Launch context

    Pandemic market entry

Project context

My role and the results.

My contribution
I researched the Greek market, developed and tested campaign creative, and managed paid acquisition across Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Campaign performance informed budget changes and the approach to expansion into Romania.
What the figures describe
The 18.75× return on ad spend (ROAS) and $1.49 cost per acquisition describe campaign performance. ROAS compares attributed revenue with advertising spend; it does not account for product costs, fulfilment, returns, or other business expenses.

The challenge

The challenge was not traffic. It was profitable signal. Launching into an established category with no brand recognition means all spend has to earn its place before you increase it.

I ran tightly scoped campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, and Google during the pandemic launch. The case records a $1.49 cost per acquisition, alongside the campaign return shown above.

Operating realities

  1. Validate demand without existing brand equity in a crowded category
  2. Control acquisition costs in volatile pandemic market conditions
  3. Avoid scaling spend before unit economics were rigorously proven
  4. Generate results fast enough to justify international expansion

Key architectural decisions

  • Decision 01

    Test campaign returns before scale

    I prioritised conversion-led campaigns to test acquisition costs and attributed revenue before increasing spend.

  • Decision 02

    Build creative around intent, not reach

    Product-led storytelling focused on use cases and objections, not brand narratives.

  • Decision 03

    Let data dictate expansion

    Budgets increased only when ROAS, CPA, and quality signals held consistently.

Implementation

  1. Research

    Market entry research

    Mapped competitors, consumer media habits, and purchase triggers across the Greek ecommerce landscape to identify opportunity pockets and positioning angles.

  2. Creative

    Creative development & testing

    Built messaging variations grounded in social and search insights, then ran systematic A/B tests across copy, visuals, and offers to isolate winners.

  3. Scaling

    Performance-based scaling

    Launched with conservative budgets to validate assumptions, then rapidly increased spend once ROAS, CPA, and quality scores consistently exceeded targets.

Why the system held under pressure

  • Data-driven decisions

    Every creative, audience, and offer was backed by social and search intelligence.

  • Strategic scaling

    Budgets increased as campaign return and acquisition-cost signals supported further investment.

  • Multi-platform orchestration

    Facebook, Instagram, and Google worked together to capture intent at every stage.

  • High-intent creative

    Conversion-focused messaging kept acquisition costs low.

Client endorsement

“Apostolos launched our online advertising campaign with huge success, and our online sales grew exponentially. Since day one, he worked hard to make every advertising dollar count towards the success of our brand. As a result, we decided to expand to more markets with his help and expertise.”

Alexander Glushkov

Managing Director, PowerLocus

The outcome

PowerLocus demonstrates how disciplined decision-making, not aggressive spend, drives sustainable ecommerce growth. By designing for profitability first, I turned a zero-awareness launch into a repeatable expansion model.

Selected proof

Explore more case studies

View all proof

Performance systems

Ready to design a profitable acquisition system?

Let’s build a performance model you can scale with confidence.

What happens next

  1. You share your website, work email, and any context.
  2. I review your website, messaging, and enquiry journey myself.
  3. Within five business days, I email you three prioritised improvements. No sales call is required.
Request an audit Let’s talk