Brief
As a challenger brand competing against category leaders like Royal Caribbean and Carnival, MSC Cruises was facing declining sales efficiency and slipping ROAS across key performance channels. Media structure had become fragmented, audience targeting lacked precision, and the client relationship was under strain.
I led a full restructuring of MSC's performance approach across Search and YouTube — reorienting the entire strategy around destination-level demand signals, geographic intent, and first-party audience data.
The engagement delivered a 15% YoY improvement in ROAS and a 20% improvement in CPA while rebuilding performance momentum and restoring client confidence.
Fragmented Media, Declining Efficiency
MSC was facing declining sales efficiency and slipping ROAS across key performance channels. Media structure had become fragmented, audience targeting lacked precision, and the client relationship itself was under strain due to performance uncertainty and limited strategic visibility.
As a challenger competing against category giants, there was no room to waste spend on audiences that weren't converting or destinations that weren't driving demand.
Destination-First Restructure
I led a full restructuring of MSC's performance approach across Search and YouTube:
- →Introduced optimization centered on destination-level intrigue — aligning media to the ports and experiences consumers actually shop for
- →Restructured campaigns around origin-city demand signals, improving geographic targeting precision
- →Refined audience targeting to lean into first-party data, improving relevance and efficiency at scale
- →Reset the client relationship through proactive communication and transparency — clearly articulating what we were doing and why
Activated On
Key Outcomes
15% improvement in ROAS year-over-year — transforming MSC's performance channels from a concern into a growth driver.
20% improvement in CPA through more precise destination-level targeting and smarter audience segmentation.
Successfully repaired and strengthened the client relationship through proactive transparency and consistent strategic communication.
Let's Talk.
If you'd like to dig into the strategy, the data, or how this approach could apply to your brand — I'd love to chat.
