Turned $200K in underperforming ad spend into a repeatable growth engine.
A systems problem disguised as a lead problem.
Areli Sportswear is a Chicago-based custom youth sports uniform company with over a decade in business. Despite strong product quality and reputation, their marketing system was failing to convert interest into revenue. We were brought in to diagnose the problem and rebuild their approach from the ground up.
Where They Were
By 2023, Areli had a marketing problem that looked like a lead problem but was actually a systems problem.
They spent nearly $200K on Meta ads and generated over 9,700 leads. But those leads only converted to $360K in revenue. The math didn’t work, and the reason wasn’t hard to find: leads weren’t being followed up with in time. Some sat for days. Others went untouched over entire weekends.
In the custom uniform market, coaches and team organizers need fast answers. They’re working under tight deadlines with limited time to comparison shop. Areli was losing deals not because of price or product, but because their system couldn’t keep pace with buyer expectations.
What We Found
We started by identifying who Areli’s best customers actually were and how they bought. The core audience, coaches and youth sports team organizers, only need uniforms at specific moments in the year: before seasons start, during registration periods, and around tournament schedules. Outside those windows, demand drops significantly.
This was critical. Areli had been running ads year-round with consistent spend, targeting broad audiences regardless of timing. They were paying to reach people who weren’t ready to buy.
We mapped the customer journey from ad impression to closed sale. The biggest drop-off wasn’t at the ad level. It was after the lead came in. Response time was the bottleneck. In a market where speed signals reliability, slow follow-up was costing them deals.
Areli’s ad spend was concentrated on Meta, which made sense given their audience. But campaigns were structured around vanity metrics rather than meaningful conversion events. We identified mockup requests as the key indicator of purchase intent and restructured tracking to follow leads through to revenue using their CRM.
The biggest drop-off wasn’t at the ad level. It was after the lead came in.
What We Did
Creative Overhaul
We replaced generic product imagery with real use cases, season-specific messaging, and clear offers. Creative was continuously tested and optimized, with A/B testing built into the ongoing workflow rather than treated as a one-time project.
Automated Lead Response
We introduced instant automations so every lead received a response within seconds of submitting a request. What used to take days now happens immediately, keeping Areli top of mind when buyers are actively comparing options.
Strategic Targeting and Timing
We refined audience targeting to focus on youth sports decision-makers during key planning periods. Ad spend was concentrated around the moments when coaches are actually looking for uniforms, rather than spread evenly across the calendar. Messaging emphasized speed, reliability, and Areli’s reputation for quality.
Trust-Building Content
We launched a social video series featuring Areli’s founder, Theo Collins. These videos answered common customer questions, shared success stories, and showcased custom designs. The goal was to build credibility and personal connection before a prospect ever submits a lead form.
Campaign Restructure
All ad spend remained on Facebook and Instagram, but campaigns were rebuilt around mockup requests as the primary conversion event. Revenue tracking through Copper allowed us to measure actual ROI rather than relying on platform-reported metrics.
Key Results
More qualified leads with faster close rates.
Scalable revenue growth without increasing ad spend.
Turned an underperforming ad account into a predictable, repeatable growth system.
What This Means for You
Areli’s ads were fine. Their system was broken. Leads were coming in and dying on the vine because nobody was picking up the phone fast enough.
We found the real bottleneck, rebuilt the process around how their customers actually make decisions, and created something that works on repeat. That’s the difference between tactics and strategy.
If your marketing is generating activity but not results, the answer probably isn’t more spend or new channels. It’s a closer look at how your system works and where it breaks down.
Ready to fix what is actually holding growth back?
Take the Marketing Diagnostic if you need help identifying the constraint. Schedule a strategy call if you already know the business needs senior leadership and execution.