Digital Marketing - Mason Interactive

The beauty industry is constantly evolving, and 2025 promises even greater shifts in how consumers discover, experience, and purchase their favorite products. From leveraging emerging platforms to rethinking personalization, the brands that embrace innovation will lead the pack. Here are three strategies beauty brands should prioritize in 2025 —and how we can help.

1. Go Big with Programmatic Advertising

Why it matters: Programmatic advertising allows brands to target beauty consumers with precision, serving tailored ads across websites, social media, and video platforms. It’s a cost-effective way to scale your reach while staying relevant.

A November 2024 study conducted by LG Ad Solutions [Beauty & The Screen: CTV’s Impact on Beauty & Grooming Shopping] found that:

Beauty/grooming shoppers are also CTV users. 90% of female beauty shoppers and 95% of male shoppers are CTV users, making CTV an ideal channel for brands to reach these audiences.

TV is an effective medium for beauty brands introducing new products. 43% of beauty shoppers learn about new products from TV ads, solidifying TV’s role in upper-funnel product discovery for beauty brands launching new products.

High spending beauty shoppers (who spend $250+ per month on beauty/grooming products) are highly likely to take action after seeing a beauty TV ad, making CTV an ideal platform to drive sales.

How we can help: Our programmatic advertising services ensure your beauty brand reaches the right audience at the right time. Using real-time data, we optimize campaigns for maximum performance and ROI.

2. Harness the Power of Video

Why it matters: Video content drives 85% of all internet traffic, and beauty shoppers increasingly rely on tutorials, reviews, and influencer endorsements when making purchase decisions. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram dominate this space, offering brands a chance to engage authentically.

Beauty content thrives on video platforms. In 2024, 72% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers reported watching beauty tutorials on platforms like YouTube and TikTok before making a purchase.

Short-form videos drive conversions. According to Wyzowl’s 2024 Video Marketing Report, 87% of marketers reported that short-form video leads directly to increased sales.

Influencer partnerships boost ROI. In a 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub report, beauty brands saw an 11x average return on investment when collaborating with influencers to create video content.

How we can help: Our creative team creates high-impact video campaigns and fosters influencer partnerships tailored to your target audience. Whether it’s YouTube pre-roll ads or TikTok collaborations, we’ll ensure your brand story resonates with the right consumers.

3. Master Omnichannel Excellence

Why it matters: Today’s beauty consumers shop across multiple touchpoints, from online platforms to in-store experiences. To stay competitive, brands must ensure a cohesive, connected experience that follows customers wherever they shop.

Omnichannel consumers are big spenders. A McKinsey report found that omnichannel shoppers spend 30% more per transaction compared to single-channel shoppers.

E-commerce continues to dominate. According to Statista, the global beauty e-commerce market reached $115 billion in 2024, projected to grow by 8% annually through 2027.

In-store experiences remain critical. A recent NRF study reported that 65% of beauty shoppers still prefer in-store shopping for the opportunity to test products before buying.

How we can help: We specialize in omnichannel strategies that integrate online ads, retail collaborations, and e-commerce. We’ll help you synchronize your digital and physical presence to create a seamless customer journey.

Set the Stage for a Successful 2025 with Mason Interactive

Let’s start the year strong—together. At Mason Interactive, we help brands strategize, execute, and measure impactful campaigns that drive results.

Ready to position your beauty brand for success? Connect with us to craft a strategy tailored to your goals.

Summary

Mason quadrupled Tayst Coffee Roasters’s bottom-of-the-funnel sales at no increase in cost, with our rigorous, methodical, ad-testing strategy. Our scientific methodology for digital advertising isolates and tests individual variables can dramatically improve campaign performance when marketing to finite remarketing audiences.

Challenge

The bottom of anyone’s sales funnel has a fixed, finite audience. In Tayst’s Case, it was defined as the last 90 days of website visitors + any who “added to cart” over the last year + engaged email subscribers.

Working with fixed audiences, advertisers face a critical efficiency challenge: Meta charges on a CPM based on reach and frequency, which are products of the finite audience size. Said another way, Meta charges for impressions regardless of performance, so every click is crucial to ROI. Tayst Coffee Roasters needed to maximize the value of their remarketing budget by generating the highest possible engagement from their existing audience.

Solution

Mason implemented a methodical, scientific testing process that isolated individual variables to measure their specific impact on ad performance. This approach included:

Baseline Testing: Created three distinct ad variations to establish performance benchmarks

Variable Isolation: Systematically tested one variable at a time:

Image variations

Copy variations

Color schemes

Call-to-action buttons

Implementation

The process followed five distinct phases:

Phase 1: Base Ad Testing

Developed three initial variations

Tested different combinations of imagery, copy, and CTAs

Identified winning ad with 0.5% CTR as a baseline

Phase 2: Image Optimization

Created variations of winning ads with different product imagery

Maintained consistent copy and CTAs

Improved CTR to 0.7% with optimal image

Phase 3: Copy Testing

Tested different messaging approaches

“A Revolutionary Single-Serve Pod” headline achieved 0.9% CTR

Demonstrated importance of value proposition clarity

Phase 4: Color Optimization

Tested green, orange, and light green backgrounds

Light green variation achieved 1% CTR

Showed significant impact of visual elements on engagement

Phase 5: CTA Refinement

Tested different button text variations:

“Shop Now”

“Start Your Journey”

“Taste the Difference”

Final optimization achieved 2% CTR

Results

The systematic testing approach delivered remarkable improvements:

Starting CTR: 0.5%

Final CTR: 2.0%

Overall Improvement: 300% increase in click-through rate

Cost per Click: Reduced by 75% (due to identical impression costs with higher CTR)

Key Learnings

Scientific Method Works: Isolating variables provides clear, actionable insights about what drives performance

Compound Benefits: Each optimization is built upon previous improvements

Fixed Audience Efficiency: With finite remarketing audiences, CTR improvements directly impact bottom-line efficiency

Measurable Impact: Systematic testing eliminates guesswork and provides clear ROI metrics

Conclusion

Mason’s scientific approach to ad optimization demonstrated that methodical testing and refinement can dramatically improve advertising performance, even within fixed audience constraints. By quadrupling CTR while maintaining the same impression costs, Mason helped Tayst Coffee Roasters achieve significantly better ROI from their remarketing budget.

This case study validates the importance of systematic testing in digital advertising and shows how agencies can deliver measurable value through disciplined, data-driven optimization processes.

Yesterday I was part of a roundtable discussion hosted by BWGStrategy. The topic was Paid Search & Google – a 2025 Outlook.

I look forward to BWG’s roundtables because they are invite-only, curated, highly directed to one topic, and with no clients from the agencies, I think you get a look behind the curtain – at least inasmuch as competitors are willing to share.

Here’s the data we see from our front row seat regarding current trends and what they might mean for 2025.

My biggest trends in Google ads from 20024

The Shift from Google to Meta in Q4 2024 over Holiday
Our data tells an interesting story: while our Meta CPMs increased by 26% year over year, Google CPMs decreased by 25-26%. This correlates to a portfolio-wide shift of advertising dollars from Google to Meta, particularly across our e-commerce portfolio during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period.

The Performance Max Dilemma
One of the most significant challenges we’re facing is the growing dominance of Performance Max (P-max) campaigns. While I’m a strong advocate for P-max’s place in the advertising ecosystem, our luxury clients – those selling $4,000 handbags or $6,000 Savile Row suits – are particularly resistant. Their concern? They don’t want P-max messing with their highly art-directed product presentations, and I agree with them.

However, I believe P-max will inevitably become the default campaign type. There’s a real possibility that traditional search campaigns might disappear entirely. The question that remains is how this will affect lead generation clients, particularly in higher education, where keyword specificity is crucial for targeting potential master’s or PhD candidates.

The ROI vs. Growth Tension
2024’s trend of the year is the correlation between advertising spend and interest rates. Board members are increasingly focused on maximum efficiency ( which they typically define as ROI, ROAS, or MER.) This often leads to a focus on retargeting past website visitors and previous purchasers – a strategy that’s cheaper but fundamentally at odds with growth.
This tension between growth and efficiency metrics is a constant conversation with our clients. As interest rates potentially decrease in 2025, I expect to see increased willingness to invest in top-of-funnel advertising across both Google and Meta platforms.

Channel Diversification: A Cost-Effective Strategy
Looking at our Q4 2024 CPM data:

Google: $34

Meta: $43

TikTok: $11

Trade Desk: $3

These numbers make a compelling case for channel diversification. If we accept that conversions are partially a function of website traffic, which in turn depends on impression volume, then cheaper impressions become crucial. With Google and P-max limiting specific bid control in favor of target ROAS, diversification becomes an essential hedge against the Meta-Google duopoly.

Looking Ahead to 2025
The future of TikTok remains uncertain, but if it survives, its market share will likely continue to grow. My 16-year-old son’s media consumption habits – primarily YouTube and TikTok, with minimal Google use – suggest where the future might be heading.

For advertisers and agencies, 2025 will require a delicate balance. We’ll need to adapt to the increasing automation of platforms like P-max while finding creative ways to maintain brand control and efficiency. The key will be diversifying across platforms to optimize both reach and cost-effectiveness while maintaining the high standards that luxury brands demand.

The challenge ahead lies in convincing brands to embrace these changes while preserving their unique market positioning and creative control. It’s not just about adapting to new technologies – it’s about finding ways to make these technologies work within the specific constraints and requirements of each brand’s market position.

At Mason Interactive, we believe great partnerships are built on shared vision and collaboration. We had the privilege of hosting our Finland-based fashion client, Marimekko, for a dynamic strategy session in our New York office.

The purpose of this meeting was clear: to align innovative strategies and establish a forward-looking framework for success. While refining plans for the 2024 holiday season was a key focus, the session underscored Marimekko’s dedication to long-term growth. Together, we initiated planning for 2025, setting the stage for a bold and strategic approach to the evolving fashion and marketing landscape.

This collaboration exemplified the synergy between Marimekko’s visionary leadership and our commitment to delivering creative, data-driven strategies. Face-to-face discussions with their talented team brought new energy to our partnership and reinforced the power of shared goals.

A special thank you to the Marimekko team for their time, insights, and passion, as well as to our New York-based team for their enthusiasm and expertise throughout the session.

As we move forward, we’re excited to bring these ideas to life and continue driving innovation together. Here’s to bold visions and a creative future!

Ready to position your fashion brand for success? Connect with us to craft a strategy tailored to your goals.

As consumer expectations shift, fashion brands must innovate and adapt to meet their needs. Here are three strategies to help your brand stand out.

1. Redefine the Omnichannel Experience

Why it matters: Customers are shopping across more platforms than ever before—social media, eCommerce sites, physical stores, and even emerging channels. To thrive, fashion brands must diversify and expand their visibility.

How we can help:

Performance Tracking: With our robust analytics tools, we can measure performance across channels and optimize campaigns to maximize reach and ROI.

Channel Diversification: We help brands build a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes a mix of paid, organic, and owned media channels. This approach reduces reliance on any single channel, ensuring long-term growth.

Integrated Campaign Management: Our expertise in multi-platform campaigns ensures your brand maintains a consistent voice and presence, whether on Instagram, Google Ads, or your website.

How we helped Hampden achieve a 5.8X increase in revenue with Meta Shops

2. Embrace Personalization through Creative Excellence

Why it matters: Consumers expect brands to speak directly to them—offering tailored messaging and creative that resonates on a personal level. Personalization fosters loyalty and sets your brand apart in an oversaturated market.

How we can help:

Dynamic Creatives: Our in-house creative team can craft personalized, data-driven content that resonates with your audience, from dynamic ad designs to tailored email campaigns and landing pages.

Audience Segmentation: By analyzing your audience data, we craft targeted messaging and creative assets that connect with specific customer segments.

Testing and Refinement: Through A/B testing and real-time feedback, we ensure your messaging resonates and evolves with your audience’s needs.

How we helped Zamzows increase 188% in revenue MoM with personalized creative

3. Build Loyalty Through Memorable Experiences

Why it matters: Loyalty isn’t just about rewards—it’s about creating moments that retain customers. A positive brand experience can transform casual shoppers into lifelong advocates.

How we can help:

Experiential Campaigns: We design campaigns that go beyond digital ads, creating in-person and virtual experiences that immerse your customers in your brand story.

Engagement Strategies: Whether it’s an exclusive fashion pop-up event, interactive livestreams, or loyalty-driven contests, we help you forge lasting connections with your audience.

Multi-Touchpoint Journeys: By integrating experiential elements into your broader marketing mix, we help you ensure consistency and impact across every customer touchpoint.

How we helped Indosole establish a sustainable DTC funnel

By focusing on delivering value, prioritizing personalization, and staying attuned to evolving consumer values, fashion brands can attract and retain a loyal customer base in 2025 and beyond.

Ready to position your fashion brand for success? Connect with us to craft a strategy tailored to your goals.

Connected TV (CTV) advertising is poised for a transformative year in 2025. With falling CPMs (cost per thousand impressions), improved targeting, and enhanced measurement capabilities, it’s an ideal time for brands to rethink their approach. As more viewers migrate to ad-supported streaming platforms, savvy marketers have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

Why CTV Is the Hot Topic for 2025

Amazon Prime Video’s introduction of its ad-supported tier in 2024 has created a ripple effect across the industry. The influx of ad inventory has driven down costs, with most platforms offering CPMs under $30 by mid-2025—except Netflix and Max, which maintain premium pricing.

Simultaneously, CTV ad spend is expected to reach $33.35 billion in 2025. As more users opt for ad-supported plans to save money, brands can reach a growing, engaged audience at a lower cost compared to rising social media CPMs.

Key Takeaway: Lower ad costs mean brands can allocate budgets more strategically, doubling down on CTV as a high-value channel.

Source: EMARKTER

Trend #1: CTV Viewership Is Growing Faster Than Ad Spend

Time spent on CTV platforms is growing rapidly. By 2026, U.S. adults will spend 20% of their daily media time on streaming platforms, up from just 11.5% in 2020. However, CTV will still account for only 8% of total ad spend.

This imbalance presents an opportunity for brands to maximize their investments while competition in the space is still manageable.

What This Means for You:

If you’ve been hesitant to add CTV to your media mix, now is the time. The growing audience and relatively low costs make it an attractive channel for both performance and brand-building campaigns.

Trend #2: Smarter Targeting Fuels Better Results

One of CTV’s greatest strengths is its ability to deliver precision targeting, which 65% of marketers now consider a performance driver. By combining robust audience data with partnerships like retail media networks, advertisers can reach specific audiences and measure their impact in real-time.

What This Means for You:

Personalized messaging is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. With better targeting tools, brands can deliver ads tailored to individual preferences, increasing engagement and driving meaningful results.

The Role of The Trade Desk

At Mason, we leverage The Trade Desk to power smarter, more efficient CTV campaigns for our clients. This platform allows us to manage programmatic ad buys across streaming services with unparalleled precision. From audience segmentation to real-time bidding and optimization, The Trade Desk offers the tools brands need to excel in a competitive market.

How We Work with Clients:

Our agency provides end-to-end campaign management on The Trade Desk, supported by a simple pricing model—a 4% monthly management fee based on assets and budgets under management. This approach ensures transparency and accountability while delivering measurable results.

What This Means for You:

The Trade Desk’s advanced capabilities empower brands to:

Target more effectively by reaching specific demographics and geographies.

Optimize campaigns in real-time to improve ROI.

Measure success with detailed performance analytics, ensuring every dollar works harder.

Trend #3: Lower CPMs Mean Bigger Opportunities

The combination of falling CPMs and increased ad inventory creates the perfect environment for brands to experiment with their strategies. Whether testing new creative, refining messaging, or exploring untapped audiences, 2025 is a low-risk, high-reward year for CTV advertising.

What This Means for You:

Seize the opportunity to get bold with your campaigns. Test multiple ad variations, leverage AI-powered tools for optimization, and don’t shy away from creative risks. With CPMs at historic lows, now is the time to push boundaries.

How to Build a Winning CTV Strategy in 2025

Here’s a quick guide to make the most of your CTV efforts this year:

Reallocate Budgets: Take advantage of lower CTV CPMs to expand your reach without increasing costs. Offset the rising expenses of social ads by shifting funds strategically.

Prioritize Creative Excellence: Use CTV’s targeting tools to develop personalized ads that resonate with specific audience segments. Test and iterate to maximize engagement. Our creative team will work with you to develop the necessary creative to maximize your campaigns/flight.

Leverage The Trade Desk: Partner with experts who can optimize your programmatic CTV buys, ensuring your campaigns are data-driven and performance-focused.

Track and Measure Success: Take advantage of CTV’s advanced measurement capabilities to analyze results and refine your strategy for continuous improvement.

Looking Ahead

As CTV continues to evolve, brands that embrace its opportunities will be positioned for growth in 2025 and beyond. With falling costs, smarter tools, and growing audiences, there’s no better time to invest in this dynamic channel.

Ready to explore what CTV can do for your business? Let’s build a strategy that delivers measurable success in the year ahead. Book a call with our strategy team.